Carson W. Bennett

• Representing The Coca-Cola Company in a Europe-based commercial arbitration under a long-term sponsorship agreement.
• Representing Chevron Thailand Exploration & Production Co. in a Zurich-seated ad hoc arbitration against the Government of Thailand, concerning a dispute in excess of US$ 2 billion regarding the decommissioning of offshore assets in the Gulf of Thailand.
• Enforcing a US$ 77 million ICSID award against the Kingdom of Spain in U.S. federal court on behalf of Blasket Renewable Investments.
• Representing a European trading company in an ICC arbitration seated in New York, concerning US$ 500 million breach of contract claims under various corporate and shareholders' agreements in a South American joint venture.
• Part of the commercial arbitration team that won declaratory relief worth over US$ 600 million for a U.S.-based natural gas liquefaction company in a AAA arbitration involving a disputed payment calculation.
• Representing Chevron Corporation in a treaty arbitration against the Republic of Ecuador seated in The Hague, concerning the fraudulent US$ 9 billion "Lago Agrio" environmental judgment issued by the Ecuadorian courts.
• Represented an American LNG company in an ICDR arbitration governed by New York law concerning the scheduling terms of a long-term Sale and Purchase Agreement.
• Represented an American storage company in an ICC arbitration concerning the purchase price of a Brazilian joint venture. Prior to the merits hearing, the parties settled on terms favorable to the client.
• Represented a major U.S.-based electric utility in an ICDR arbitration involving a contract dispute with its Canadian supplier of nuclear fuel. Prior to the merits hearing, the parties settled the dispute on terms favorable to the client.
• Represented a U.A.E-based retailer in U.S. federal court against its American franchisee over alleged breaches of contract. The case was successfully dismissed on forum non conveniens grounds.
• Represented a UK-based pharmaceutical company against a sublicensee regarding unpaid royalties and sublicense fees; the parties settled on terms favorable to the client.
• Represented a major Spanish energy company in an UNCITRAL arbitration involving a force majeure declaration resulting from an earthquake in the Caribbean and a utility's inability to take regasified LNG.
• Represented ICE detainees in a Religious Liberty case stemming from state and federal authorities restricting the detainees' ability to practice their faith while in custody.

Carson represents clients in high-stakes international commercial disputes, investment treaty arbitrations, and global award enforcement actions.  He regularly represents clients in the oil and gas, renewable energy, and aerospace sectors.  Carson is licensed in New York, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.

Carson has experience in arbitrations before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the American Arbitration Association and its International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA/ICDR), and the Swiss Arbitration Centre (SAC).  Committed to the latest developments in the field, Carson has served as a delegate to the U.N. Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) during its discussion on reforms to Investor-State Dispute Settlement. 

Carson received his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Dispute Resolution Law Journal. Carson earned his B.A. from Brigham Young University and graduated with University Honors, the highest academic distinction awarded to undergraduates. 

During law school, Carson served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Dolly M. Gee of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. He also interned in the chambers of Presiding Justice Tricia A. Bigelow of the California Court of Appeal.

Carson is fluent in Portuguese.