Aceris Law

International Arbitration Law Firm

Nina Jankovic Construction Arbitration Lawyer
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Nina Jankovic, Construction Arbitration Lawyer

Nina Jankovic is an international arbitration lawyer with over a decade of experience representing clients in construction, commercial, and investment arbitrations worldwide. She has acted as counsel in more than 50 international arbitrations, including some of the largest and most complex disputes of recent years, under the ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, SCC, SIAC, and ICDR Rules.

She holds an LL.M. in Public International Law from Leiden University and an LL.B. (summa cum laude) from the University of Belgrade. Before joining Aceris Law, she was a graduate trainee at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s International Arbitration Group in Paris and completed an internship at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. She also gained international experience at law firms in Belgrade and Berlin, and as a trainee at the German Bundestag through the prestigious International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) programme.

Clients describe Nina as “very well organised”, a “methodical researcher with a sharp intellect,” and a “skilled drafter who presents cases succinctly”. They praise her as both “professional and approachable”, “friendly and responsive”.

In addition to her practice, Nina occasionally teaches international arbitration at the University of Bologna and regularly speaks at academic and professional forums. She is admitted to the Serbian Bar and speaks English, Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian, Spanish, German, French, and Italian, with basic knowledge of Portuguese.

Professional
experiences

Aceris Law LLC, International Arbitration, Geneva, Switzerland 

Nina Jankovic is Counsel at Aceris Law LLC, where she represents clients in complex international arbitrations under the direction of founding partner William Kirtley. She has acted in numerous cases under the ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, SIAC, SCC, LCIA, ICDR, and AAA Rules, involving disputes governed by English law, Swiss law, Russian law, Saudi law, Turkish law, Singapore law, Moldovan law, Uzbek law, Angolan law, Montenegrin law, Indonesian law, Qatari law, Serbian law, Bosnian law, and public international law. Nina has successfully represented clients in investment treaty, commercial, and construction arbitrations across multiple industries, including energy, natural resources, infrastructure, media and telecommunications. Her recent successes include acting for a publicly listed Malaysian company in a USD 254 million SCC arbitration concerning a natural gas construction project in Uzbekistan against a Russian multinational’s subsidiary. Nina also served as counsel for Mr. Bachar Kiwan, a French investor and high-net-worth individual, in a USD 800 million ICSID arbitration against the State of Kuwait (ICSID Case No. ARB/20/53). She is also acting in a USD 7.5 billion bilingual (English and Spanish) ICC arbitration against a South American State concerning breaches of a settlement agreement resolving claims of unlawful detention and human rights violations. In addition to her arbitration practice, Nina is a regular author on international arbitration, contributing publications on investment arbitration, construction disputes, and international commercial arbitration.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, International Arbitration Group, Paris, France – Graduate Trainee

During her six-month traineeship as a graduate trainee in international arbitration, Nina gained experience in public international law, investment arbitration, and commercial arbitration. She contributed to a submission before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a dispute between two Latin American States, where she assisted with legal drafting and the translation of documents and evidence in Spanish, German, and Serbian. Nina also worked on an investment treaty arbitration against an ex-Soviet Republic, participated in commercial arbitrations under the LCIA and ICC Rules, and assisted with a successful ICC challenge of an arbitrator.

Permanent Court of Arbitration (the PCA), the Hague, the Netherlands – Legal Intern

During her internship at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Nina assisted in the administration of public international law and investment arbitration cases. These included a maritime border dispute between two Balkan States, a confidential arbitration against an international organisation, and a case brought against Russia concerning violations of environmental and maritime law. She supported tribunals at all stages of proceedings, including organising hearings and conferences, facilitating tribunal–party correspondence, and assisting case administrators.

German Bundestag, holder of International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS), Berlin, Germany – Intern

Nina completed a five-month internship in the office of an SPD Parliamentarian, where she organised and attended meetings and conferences, and prepared legal briefings, memoranda, and notes in German.

Law Firm Jankovic, Belgrade, Serbia – Trainee

Nina focused on Serbian company and business law, where she assisted with the establishment of new corporate entities and the restructuring of a major pharmaceutical company in Serbia. She also gained experience in Serbian court proceedings and supported the litigation of commercial disputes before domestic courts.

SZARKA Rechtsanwälte – Attorneys at Law, Berlin, Germany- Summer Legal Intern

As a Summer Legal Intern at Szarka Rechtsanwälte in Berlin, Nina worked in German on matters involving insolvency law, family law, and inheritance law. She also gained exposure to European Union law and cross-border enforcement proceedings within the EU framework.

Recent international arbitration
legal experience

  • Counsel in ICSID Case No. ARB/20/53, Bachar Kiwan v. State of Kuwait, a USD 800 million investment treaty dispute under the France-Kuwait BIT, involving claims of denial of justice and serious due process violations.
  • Counsel in ICSID Case No. ARB/21/66, Christopher Jock Murdoch MacKenzie v. Hungary, representing the foreign investor in an investment dispute under a bilateral investment treaty.
  • Counsel in ICSID Case No. ARB/25/15, United Operations Limited v. Union of the Comoros, representing a UAE company in arbitration against the Union of the Comoros for breaches of the UAE–Comoros BIT.
  • Counsel to a French-American investor in ICC arbitration against a South American State, concerning the State’s failure to honour a multi-billion-dollar settlement agreement resolving claims of unlawful detention and human rights violations (seat London, English law).
  • Counsel in an ICC arbitration between a Serbian and an American company, arising out of a dealership agreement in agricultural sector, involving patent and intellectual property violations (CISG, Serbian law, US patent law, Washington State law).
  • Counsel in ICDR-administered arbitration under New York law concerning investments in blockchain-related technology (client awarded USD 35 million in damages, plus all costs of the arbitration) (New York law).
  • Counsel to Respondents in a high-value LCIA arbitration (USD 40+ million) concerning a joint venture in the oil and gas sector in West Africa (claims of unpaid financing, profit-sharing breaches, and cargo sale proceeds) (seat London, English law).
  • Counsel in an SCC arbitration representing a publicly listed Malaysian company in a USD 254 million dispute over a natural gas construction project in Uzbekistan against a subsidiary of a Russian multinational oil and gas company (seat Stockholm, Uzbek law).
  • Counsel in ICC arbitration under Swiss law for a Croatian construction company in a dispute with an Italian company regarding the construction of a gas refinery in Croatia (seat Geneva, Swiss law).
  • Counsel in ICC arbitration representing a Serbian construction company in a dispute against an Italian company concerning delays, set-off and penalties in a major construction project in Moscow (seat Stockholm, Russian law).
  • Counsel for a UAE-based Claimant in successful multi-million-dollar ICC arbitration against a State-owned construction company involving a construction project in Algeria (seat Paris, Indonesian law).
  • Counsel to a Congolese company in an ICC arbitration against the DRC Ministry of Public Health over management of a hospital in Kinshasa.
  • Counsel to an Omani-based contractor in an ICC expedited arbitration involving a painting works for an airport in Qatar (seat London, Qatari law).
  • Counsel in SIAC arbitration for Mexican Respondents under Singapore law, concerning a substantial dispute under a BARECON 2001 Bareboat Charter agreement (seat Singapore, Singapore law).
  • Co-counsel in ICC arbitration representing a Turkish construction company against a Chinese supplier concerning a large sale of ductile iron pipes for an infrastructure project (seat Paris, CISG).
  • Counsel in SCCA arbitration representing a German company in a telecommunications dispute with a Saudi company (seat DIFC, Saudi law).
  • Counsel in LCIA arbitration for Austrian investor against East African State entity over smart card supply (Kenyan law).
  • Counsel for French Respondent in successful ICC Emergency Arbitrator proceedings brought by Italian company, and ensuing ICC arbitration concerning an intellectual property dispute in the engineered wood products industry (French law).
  • Counsel for Hong Kong company in ICC arbitration concerning multimillion-dollar cryptocurrency losses due to technical failings, securing full victory and costs (Seychelles law).
  • Co-counsel for Claimant in SCC arbitration regarding the applicability of U.S. OFAC sanctions to a financial transaction in the oil and gas industry (seat Stockholm, English law).
  • Counsel in UNCITRAL ad hoc arbitration over the construction of a water distribution network in a World Bank-financed infrastructure project in Angola (seat Luanda, FIDIC-based contract, Angolan law).
  • Counsel in SIAC arbitration concerning the construction of a desalination plant in Oman (seat Singapore, Singapore law).
  • Counsel in UNCITRAL arbitration administered by the PCA against a Bosnian State agency over a wastewater treatment plant under a FIDIC Yellow Book contract (seat The Hague, Bosnian law).
  • Counsel in ICC arbitration concerning the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Montenegro, following unfavourable DAB proceedings (seat Montenegro, Montenegrin law).
  • Counsel in LCIA arbitration over the construction of a desalination plant in the Middle East concerning delay and disruption, prolongation costs, backcharge claims and liquidated damages (seat London, Saudi law).
  • Counsel in successful multi-party ICC arbitration on behalf of Canadian client under English law involving the construction of an industrial fiberglass plant in Saudi Arabia (seat London, English law).
  • Counsel in ICC arbitration representing an Italian client in a construction dispute in Iraq (seat London, English law).
  • Counsel in an expedited arbitration under the Swiss Arbitration Rules involving construction of a sugar factory in Egypt (seat Zurich, Swiss law).
  • Counsel in PCA-administered arbitration representing a Moldovan state agency against an Austrian construction company under a FIDIC Pink Book contract (seat The Hague, Moldovan law).

Education & Teaching

Leiden Law School, LLM Public International Law

  • Master Thesis: “Necessity in Public International Law and International Investment Law: Is There a Double Standard?” (Supervisor: Prof. Eric de Brabandere)
  • Coach, Leiden Law School Team, Philip C. Jessup Public International Law Moot Court Competition

Faculty of Law, Belgrade University, LLB (4 years) (summa cum laude Graduate)

  • Focus on Public International Law, International Investment Law, Private International Law, Arbitration, and International Business Law
  • Participant, Philip C. Jessup Public International Law Moot Court Competition (Final Rounds, Washington DC, March 2013)

Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany

  • Introduction to German law
  • International Security Law

Teaching

  • University of Bologna, Faculty of Law – Occasional lecturer and assistant coach for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.
  • Ravenna Summer School on Transnational Litigation and International Arbitration – Speaker on topics of international arbitration and dispute resolution.
  • Resolve Academy – Regular contributor, speaking at seminars and conferences on international arbitration.

Languages

  • Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian (native)
  • English (bilingual)
  • Italian (fluent)
  • Spanish (fluent)
  • German (intermediate)
  • French (intermediate)
  • Portuguese (beginner)

Bar admissions

  • Serbian Bar

Social networks

Memberships

  • Young ICCA
  • Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
  • The Italian below40 Arbitration Association (AIA-Arbit-40)
  • Leader’s League (Décideurs)