Robert Kirkness is an experienced international arbitration practitioner who has acted on some of the most complex and high profile matters submitted to arbitration over the past decade. He is a member of Thorndon Chambers in New Zealand.  

Robert appears as counsel both before international courts and tribunals in international disputes and the New Zealand courts on a range of commercial and public law litigation.

Robert has represented States and foreign investors in numerous investment treaty arbitrations, including: East Mediterranean Gas and its foreign shareholders in a series of four international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations against the Arab Republic of Egypt and its state-owned entities following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, each of which resulted in successful awards for the claimants; Rusoro Mining in its investment treaty claim against Venezuela regarding expropriation of gold mining rights; and several States defending investment treaty claims brought against them. 

In addition to his investment treaty work, Robert has acted for commercial clients in Europe and Asia on a wide-range of international commercial disputes, including gas-pricing disputes under long-term contracts for the supply of natural gas, post-M&A disputes and disputes concerning intellectual property rights.

Robert serves as arbitrator in international commercial disputes.