Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe arbitration partner Charles Adams is leaving after 20 years in Geneva, launching the Five Diamonds Arbitration Chambers and Five Diamonds Law in Switzerland. Adams was previously U.S. Ambassador to Finland from 2015 to 2017 and Orrick’s global co-head of arbitration until April 2024. More recently, he served as Orrick’s global director of strategic relationships. Adams has worked on complex investor-state and commercial disputes, including the successful enforcement of a $100 million award secured on behalf of the Eurotrain Consortium against the Taiwan High-Speed Rail Consortium and represented Poland as lead counsel in the damages of a BIT arbitration against Eureko. In Geneva, the Five Diamonds Arbitration Chambers will offer private workspaces to independent arbitrators, including a hearing room. In parallel, Adams is launching Five Diamonds Law to specialize in international dispute resolution with offices planned for Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi, Amman, Nairobi, and other locations. One or more of his Orrick colleagues may join Five Diamonds Law, although no decisions will be made before the end of 2025, Adams said. Orrick arbitration and litigation partner James Hargrove and finance partner Hervé Touraine are relocating to the firm’s London and Paris offices, while arbitration partner Vanessa Liborio’s future is unclear. Orrick opened its Geneva office a decade ago as a hub for international arbitration but announced its closure in September, part of its strategy to prioritize investment in other European and international markets. Orrick said it doesn’t view the Geneva closure as a downsizing of its arbitration and disputes practice, which includes 50 lawyers worldwide, and it will continue investing in its energy and infrastructure and tech platforms across Europe. The firm hired Elaine Wong as an international arbitration partner in Singapore and added several partners across Europe including four London partners and a M&A and private equity team in Germany , after losing partners in London and Paris.