Timothy St. John Ellam, KC is senior counsel in our Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group, working in Calgary and London.
Tim is a distinguished international litigation and arbitration counsel with more than 35 years of domestic and international experience. He principally practices in the area of international arbitration in both Canada and London, UK with an emphasis on energy and intellectual property matters.
Tim has appeared as senior counsel in numerous patent, licensing, copyright and technology related trials, arbitrations and hearings including many in the energy sector.
Tim frequently works in London on significant international arbitration matters and on litigation proceedings in the High Court of Justice (Commercial Court). He is also a Solicitor Advocate (Higher Courts – Civil) in the Law Society of England and Wales and holds Rights of Audience in the Higher Courts.
He is an IBA Fellow in International Legal Practice; a distinction granted by the International Bar Association and the College of Law of England and Wales in 2005. He was appointed King’s Counsel in 2014.
Experience
- an oil & gas company in two UNCITRAL Arbitrations in London, UK against the government of an African country over the interpretation of certain stabilization clauses in a PSA between the parties (2017);
- a Canadian company with operations in Albania in relation to UNCITRAL proceedings regarding an oil and gas purchase agreement (2017);
- a LCIA arbitration over a dispute for matters related to a Joint Operating Agreement covered by a Production License in Germany (2019);
- advising a Japanese multi-national corporation in a multi-faceted dispute (arbitration and litigation) over a dispute relating to certain agreements (2020);
- pre-arbitral relief for an ICC London based Arbitration (2021); a leading case on the affect of the Canadian “Russia Sanctions” on the enforcement of an international arbitral award;
- appointed a arbitrator in a dispute involving two Colombian energy companies (2023);
- lead counsel in an ad hoc arbitration between two major Canadian energy companies over a chemical supply agreement (2024);
- lead counsel in a London seated LCIA arbitration between a Canadian and American company over the interpretation of a financing arrangement (2025);
- lead counsel in the enforcement of a ICC Award in Canada involving certain taxes owed to a foreign entity (2025).
