Duane Morris has announced new leadership for its international arbitration practice, tapping a partner each in the UK and the US to co-chair the division.

The duo are Vijay Bange in London and Owen Newman in Chicago. The Philadelphia-headquartered firm said the move signalled that its international arbitration offering had reached a critical mass.

The firm’s chairman and CEO Matthew Taylor said: “Cross-border disputes and arbitration are a core area of further expansion and investment to serve our global client base, and Vijay and Owen have the energy and drive to write the next chapter.”

Both men will work in tandem across the firm’s global network, said Taylor, and will support the firm’s teams in key arbitration hubs like London and Singapore.

Bange joined the firm in 2020 after roughly 12 years at Trowers & Hamlins, following an earlier spell at Pinsent Masons. He specialises in cross-border construction, engineering and energy disputes across large international infrastructure projects.

Newman is a Chicago-based litigation partner focusing on complex, multijurisdictional disputes. He joined the firm in 2017, having previously worked as a project manager and regional director for global engineering and construction firm Black & Veatch.

The firm said this ‘dirty boots’ experience allows Newman to partner with clients and their project teams to provide practical support on commercial, claims and risk management matters for financially and reputationally significant projects.

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Taylor said: “Owen and Vijay have delivered results that their respective global clients have found favourable while demonstrating a strong entrepreneurial flair and a desire to grow a key part of our law firm.”

The firm has invested in lateral talent over recent years, particularly with African and Latin American experience. It made a triple IP partner hire earlier this month in its Washington DC and Silicon Valley offices, illustrating its ambitions.

The firm also announced that employment partner Nic Hart will succeed Susan Laws as managing partner of the firm’s London office this month. Laws has led the office since its foundation in 2000 alongside Alex Geisler.