Profile

Dr. Darya Shirokova is a triple-qualified lawyer (Russia, France, and California/US) specialising in international law, with a particular focus on international arbitration — both commercial and investment — and energy contracts. Her practice spans energy law, public international law, and international litigation, including the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.

A recognised thought leader in energy law and arbitration, she is the author of a Wolters Kluwer monograph on state contracts in the energy industry, based on an empirical analysis of over 500 energy contracts worldwide. Her research examines how geopolitical factors, bargaining power, and foreign investment strategies shape contract structures and dispute outcomes across different regions.

Darya is the Founder of the Houston Place of Arbitration (HPA) and Assistant Editor of the Journal of International Arbitration. She is actively engaged with the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), maintaining close relationships with in-house counsel and commercial negotiators across upstream, LNG, power, and renewables projects.

Representative Experience

ICC Secretariat — Case Management

• ICCFive years in the Eastern European team of the Secretariat of the ICC Court of Arbitration, administering hundreds of arbitration cases across a wide range of disputes, including high-value gas price readjustment proceedings.

Counsel Practice

• ArbitrationRepresented parties in international commercial and investment arbitrations, with a focus on energy sector disputes involving state contracts, upstream operations, LNG, and renewables.
• LitigationWorked in the litigation department of a major insurance company and in several international arbitration law firms, gaining experience in complex cross-border contentious matters.
• EnforcementAdvises on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards across multiple jurisdictions.