Sarah VASANI

Sarah Vasani is a globally recognised international arbitrator and the founder of Vasani International Arbitration (VIA), a London-based chambers from which she practises full-time as an independent arbitrator. Before launching VIA in 2025, Sarah spent over two decades in leading international law firms across two continents where she led multi-jurisdictional teams in high-value disputes worth billions of dollars. She was formerly Co-Head of International Arbitration at CMS LLP, responsible for the firm’s global disputes practice across the UK, CEE, the Middle East, Türkiye, Singapore, and parts of Latin America. Earlier in her career, she headed the Investor-State Dispute Resolution practice at Addleshaw Goddard and spent nearly a decade with King & Spalding in Houston, Washington D.C., and London. Sarah ranks in Band 1 – UK Arbitrator by Chambers & Partners, who remarks that “If you want someone who has done it all, seen it all and can uncover it all, you can’t get anyone better than her as arbitrator”, while reporting that Sarah is “known not only for her legal excellence but also for her commercial awareness and practical, solution-driven approach.” WWL / GAR have recognised Sarah each year since 2017, ranking her as a “Global Thought Leader” and “a very experienced arbitrator”.

Sarah has served as both arbitrator and lead advocate in numerous complex cases under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, ICDR, SCC, HKIAC, and DIAC rules, and under a range of common and civil laws, BITs and IIAs, including the ECT, OIC, and ASEAN treaties. She is dual-qualified in England & Wales and the U.S. (Texas and Washington D.C.), and is a Solicitor-Advocate of the Higher Courts of England & Wales. She represents the United States on the ICC International Court of Arbitration.

After two decades in Big Law, Sarah saw a growing need for arbitration that is more responsive, efficient, and genuinely party-centred—not constrained by boilerplate procedural orders or one-size-fits-all procedures and timetables. As an independent arbitrator, Sarah embraces that philosophy, and is highly commended for her legal, interpersonal, and case management skills.