Rory McAlpine is a recognized leader in the field of international dispute resolution and advocacy.
McAlpine has three decades of experience in dispute resolution and is one of the most senior dispute resolution lawyers in Asia. He holds rights of audience in England and in Hong Kong and has held rights in the English Court for a longer period than any solicitor-advocate currently in practise. McAlpine practised at the English Bar for 10 years and for 21 years was a partner and the leader of the litigation and advocacy group at another international law firm, later becoming deputy chairman of the firm.
McAlpine acts for corporates and financial institutions in complex and multijurisdictional disputes. He handles domestic and international litigation, as well as alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, including ad hoc and those in the LCIA, ICC, LMAA and UNCITRAL. He was one of the very first solicitors to appear in the High Court in England and has conducted dozens of hearings under this jurisdiction. He is currently the chair of the ICC Hong Kong Arbitration Committee.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2026 | International Arbitration & Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2025 | International Arbitration & Litigation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2024 | International Arbitration & Litigation |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2023 | International Arbitration & Litigation |
| The Lawdragon Global Litigation 500 | 2021 | International Arbitration & Litigation |
McAlpine’s experience includes representing:
- the Australian subsidiary of a Japanese company with respect to a potential SIAC arbitration (with governing of Western Australian law) concerning its joint venture with a French multinational company involving one of the largest liquefied natural gas projects in the world (valued at approximately US$34 billion)
- one of the major shareholders of a leading Chinese gaming company in an HKIAC arbitration relating to a US$2 billion contest for control of the company. Following an attempt to take over the company, the minority shareholder launched injunction proceedings in Hong Kong and a winding-up petition in the Cayman Islands. McAlpine defended the major shareholders in the HKIAC arbitration and in the Hong Kong courts (where a significant hearing was decided in their favour)
- Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in a landmark victory in a US$6 billion dispute with Boris Berezovsky over alleged interests in the oil company Sibneft and the metals company Rusal. The court dismissed the claims, ruling in favour of Abramovich. This high-profile case was the largest case ever to be heard in the English Commercial Court and the largest private dispute in the world
- Bermuda trust companies and Taiwanese clients in multibillion-dollar disputes involving complex litigation in various jurisdictions around the world
- American Sugar Corporation, the world’s largest sugar producer, in multimillion-pound litigation relating to the growth of sugar cane in Cambodia
In addition, McAlpine has acted for many of the world’s leading banks, including Citi, Lloyds, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Société Générale, Credit Agricole, NatWest/RBS, BNP and Lloyds Banking Group.