Personal bio
Sean Ekhlas is an international arbitration practitioner and arbitrator, admitted to the State Bar of Georgia and the Washington, D.C. Bar. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and serves as an arbitrator at the Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC). He is also a member of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and the Atlanta International Arbitration Society (ATLAS).
Sean’s practice is focused on complex international arbitration and cross-border disputes, with particular emphasis on investor–state arbitration, jurisdictional challenges, and disputes shaped by geopolitical and regulatory developments. He represents a claimant in an ongoing investment treaty arbitration before the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), reflecting his active engagement in disputes involving sovereign states and foreign investors.
A distinguishing feature of Sean’s practice is his dual grounding in both Common Law and Civil Law systems. This combined perspective allows him to navigate procedural and substantive differences with precision, particularly in arbitrations where legal traditions intersect. He is able to bridge contrasting approaches to evidence, advocacy, and legal reasoning—an advantage in proceedings involving parties, counsel, and tribunals from different jurisdictions.
Acting as both counsel and arbitrator, Sean has handled disputes involving multiple jurisdictions, complex evidentiary records, and coordinated strategies across parallel proceedings. He previously served on the Arbitration Award Scrutiny Tribunal of ACIC, where he contributed to the review and assessment of arbitral awards in complex international matters.
Sean regularly collaborates with leading law firms across Europe and the Middle East on sophisticated cross-border disputes. His experience is concentrated in matters involving investment structures, international commercial agreements, sanctions-related issues, and high-value contractual relationships.
His international background further strengthens his ability to operate across diverse legal and cultural frameworks—an important advantage in disputes involving state entities and multinational parties. Sean approaches each matter with a disciplined, strategic mindset and a strong focus on achieving enforceable, commercially sound outcomes.
He is known for delivering clear, well-structured advocacy in complex international disputes and for navigating matters that require both legal precision and a nuanced understanding of competing legal systems.