Erika
Williams

BA, LLB, DipICArb
Counsel

erikawilliams@peterandkim.com +61 2 68 33 99 07
Download CV (English)
Bar admission
New South Wales, 2011; High Court of Australia, 2011
Nationalities
Australian
Languages
English
Location
Sydney

PROFESSIONAL
PRACTICE

Erika Williams is a leading international arbitration practitioner having acted in some of Australia’s largest disputes resolved through arbitration. Erika has acted in arbitrations under various arbitral institutions including ACICA, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, CIETAC and JCAA. In addition, Erika has a broad range of general commercial litigation experience, particularly in relation to cross-border disputes, from commencing proceedings and interlocutory actions through to full trials and appeals, including all the way to the High Court of Australia.
Erika has acted for a range of clients, including individuals, small and large business, major Australian public companies, and multinational corporations across a broad range of sectors including energy, resources and renewables, construction, and technology. Erika is also on the arbitrator panels of leading arbitral institutions including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, the Resolution Institute, and the Queensland Law Society and accepts arbitrator and tribunal secretary appointments.

Areas of
Expertise

  • Arbitration / Litigation
  • Cross-Border Disputes
  • Private International Law
  • Commercial Contracts

Industry
Sector

  • Construction & Engineering Icon Construction & Engineering
  • Energy & Power Icon Energy & Power
  • Mining & Metals Icon Mining & Metals
  • Fashion & Luxury Goods Icon Fashion & Luxury Goods
  • Acting as lead solicitor on a multi-million dollar construction arbitration involving over 1,000 separate claims and managing a large team of 12 lawyers and five barristers
  • Acting as lead solicitor in Supreme Court litigation in $60 million claim against a China and Hong Kong based fashion clothing retail group for unpaid consultancy and development fees
  • Acting in an investor-state claim under a bilateral investment treaty against a South American country for an Australian investor in a lithium mine
  • Acting for a coal trader in a misrepresentation dispute administered by SIAC
  • Acting in a dispute involving delay claims and standby claims in relation to an oil refinery project in Qatar under the JCAA Rules, including drafting detailed witness statements following which the parties were able to reach a settlement beneficial to our claimant client
  • Acting for Netherlands principal contractor against subcontractor in a dispute arising from termination of a construction contract under the Resolution Institute Rules
  • Avising and acting in relation to international commercial arbitrations under various arbitral institutions including ACICA, LCIA, UNCITRAL, SIAC and JCAA; and
  • Advising and acting in relation to complex issues arising in arbitration and litigation proceedings including obtaining cross-jurisdictional freezing orders and evidence in cross-border arbitration and litigation.
  • Counsel, Peter & Kim, Sydney (2021 to Present)
  • Senior Associate, McCullough Robertson Lawyers, Brisbane (2016 to 2020)
  • Associate, Baker McKenzie, Sydney (2011 to 2016)
  • Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Australia (2013)
  • Diploma of Legal Practice, College of Law, Sydney (2011)
  • Bachelor of Law (Honours Class II), University of Sydney (2010)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Japanese Studies), University of Sydney (2008)
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration
  • Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA)
  • Fellow and Graded Arbitrator of the Resolution Institute
  • Director of ArbitralWomen
  • ‘Federal Court of Australia enforces ICSID Awards against Kingdom of Spain’

    8(1) The ACICA Review 32

  • ‘Foreign Investors’ Increasing Awareness of Investor-State Arbitration – view from Australia‘

    39 Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal 35

  • ‘Internationalising the International Arbitration Act‘

    38(1) The Arbitrator & Mediator 122

  • ‘Out in the cold: WA Court of Appeal upholds freezing order against Spanish-owned construction company involved in arbitration‘

    38(1) The Arbitrator & Mediator 112

  • ‘Arb-med-arb: Follow the rules or face the costs: Ku-ring-gai Council v Ichor Constructions Pty Ltd‘

    38(1) The Arbitrator & Mediator 108

  • ‘The ‘Bones’ Arbitration: An American Cautionary-Tale for Australian Practitioners’

    7(1) The ACICA Review 37

  • ‘Arbitrating Down Under: Highlights and lessons learned from 2018 to 2019‘

    15(2) Asian International Arbitration Journal 133

  • ‘The Non-Responsive Respondent: Taking an Arbitration Forward and How’

    85(1) The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management 65

  • ‘A change in Investment Treaty Climate: Infrastructure Services Luxembourg S.A.R.L. v Kingdom of Spain’

    7(2) The ACICA Review 39

  • ‘International Arbitration Australia: 2018 Year in Review’

    McCullough Robertson Publication

  • ‘Director’s fury over road block to litigation: Mad Max arbitration to be heard in Hollywood’

    6(1) The ACICA Review 25

  • ‘Indemnity cost orders for overzealous applicants: John Holland Pty Ltd v Adani Abbot Point Terminal Pty Ltd‘

    37(1) The Arbitrator & Mediator 99

  • ‘Due process paranoia and its role in the future of international commercial arbitration‘

    37(1) The Arbitrator & Mediator 43

  • ‘Apply to Set Aside, or Appeal Against an Award?’

    38(8) Proctor 14

  • ‘Australia: coal and wind interests power ISDS threats‘

    22(1) International Bar Association Arbitration News 16

  • ‘Turbines tussle may test free trade agreement‘

    37(5) Proctor 20

  • ‘International Commercial Arbitration 101’

    37(11) Proctor 16

  • ‘The Rinehard Saga Continues… in private‘

    4(1) The CIArb Australia News 103

  • ‘Australia Signs the Mauritius Convention: How Investor-State Arbitration Might Look With More Transparency‘

    5(2) The ACICA Review 40

  • ‘The Saga of Ye v Zeng‘

    35(1) The Arbitrator & Mediator 105

  • ‘Court Slams Sino Dragon’s Attempt to Set Aside Arbitral Award‘

    3(2) The CIArb Australia News 51

  • ‘Australian Courts’ Approach to Multi-Party and Multi-Contract Arbitration’

    4(2) The ACICA Review 29