Roderick Cordara KC

Admitted to the Bar 1999

Appointed Queens Counsel 2002

Experience

Roderick Cordara is a barrister and a graduate of Cambridge University (Trinity Hall, MA (first class)).

He is a Senior Counsel in Australia and King’s Counsel in the UK and is admitted to practice in the Courts of Australia, the UK, and the Singapore International Commercial Court.

Roderick practices in international commercial arbitration, including investor state dispute settlement [‘ISDS’], as well as Court litigation arising from arbitral awards and enforcement. His international commercial dispute practice focusses on arbitration involving various sectors: energy (oil, gas, renewables, and generation), financial services, construction, hospitality, trade, & shipbuilding.

His ISDS work includes claims based on bilateral and multi-lateral investment treaties (Energy Charter Treaty). His EU practice, in front of the European Court of Justice, involved solely treaty-based disputes.
Roderick is experienced in public law litigation (ie disputes with governments) relating to tax, duties, restitution and regulation. In this connection, Clients for whom he has acted in Australia include airlines, banks, miners, the motor distribution and retail optical industries, as well as transport and property development. Roderick has twice appeared in the High Court, and has represented the Australian government in the Full Federal Court. Overseas, he has appeared frequently in UK Supreme Court and European Court of Justice. He acts for the UK government in the export finance sector, with particular reference to sanctions, a subject in which he specialises.

Essex Court, his London chambers, has a long and close relationship with New Chambers. Roderick accepts arbitral appointments, and appears as an expert witness to give evidence of English & Australian law.

Roderick has a particular interest in Africa. In 2018, he was part of the legal team representing Somalia in its negotiations in Geneva to join the World Trade Organisation. He advised on the trade taxation aspect of the project. In addition he has been involved in a task force setting up new arbitral institutions in six nations in the East Africa (IGAD).

He writes and teaches in the field of international arbitration, ISDS and tax. He speaks English, Italian, & French.