Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes welcomes Yuri Parkhomenko as a Partner, further strengthening the firm’s long-standing public international law practice.
“We are delighted to welcome into our firm and larger family a highly skilled and experienced PIL specialist such as Yuri Parkhomenko, who is joining our team’s PIL practice of more than two decades”, comments Yas Banifatemi, one of the firm’s Founding partner. “Yuri is a seasoned and well-recognized litigator, before the ICJ and ITLOS in particular, a craftsman who explores the tiniest detail of a case while strategizing the complex questions arising in the dispute, and a professional with strong values and a firm commitment to the rule of law. All those attributes made him a perfect fit for our diverse and expert platform, our unrivalled art, and our core values.”
Yuri brings over twenty years of public international law experience, spanning eight years in Ukraine’s foreign service and sixteen years at Foley Hoag LLP, including as a partner at its public international law practice. Yuri specializes in providing strategic advice and advocacy at all stages of international dispute resolution, with an ability to navigate the legal, diplomatic, and geopolitical complexities of high-stakes disputes.
Yuri has acted on behalf of sovereign States in over twenty State-State disputes before the ICJ, ITLOS and other international tribunals, helping to achieve historic victories. He was in particular a member of the team that helped Mauritius in the ICJ proceedings resulting in a 13-1 advisory opinion requiring the UK to return the Chagos archipelago, and later in UNCLOS proceedings against the Maldives that confirmed Mauritius’s sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago and established its maritime boundary.Most recently, Yuri was one of the advocates for Equatorial Guinea in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea, securing a favourable ICJ ruling in May 2025 on one the central issues in the case by convincing the Court that the parties’ subsequent conduct confirms that the so-called “Bata Convention” invoked by Gabon is not a treaty having the force of law concerning sovereignty over disputed islands or the delimitation of their common maritime and land boundaries.
Reflecting on his long-standing collaboration with Yuri in State-State dispute resolution, Philippe Sands KC, a Professor of Public Understanding of Law at University College London, says he is “delighted to learn that Yuri Parkhomenko and GBS Disputes have come together. Having worked with Yuri for many years, I am fully appreciative of his principled, collegial and professional qualities, a world class advocate in the field of public international law associating with a truly top-notch arbitration firm. It should be a great fit, and I wish them well in these challenging and vitally important times for the well-being of the rule of law.”
Yuri has also appeared as counsel in numerous investment arbitrations under ICSID and other rules. As counsel for Uruguay, he helped secure victories against Philip Morris in its challenge to tobacco-control regulations and against mining investors pursuing multi-billion-dollar claims. For Mauritius, he contributed to the successful defense of regulations protecting the Le Morne UNESCO World Heritage Site from luxury development. Most recently, Yuri was one of the advocates securing for Japan a victory in renewable energy investment arbitration.
Paul Reichler from 11KBW, who established Foley Hoag’s International Litigation & Arbitration Practice in which Yuri previously served as a partner, observes: “Yuri Parkhomenko is one of the most talented lawyers in public international law I have known in over 50 years of legal practice. He is a brilliant writer and oral pleader, as well as a creative thinker and strategist. We have been colleagues for over 15 years, and I trusted him completely both professionally and personally, when working together before the ICJ and other international courts and tribunals.” “In addition to being one of the best lawyers I have ever worked with,” continues Reichler, “[Yuri] is a truly honest and ethical human being with deep-seated values, among them an unbreakable commitment to justice and the rule of law. These outstanding qualities make him a perfect fit for GBS Disputes.”
Sean Murphy, Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law at George Washington University, notes: “Yuri Parkhomenko is a very talented international lawyer, with particular expertise in inter-State litigation and investor-State litigation. The energy, intellect, and dedication that he brings to his work are remarkable; no fact is left untouched or legal precedent unearthed. Moreover, he takes complex cases and carefully marshals strong arguments on behalf of his client. Beyond that, his commitment to the rule of law in global relations is unflagging and inspiring.”
Alison Macdonald KC from Essex Chambers adds: “Yuri is a wonderfully knowledgeable and creative public international lawyer and effective advocate with keen litigation instincts. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him for many years. He is deeply committed to the rule of law, works tirelessly for his clients and is a true team player in the cases on which he works, and will be a great asset to the excellent team at GBS Disputes.”
Yuri Parkhomenko comments: “I am excited to be joining Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes, a firm of pioneers with extraordinary talent, integrity and intellectual diversity, who are committed to serving the rule of law and practicing international dispute resolution as a form of art.”
Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes is an international firm exclusively dedicated to the management of international disputes. The Firm, established in February 2021, is one of the world’s leading international arbitration and international law practices. The team of 58 lawyers, known for its numerous landmark victories in historic arbitrations, is now present in Paris, London, New York, Cairo and Abu Dhabi.
