Profile details
About Sofia Svinkovskaya
Sofia Svinkovskaya is an Associate in the firm's International Arbitration Group and Global Projects Disputes Practice.
Sofia specialises in international commercial and investment treaty arbitration. She has particular experience with disputes involving investment protection under bilateral investment treaties, construction and engineering, infrastructure, energy, gaming, telecommunications, and international sale of goods.
Prior to joining Freshfields, Sofia worked for several years as an associate in the arbitration team of a renowned Austrian dispute resolution boutique and externed at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington D.C.
Sofia is a graduate of the University of Vienna (Mag.iur.) with a specialization in international dispute settlement, public international law and alternative dispute resolution and also holds an LL.M. degree in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown Law, which she attended as Georgetown's International Arbitration Scholar.
Sofia is admitted to practice in Austria (Rechtsanwältin) and New York (USA). She is fluent in English, German, Russian, Slovak, Ukrainian and Czech.
Sofia is ranked by the Lexogy Index / Who's Who Legal as an Arbitration Future Leader 2025.
Recent work
- Advising a leading European biotechnology company in an ICC arbitration concerning a supply agreement
- Advising a Middle Eastern joint venture sub-contractor in relation to ICC arbitration proceedings concerning significant payment disputes and delay and disruption claims for works at a major oil and gas facility in the UAE.
- Advising a multinational telecommunications company in an ICC arbitration relating to a post-M&A dispute.
- Advising an Austrian transportation company in a multi-faceted international dispute with a Central European State before the European Court of Human Rights.
- *Advising Austrian investors in the gaming sector in an ICSID arbitration against Argentina under the Austria-Argentina BIT concerning revocation of a gaming license.
*Experience prior to joining Freshfields
Qualifications
Education:
- Georgetown Law, LL.M. (International Arbitration Scholar, Distinction and Dean's List)
- Georgetown Law (Certificate in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution)
- University of Vienna, Mag.iur.
Qualifications:
- Austria (Rechtsanwältin)
- State of New York, USA (Attorney at law)
Additional Training:
- ICC Advanced Arbitration Academy for Eastern Europe 2023-2024
- The Hague Academy of International Law
- Austrian Arbitration Academy - Practice Diploma in International Arbitration
Memberships:
- ArbitralWomen
- Young ICCA
- ICC YAF (Young Arbitration and ADR Forum)
- Young Austrian Arbitration Practitioners (YAAP)