Biography
Elise is a counsel at A&O Shearman, where she specialises in complex investment and commercial arbitrations, public international law, and business & human rights. Her experience spans multiple industries and sectors, with a focus on energy and mining & metals. She also advises on the international protection of investments, including mitigating political risk and navigating sanctions issues.
Elise has particular expertise in disputes with a Russian nexus, having represented the Government of Ukraine in investment disputes involving Russian interests, and the majority shareholders of the Yukos Oil Company in proceedings which resulted in a $50 billion arbitral award against Russia —the largest arbitral award on record.
Elise additionally has an active pro bono practice, focusing on human rights, environmental, social & governance (ESG), and climate change, and writes and speaks regularly on these topics. She has assisted her pro bono clients in the preparation of written submissions before the European Court of Human Rights, among other international human rights bodies. She also leads the Human Rights at Sea Arbitration initiative, which seeks to develop a system for the arbitration of complaints concerning human rights abuses at sea.
Elise was named to The Legal 500's inaugural Private Practice Powerlist - Arbitration France 2023, and is additionally recognised in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration - Future Leaders (2023), and in The Best Lawyers in France (2023) for Public International Law.
Previously, Elise practised as an associate at a boutique litigation firm in Australia, representing parties in complex national and cross-border commercial and bankruptcy disputes, and corporate investigations. Elise also clerked for a justice of the Federal Court of Australia, interned with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kathmandu, Nepal, was a research assistant to a member of the International Law Commission in Geneva, Switzerland, and taught the subjects of Public International Law, Constitutional Law and Administrative Law at two Australian law schools.