Penny Madden KC
United Kingdom
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Telephone House
2-4 Temple Avenue
London, EC4Y 0HB
Tel: +44 20 7071 4226
Email:
pmadden@gibsondunn.com
Web:
www.gibsondunn.com
Penny Madden is an English qualified King’s counsel and partner in the London office at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is co-chair of the firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group and a member of the Transnational Litigation Practice Group.
Penny has a wide range of experience in all key aspects of international arbitration with particular expertise in shareholder, telecommunications, SPA, energy, international trade and insurance disputes.
She represents clients across the globe in a wide variety of arbitration proceedings, including those before the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague (PCA) Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), as well as in ad hoc proceedings. In addition to representing clients as counsel, Penny regularly sits as an arbitrator.
Her recent cases include representing two Middle Eastern oil and gas companies in multiple LCIA arbitrations arising out of a multi-billion oil and gas project in Kurdistan and disputed gas pipeline; representing a Middle Eastern oil and gas company in a multi-billion PCA administered arbitration against a state owned Middle East oil and gas company in a gas sales and pipe-line infrastructure project dispute; representing a telecommunications corporate in its US$17 billion dollar UNCITRAL investment treaty arbitration against a North African state for creeping expropriation and breach of the fair and equitable treatment standard; and representing shareholders in a major oil company with respect to multibillion dollar claims for expropriation under the Energy Charter Treaty against the Russian Federation.
She is a member of the LCIA, CIArb, the Financial Sector Arbitration Group and the editorial board of Commercial Dispute Resolution. She writes and lectures on a wide variety of arbitration issues and is the international arbitration specialist for the Diplomatic Book and Website for foreign Embassies and High Commissions. Penny is recognised for Public International Law, Oil & Gas and recommended as a leading individual for International Arbitration in The Legal 500 UK 2025. Chambers UK 2025, Chambers Global 2024 and Chambers Europe 2024 recommends Penny as a leading lawyer for International Arbitration. Best Lawyers UK recommends Penny in the field of International Arbitration (2019-2025), she is listed as an expert in Arbitration in Who’s Who Legal 2020, and is also ranked as a ‘Litigation Star’ for International Arbitration by Benchmark Litigation Europe 2022.
Penny’s team won Arbitration Team of the Year 2020 in the British Lawyer Awards for its representation of a mining investor in relation to an ICSID investment treaty arbitration against a sovereign state. She is also ranked for International Arbitration and Litigation in the Lawdragon 500 Global Litigation Lawyers guide 2021 and named by Expert Guides to its 2022 Guide to World’s Leading Women in Business Law.
Penny received her Bachelor of Arts in 1990 from University of Oxford, St. Hugh’s College, and her Law Society Finals in 1992 from University of Law, Guildford. She took silk in 2016.
Gibson Dunn’s International Arbitration Practice Group advises leading multinational corporations and sovereign states in high-stakes proceedings before tribunals around the world. The team is recognized by Global Arbitration Review as “a force to be reckoned with and frequently seen on high stakes matters” in its rankings of the world’s largest arbitration practices.
Its lawyers are consistently ranked as leaders in major directories, including Chambers Global, Chambers USA and Chambers UK, and are frequent contributors, speakers and writers on international arbitration topics. The group offers top-tier capabilities in both commercial and investor-state arbitration, supported by cutting-edge arbitral award and judgment enforcement strategies, deep proficiency in cross-border litigation, and best-in-class advocacy that not only applies established law but has often shaped new law to advance clients’ objectives.
Clients value the practice’s comprehensive scope. Gibson Dunn advises on every stage of the dispute-resolution process—from drafting arbitration clauses to mediation and early neutral evaluation, to managing complex arbitration proceedings and enforcing arbitral awards, working closely with the firm’s market-leading enforcement practice. Because many high-value disputes involve parallel or related litigation, the team is equipped to handle these seamlessly. Its work reflects the firm’s hallmark strengths: exceptional advocacy, strategic insight, and a deep bench of highly skilled lawyers across seniority levels.
Gibson Dunn is a globally recognized law firm known for its sophisticated counsel across high-stakes litigation, complex transactions, and regulatory matters. With a network of offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, the firm advises many of the world’s leading corporations, financial institutions, and government entities. Its lawyers are consistently ranked among the top practitioners in major legal directories and are widely regarded for their strategic insight and industry knowledge.
The firm is particularly distinguished for its elite litigation and appellate practices, regularly handling landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal and state courts, and international tribunals. Gibson Dunn also maintains leading practices in antitrust, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, real estate, technology, and international arbitration, offering clients comprehensive support on their most critical matters. Its cross-border capabilities allow the firm to manage complex, multijurisdictional disputes and transactions with efficiency and precision.
Gibson Dunn’s culture emphasizes collaboration, excellence, and long-term client relationships. The firm is committed to delivering practical, results-driven advice tailored to each client’s commercial objectives. Its lawyers combine deep legal expertise with a forward-thinking approach, positioning the firm as a trusted adviser to clients facing their most challenging and consequential issues around the globe.
“A standout practitioner for heavyweight international arbitrations, Penny Madden KC impresses clients with her deep sector knowledge and incisive advocacy. Clients describe her as a ‘formidable advocate with superb strategic instincts’ who delivers consistently outstanding results in high-stakes proceedings.“