Filip Boras

Biography

Filip Boras leads the arbitration practice in the Vienna office. He is double qualified as an attorney in Austria and New York and represents clients in international arbitration proceedings before all major institutions and ad hoc tribunals. Filip is widely recognized as a leading lawyer for dispute resolution in Central & Eastern Europe. Chambers Global ranks Filip in its past seven editions for his "experience in matters relating to CEE countries" which "distinguishes him as one of the experts for this region." Clients tell Chambers that they value his work for his "great insights and impressive strategic approach" and because "He understands our needs without many words." One client says to Chambers: "He is the lawyer we trusted for the most important proceedings our business ever had." Filip is an Advisory Board Member and former Co-Chair of the Young Austrian Arbitration Practitioners (YAAP) and executive committee member of the International Section of the New York State Bar Association.

Practice Focus

Filip's experience covers a wide variety of disputes related to Central & Eastern Europe, including international commercial and investment arbitration. He helps global clients when investing in countries of the former Yugoslavia, where his clients benefit from his region-specific experience and his being a native Serbo-Croatian. His experience from representing clients in post-merger and acquisition disputes and corporate disputes, including issues arising from restructuring and insolvency, gives him a good commercial understanding. Together with his knowledge from investor-state disputes, this enables him to develop winning strategies to protect the client's investment and contribute to its success. His second main area are energy and construction disputes, where he is also increasingly appointed to act as arbitrator.

Representative Legal Matters

Representing a state entity from Southeastern Europe in an ICC arbitration over the early termination of a concession agreement.
Representing in a post-M&A arbitration over the ownership of a leading food industry company under the Swiss Rules.
Successfully represented the meat processing company Gavrilović in the first ever ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Croatia.
Successfully represented a client in post-M&A arbitration under the Vienna Rules arising out of an investment on the Croatian coast, including a successful defense in setting aside proceedings before the Austrian Supreme Court.
Successfully acted for an Asian publicly listed company in a post-M&A dispute in the power industry under the Vienna Rules.
Represented gas companies in contract price revision disputes involving long-term supply and transportation agreements under the Vienna Rules.
Successfully represented a bank in arbitration involving the effects of insolvency on arbitration in Eastern Europe.
Advised a US company in the settlement of a multinational product liability dispute.
Represented shareholders in a corporate dispute under the Swiss Rules.
Represented a group of shareholders in a corporate ad hoc arbitration involving a major Austrian company.

Professional Honors

Foreign Expertise for Central & Eastern Europe (Dispute Resolution), Chambers Global 2014 - 2021
Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (Austria), Chambers Global 2021 and Chambers Europe 2021
Amongst 14 “Most Highly Regarded” Partners in EMEA, Future Leaders, Arbitration, Who's Who Legal 2021
The Arbitration Powerlist 2021: Central and Eastern Europe, The Legal 500
Next generation partners in dispute resolution: arbitration and mediation, Legal 500 Europe 2020/2021

Professional Associations and Memberships

Young Austrian Arbitration Practitioners (YAAP) - Advisory Board Member
Belgrade Arbitration Center - Member of the Board
New York State Bar Association (International Section) - Member of the Executive Committee
Arbitration Association (Serbia) - Member
Association „Arbitri“ (Bosnia & Herzegovina) - Advisory Board Member

Admissions

Austria (2014)
New York~United States (2010)

Education

University of California, Berkeley School of Law (2009)
University of Vienna (2007)

Languages

Bosnian
Croatian
English
German
Serbian

Author, "Protection of investment: Why Austria insists on bilateral agreements" ("Investitionsschutz: Warum Österreich auf bilateralen Abkommen beharrt"), Die Presse, May 2020

Co-author, "Ceta saved, Arbitration at risk," (Ceta gerettet, Schiedsgerichte gefährdet), Die Presse, May 2019

Presentations

Speaker, "Online arbitration – Armageddon or New Normal?", joint webinar organized by Young Croatian Arbitration Practitioners (YCAP) and the Under 40 section of Arbitration Association (Serbia), May 2020

Arbitrator, Rounds of 64 and 32, 27th Vis Moot, Vienna, April 2020

Speaker, Lecture on "Shareholder Disputes in Arbitration," Slovak Bar Association, Bratislava, December 2019