Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Appoints New Global Disputes Leadership

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has appointed new leadership for its Global Disputes Practice, effective Dec. 1.

The firm has appointed Alexander Oddy as the firm’s new Managing Partner, Disputes, UK and EMEA, alongside Kerri Ann Law and Benjamin Rubinstein as Co-Managing Partners, Disputes, US.

Oddy, Law and Rubinstein will work closely with Simon Chapman KC, Managing Partner, Disputes, Asia and Australia, to continue the strategic aims of the firm's Global Disputes platform.

Oddy succeeds Paul Lewis, who has returned to full-time practice after more than three years in the role. Law and Rubinstein succeed Paul Schoeman, who assumed the role following the firm’s combination in June 2025. Schoeman will continue in his role as Executive Partner, US.

Justin D’Agostino, Global CEO, HSF Kramer, says: “Our elite disputes practice is a defining strength of our firm and central to HSF Kramer’s global ambition. Alex, Kerri Ann and Ben are outstanding lawyers and leaders. Working alongside Simon, they form a formidable leadership team that will drive the next phase of growth for our Global Disputes Practice and ensure we remain at the very top of the market, supporting clients through their most complex and business-critical challenges.

“My huge thanks to Paul Lewis and Paul Schoeman for their exceptional leadership and the enormous contribution they have made in bringing our disputes practices together through the combination and creating the unique transatlantic and transpacific platform from which this new team will build.”

Oddy says: “I’m honored to step into this role and build on the momentum our UK EMEA platform has achieved under Paul’s excellent leadership. It’s an exciting time to be leading the practice. Clients are facing an increasingly complex risk landscape, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with my fellow managing partners as we embrace the challenges and opportunities of AI for our practice and our clients.”

Law says: “It’s a privilege to lead this exceptional team alongside Ben, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together as we shape the next chapter of our US disputes practice. Together with Alex and Simon, we look forward to bringing the full strength of our Global Disputes Practice to clients wherever their challenges.”

Rubinstein says: “I’m delighted to be partnering with Kerri Ann to lead the next chapter of our US disputes practice. Amplified further since the firm’s combination, our disputes practice has long been at the core of our DNA, and I look forward to working with Kerri Ann and the whole US disputes division to achieve even greater successes in the future.”

About Alex

Alex is a commercial disputes lawyer with a practice including all aspects of insurance coverage disputes as well as commercial litigation, contentious regulatory investigations and ADR. He is particularly known for his work with clients in the energy and natural resources sector, where he has represented policyholders on many of the largest losses in the London and international insurance markets, assisting clients to recover billions of dollars from insurers through negotiation, mediation, litigation and arbitration. He is a solicitor advocate, accredited mediator and established the firm's Decision Analysis service a decade ago.

His recent headline mandates include last year securing a USD $1.035 billion win in the High Court for client AerCap, the world’s largest aviation lessor.

About Kerri Ann

With over three decades of experience as a trial lawyer, Kerri Ann handles all types of significant and sensitive business disputes, including claims of securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and other business torts, breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, and antitrust and employment matters. She has also conducted numerous internal investigations at the request of company management, boards of directors and/or special committees. She represents clients in complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts, as well as in domestic and international arbitration forums.

About Ben

Ben serves as Head of Product Liability and Mass Tort, US, and has over 20 years of experience representing and counseling clients in individual, class action and governmental lawsuits in state and federal courts throughout the US and serving as international coordinating counsel in similar disputes in jurisdictions outside the US. With a particular focus on product liability and complex tort litigation, Ben also has experience representing and counseling clients in product recalls and in business-to-business disputes involving product liability issues.

About Simon

Simon leads the firm’s market-leading disputes practice in Asia and Australia and co-leads the global arbitration practice. A specialist advocate, he appears regularly as lead counsel before courts and tribunals in the world’s foremost arbitration centers. Simon’s practice covers investment treaty and commercial arbitration under all of the major arbitral rules, with particular experience in complex claims in fraud and breach of warranty, as well as post-M&A, joint venture and shareholder disputes. Seasoned in set-aside proceedings, Simon has appeared in some of the largest cases before the Hong Kong courts concerning challenges to arbitral awards and has advised on related proceedings before the courts in Singapore, England and Wales.

About Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSF Kramer) was formed in June 2025 through the transformational combination of Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin, creating a world-leading global law firm. With over 6,000 people, including 2,700 lawyers and spanning 26 offices, HSF Kramer provides comprehensive legal services across every major region of the world. Uniquely positioned to help clients achieve ambitious objectives, HSF Kramer delivers exceptional results in complex transactions and high-stakes disputes.

For more information, visit www.hsfkramer.com.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/hsfkramer/

About the Global Disputes Practice

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer’s Global Dispute Resolution Practice is one of the largest and most experienced in the world, with over 1,200 dedicated fee earners operating across 26 offices globally. The team is renowned for its ability to handle and resolve complex international disputes across all major jurisdictions and dispute resolution platforms. The practice is distinguished by its fully integrated international arbitration practice, complemented by a market-leading litigation practice. The disputes team is a multi-disciplinary ensemble with world-leading sector knowledge and deep regional experience, providing commercial insight and legal advice that is both innovative and practical, and includes litigators, arbitrators, mediators and investigators.