Ed Osterwald

Ed Osterwald is a senior partner and co-founder of Osterwald Rathbone & Partners, a London-based commercial disputes and strategy firm, recognised as Oil & Gas Litigation Expert of the Year in the UK at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026. He applies extensive commercial and technical experience in the oil, gas and chemical industries to understand the economic drivers in these sectors, a combination that makes him a distinctive figure in high-value energy disputes.

A specialist commercial disputes and strategy firm

Osterwald Rathbone & Partners LLP is a London firm, registered in England and Wales, that operates under the theme of commercial disputes strategy. From its offices in Southampton Buildings, the firm provides services across three core areas: commercial advice, including valuations, due diligence and support on mergers and acquisitions; litigation support, including the provision of expert witness testimony; and strategy, ranging from mergers and acquisitions to policy and regulatory advice. Its industry expertise is concentrated in the oil, gas, chemical and finance sectors.

As senior partner and co-founder, Ed Osterwald sits at the heart of this practice. The firm's model is built around bringing economic and commercial insight to bear on disputes and strategic questions, a particularly valuable capability in industries as technically and commercially complex as oil, gas and chemicals. In such sectors, understanding the economics that drive behaviour, pricing and investment is often as important as understanding the legal or contractual issues in play.

Oil and gas litigation expertise

The award as Oil & Gas Litigation Expert of the Year in the UK reflects Osterwald's standing in disputes arising from the energy and chemical industries. Litigation in these sectors frequently turns on questions of value, market behaviour and the economic consequences of contractual and commercial arrangements. Osterwald's role often involves acting as an expert, applying his commercial and technical experience to help courts and tribunals understand the economic drivers behind a dispute. Providing expert witness testimony is a stated part of the firm's litigation support offering, and it is an area in which economic expertise is indispensable.

Disputes in the oil, gas and chemical industries can be substantial, cross-border and highly technical. They may concern the interpretation and performance of long-term supply and offtake arrangements, valuation questions in transactions and joint ventures, and the wider regulatory and policy environment that shapes these markets. An expert who combines genuine industry knowledge with an understanding of the economics of the sector is well placed to assist parties and tribunals in resolving them.

• Expert witness testimony in commercial and energy disputes
• Economic analysis of the oil, gas and chemical sectors
• Valuations, due diligence and M&A support
• Strategy, policy and regulatory advice

Bridging law, economics and industry

What distinguishes Osterwald Rathbone & Partners, and Ed Osterwald in particular, is the bridge the firm builds between legal disputes and commercial and economic reality. Litigation in the energy and chemical industries rarely succeeds on legal argument alone; it requires a clear, credible account of how markets work and how value is created and lost. By focusing on the economic drivers of these sectors, Osterwald helps clients and their legal teams frame and support their cases with rigorous commercial analysis.

For companies and advisers engaged in significant oil and gas disputes, the availability of an expert with deep sector knowledge and a strategic, economics-led approach is a considerable advantage. Ed Osterwald's recognition as Oil & Gas Litigation Expert of the Year in the UK at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 confirms his reputation as a leading expert at the intersection of law, economics and the energy industry, working from one of the world's foremost centres for international dispute resolution.