BP has appointed Three Crowns, the boutique firm launched earlier this year by six prominent arbitrators, as the sole provider of arbitration services on its niche legal panel of UK advisors.

The arbitration group is joined by eight other firms selected by the oil major to provide certain specialist legal services: Baker & McKenzie, Hill Dickinson, Holman Fenwick Willan, Reed Smith, Stevens & Bolton, Sullivan & Cromwell and Watson Farley & Williams.

Fieldfisher, which lost its place on the core legal panel earlier this month, was also appointed to advise on niche matters.

The non-core panel, which is for a three-year term, covers matters including employment law, property, and international maritime issues.

Three Crowns, which was set up by three senior arbitrators from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer alongside partners from Jones Day, Covington & Burling and Shearman & Sterling has already amassed a portfolio of around 30 cases, a mixture of existing clients for the founding team and new instructions.

Constantine Partasides, the arbitration group's founding partner and former Freshfields London arbitration chief said: "Our appointment confirms our belief that sophisticated users of legal services see the benefit of a niche, focussed, global arbitration offering for the most complex international disputes."

Earlier this month, BP announced the results of its core legal panel review for UK-instructed work, extending new places to Addleshaw Goddard and Ashurst.

The two new additions will join Linklaters, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, Norton Rose Fulbright, CMS Cameron McKenna, Pinsent Masons and Olswang, which all retain their places on the panel last reviewed in 2011.