By james art Christian Litley
Christian Leightley received a BA (Hons) in Law from Durham University in 1995 and an LL.M. (International Law) from New York University Law School in 2006.
Christian is a partner at the international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. He is co-head of the firm’s public international law group, co-head of the firm’s Latin America group and head of the firm’s US international arbitration group. Christian practices in both commercial and investment arbitration, as well as public international law, including international human rights. He has 30 years of experience, having worked in the UK, USA, Spain and the Netherlands, under all major arbitration rules and in all major sectors. He has worked on ESG issues as well as crisis management, in addition to spending a brief period at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington, DC. He is qualified in New York and English law. Christian also teaches international arbitration, having previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and New York University School of Law. He is currently a member of the founding faculty teaching the International Arbitration Summer Course at Durham University. He divides his time between London and New York. Chambers USA describes Christian as “a brilliant attorney and a leading authority in the international arbitration space.”