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English Commercial Court upholds one-stop settlement arbitration: Fiona Trust presumption defeats section 67 challenge; anti-suit injunction granted (Petroleum Exploration v Frontier Holdings)

Published on: 25 March 2026

Published by a LexisNexis Arbitration expert
Legal News
Table of contents
  • What are the practical implications of this case?
  • What was the background?
  • What did the court decide?
  • Case details
Article summary

Petroleum Exploration (PVT) Ltd v Frontier Holdings Ltd and another company [2026] EWHC 56 (Comm)

What are the practical implications of this case?

The judgment strengthens the Fiona Trust presumption in the specific setting of settlement agreements concluded to resolve earlier contractual disputes. In particular, where parties insert a fresh, broadly worded arbitration clause into a settlement agreement, the working assumption is that it is intended to operate as a single ‘one‑stop’ route for resolving all future disputes arising under the settlement, in the absence of unequivocally clear carve‑outs (see Fiona Trust Holding Corp v Privalov [2007] UKHL 40).

When drafting or interpreting such arbitration clauses, parties and their legal representatives should:

  • assume that the arbitration clause in the settlement agreement is the operative dispute resolution provision for any dispute between the parties concerning the implementation of, or alleged breach of, the settlement terms.
...

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