Heidrun Walsh is an Managing Associate in the international arbitration group. She advises and represents clients in arbitrations at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), London Court of Arbitration (LCIA), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC), and in ad hoc arbitrations.
Her experience encompasses a range of dispute types in various sectors such as the oil and gas industry, complex shareholders, telecoms and general commercial disputes.
Heidrun is a member of the LCIA (YIAG), ICC, ArbAut and YAAP and various other arbitration organizations.
Heidrun is recognised as Future Leader in the 2024 edition of Who's Who Legal: Arbitration and named as a Rising Star in Legal500 2024.
Key Experience
- Acting for the investor in pending ICSID arbitration proceedings against an African state in relation to disputes arising out of a hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation contract (ICSID Case No. ARB/13/14, seat Paris; Cameroon applicable law);
- Representing the investor in pending ICSID arbitration proceedings against Saint Lucia arising out of a petroleum exploration contract (ICSID Case No. ARB/12/10; seat New York; Saint Lucia applicable law);
- Acted for an Austrian investor in pending ICSID arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Croatia (ICSID Case No. ARB/12/39) seat Washington);
- Acting for a Syrian subcontractor in a construction dispute with a Chinese contractor over a 2,400 MW power plant in Saudi Arabia (seat London; English applicable law);
- Acted for a US petroleum company in ICC emergency proceedings, arising under farm-in, operating and concession agreements in Cameroon (seat Houston; Texan applicable law)
- Acted in Europe’s largest telecoms arbitrations relating to a shareholders’ dispute worth in excess of €2.5 billion under the rules of the Vienna International Arbitration Centre (seat Vienna; applicable Polish law);
- Successfully represented an Austrian steel trading company in arbitration proceedings under the rules of the Vienna International Arbitral Centre in relation to a dispute arising out of a consultancy agreement related to a pipeline project in the Ukraine (seat Vienna, Austrian applicable law).
- Successfully represented a leading international technology company in arbitration proceedings under the ICC rules of the relating to a railway project in Slovenia (seat Munich, Austrian applicable law).
- Acted for an Russian steel trading company in an arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules in relation to claims arising out of post M&A dispute (seat Vienna, Austrian applicable law);
- Successfully represented an Eastern European bank in annulment proceedings in the Austrian courts in relation to a EUR 67 million arbitral award.
Articles & Publications
- Enforcement of Interim Measures in Local Courts, Austrian Chapter, in Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook 2012 (co-authored with Stefan Riegler);
- Public Policy in International Arbitration, Austrian Chapter, in Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook 2011 (co-authored with Stefan Riegler);
- The revision of the UNCITRAL Rules in 2010 (Wilmer Hale client update) (co-authored with Steven Finizio and Sarah Wheeler);
- The Arbitrator and the Arbitration Procedure – Challenge of Arbitrators, in the Austrian Arbitration Yearbook in 2010 (co-authored with Susanne Wurzer and Benedikt Spiegelfeld).
Languages
German, English, Spanish, Italian (basic)
Internships & Events
- Summer Internships at the ICC International Court of Arbitration (Paris) and at the at Austrian Chamber of Commerce in Caracás;
- Participating at the William C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court 2007/2008; Awarded “Frèdèric Eisemann Award” (3rd place in oral rounds) and “Pieter Sanders Award Honorable Mention” for the Statement of Claim.
Career History
Arbitration Lawyer, Mishcon de Reya
Associate, Baker & McKenzie
Associate, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP Junior Associate, Cerha Hempel Spiefelfeld Hlawati
University of Vienna (Faculty of Law), Law