Dr Anna Kirk

PhD | LLB(hons) | BA | FAMINZ (Arb) | FCIArb

Anna is a barrister at Bankside Chambers. She has extensive experience in international commercial and investment arbitration, having practised in arbitration exclusively for more than a decade. She has been involved in many ad hoc arbitrations, as well as arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, SIAC and ICSID arbitration rules.

Anna is a specialist in commercial and investment treaty arbitration. Anna has significant experience in commercial disputes, including contract, tort and equity claims. She has acted in disputes across a wide range of industries and sectors, including mining, energy, shipping, telecommunications, construction and finance.

Anna spent a number of years at Herbert Smith in London, acting as counsel in international arbitrations. Anna also spent a number of years assisting Sir David Williams QC, New Zealand’s leading international arbitrator. In this role, she acted as Tribunal Secretary or Tribunal Assistant on many high-value arbitrations, including a number of cases worth over US$1 billion. Anna has worked with many of the world’s leading arbitrators and has gained exposure to virtually all aspects of international arbitral procedure, as well as a wide variety of disputes governed by diverse laws (in both common law and civil law jurisdictions).

Anna is a Fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in London. She publishes widely on international arbitration, including being a contributing author to New Zealand’s leading arbitration text, Williams & Kawharu on Arbitration. Anna has a PhD in international law from the University of Cambridge and holds an LLB(Hons) and BA from the University of Waikato. Anna teaches an LLM course at the University of Auckland in International Arbitration.

Anna was admitted to the bar in New Zealand in 2000 and as solicitor in England/Wales in 2008.