Alastair Livesey

Alastair is a senior lawyer at A&O Shearman, one of the global elite law firms.  Al is a multi-specialist disputes lawyer, representing clients in a range of high-value and complex international arbitrations, multi-jurisdictional litigations and white collar/regulatory matters.  Al also advises on public international law and business and human rights issues, and assists clients to develop and benchmark their ethics and compliance programmes.  Al has particular experience in disputes involving allegations of fraud, corruption, regulatory breaches or other forms of heightened wrongdoing.

Alongside his client work, Al is on the London Court of International Arbitration and International Chamber of Commerce panels of arbitrators, and he is a member of the Rising Arbitrators Initiative. Al is Co-Chair of the Implementation Task Force for the Campaign for Greener Arbitration, an industry initiative to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitrations, and a Co-Convenor for the EMEA chapter of Delos Arbitration's advanced oral advocacy training programme, which aims to train budding advocates. 

Al also maintains an extensive international and domestic pro bono practice, with a particular interest in law reform, the rule of law and strategic litigation in the international courts around LGBT+ rights.  Recent work includes leading a team preparing a playbook for an African State on international law issues arising in post-conflict peace negotiations; spearheading several third-party interventions in the European Court of Human Rights around LGBT+ rights; advising a client on an EU proposal to ban conversion therapy; and advising a client on potential constitutional and human rights challenges to legislation criminalising same-sex relationships and intimacy.  Al is Co-Chair of A&O Shearman’s LGBT+ Network and, in 2024, was recognised by INvolve x Youtube as a Top 100 Global LGBT+ future leader in recognition of his pro bono activities.

Before entering private practice, Al previously worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and for several law reform and human rights organisations.  Al also completed a secondment to the litigation team at Liberty.  Al is currently the Vice Chair on the Board of the Civil Liberties Trust and the Executive Committee of Liberty, and previously served on the Board of Bail for Immigration Detainees.