Christopher Pugh is based in our London office and has been a partner in the dispute resolution group since 1991. He heads our energy dispute resolution group.

In the energy sector his work has included:

  • advising Rowan Companies in a drilling rig dispute with the owners of the Arbroath field relating to the operation of various pieces of equipment on a jack-up drilling rig (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer were awarded the Legal 500 Litigation Team of the Year 2002 Award for their role on this case);
  • advising the owners of the Hewett and North of Hewett fields in the North Sea in their disputes with British Gas Trading over the operation of long term gas contracts. The disputes involved the operation of clauses relating to super-shortfall, force majeure and take or pay as well as technical disputes relating to the operation of a variety of pieces of equipment at gas processing facilities at Bacton;
  • advising parties to Production Sharing and similar Agreements in different countries (including the Caspain, Eastern Europe and Indonesia) in arbitrations relating to a wide variety of issues including tax provisions, cost recovery issues, technical problems and investor treatment;
  • advising the J Block owners in their disputes with Enron Europe in proceedings in London and Houston. The disputes involved the operation of clauses relating to take or pay, gas injection, unitisation and force majeure as well as technical disputes relating to specification and operation of particular pieces of equipment off-shore and on-shore;
  • advising Operators of fields in disputes with non-operators over the terms and scope of Joint Operating Agreements and, similarly, acting for non-operators in disputes with Operators;
  • advising Phillips Petroleum in proceedings against IT McGill in relation to the fabrication and design of flare systems;
  • advising Talisman in relation to a drilling rig dispute with Larsen Oil & Gas;
  • advising a US energy company in a series of insurance arbitration proceedings;
  • advising aluminium producers in arbitration proceedings in power supply disputes; and
  • advising suppliers of equipment in dispute resolution and arbitrations relating to the operability of such equipment.

Contact details

  • Address
  • 65 Fleet Street
  • London EC4Y 1HS
  • United Kingdom
  • Telephone
  • +44 20 7936 4000
  • Fax
  • +44 20 7832 7001