expertise
Arbitration and related court applications
International arbitration is at the heart of the firm’s practice. The firm and its members have successfully resolved international arbitrations involving billions of dollars, forging tailored solutions for clients in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The firm routinely conducts arbitrations across all industries and sectors, with a particular focus on energy, power, mining and natural resources, hospitality, shipping, and sports.
Expert in both civil and common law jurisdictions, the firm also has a pre-eminent practice in set-aside and enforcement proceedings in the Paris Court of Appeal and the French Court of Cassation.
Construction
The firm brings significant experience in construction and engineering disputes. Its members have acted for employers, EPC and other contractors and subcontractors in disputes arising from major public and public-private projects in the power, energy, transportation, and hospitality sectors, in multiple jurisdictions in Europe, South America, and Asia. They have assessed and litigated claims giving rise to complex issues relating to defects, delays, variations, causation, and quantum, under a wide range of standard form building contracts (including FIDIC) and under the law of both civil and common law jurisdictions.
Energy
The firm has a pre-eminent and renowned practice in energy disputes that extends across the natural and renewable sectors. Its members are frequently instructed to act in multi-billion dollar arbitrations involving the most important State-owned and private oil & gas corporations in the world. They have extensive experience of representing entities across the oil & gas supply chain (upstream, midstream, and downstream) and have frequently acted for the affiliates of major oil and gas companies. Their expertise also extends to disputes involving renewable options such as solar energy, and the breadth of their practice covers North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Hospitality
The firm’s members have significant experience in disputes relating to the hospitality industry, in Europe, Africa, and Asia. They have advised and represented both owners and major international hotel brands in respect of disputes relating to management, franchise, and lease agreements, including in the luxury sector. Their expertise extends to claims concerning early termination, mismanagement, fiduciary duties, agency, force majeure, trademarks, and pecuniary and non-pecuniary remedies. Members are equally experienced in leveraging emergency arbitration procedures to protect the rights of their clients (owners and international brands), notably in relation to the early termination of long-term agreements.
Investment treaty disputes
Investment treaty arbitration is one of the cornerstones of the firm’s practice. The firm and its members have extensive experience advising and representing both States and investors in investment treaty disputes, across multiple sectors, including traditional and renewable energy, banking and financial services, mining and natural resources, and construction and infrastructure projects. The firm and its members have been involved in investment treaty arbitrations conducted under the rules of all of the world’s major arbitration centers, including ICSID, SCC, ICC, and PCA, as well as ad hoc arbitrations conducted under the UNCITRAL Rules. They are specialized in both civil and common law traditions, as well as public international law, and possess expertise in the major languages in which investment treaty arbitrations are routinely conducted (French, English, and Spanish).. Members have regularly acted as lead counsel on disputes whose value exceeds several billion dollars.
Given the firm’s pre-eminent practice in set-aside and enforcement proceedings in the Paris Court of Appeal and the French Court of Cassation, it is frequently called upon to act in court proceedings in Paris related to investment treaty arbitrations.
Mining and natural resources
The firm has a strong practice in disputes involving mining and natural resources. Its members have acted for some of the world’s leading State-owned and private mining corporations, and defended States, in multi-billion dollar, technically complex and geopolitically sensitive cases involving strategic resources and rare earth minerals, including uranium, bauxite, and gold. They have resolved disputes in several continents including Europe, Africa, and South America, and are experienced in the handling of political, regulatory, and social risks which inevitably accompany such disputes.
International public law
The firm’s members possess considerable experience in public international law and international criminal law. They have advised States, international organizations (including an international court), multinational corporations, and private individuals on a wide range of public international law issues, including diplomatic and consular immunity, treaty law, sanctions, international humanitarian law, human rights, and corporate responsibility. The work they perform in relation to sanctions, mutual legal assistance, and investment treaty arbitration frequently requires consideration of public international law issues.
Regulatory law, sanctions, and investigations
The firm has an established practice (+40 cases) before the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files, challenging Red Notices unlawfully issued by Interpol upon request of its member States, as well as extensive experience in high-stakes extradition proceedings and applications before the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The firm also has substantial experience in the field of sanctions, including challenges to European Union restrictive measures before the General Court of the European Union and the European Union Court of Justice, as well as national sanctions before competent authorities.
Shipping
The firm’s shipping practice is broad, and led by two barristers. Members act on behalf of shipowners, charterers, and cargo interests in a wide range of disputes and arbitrations arising from English-law governed charterparties, bills of lading, and contracts of affreightment. Their breadth of expertise extends across claims concerning cargo, freight, hire, demurrage, bunkers, shipments under contracts of affreightment, redelivery, force majeure, general average, notice of readiness, speed and consumption, and voyage instructions. Members either appear as sole counsel or as part of a larger team and are frequently instructed to act on behalf of entities in the Middle East and Asia.
Sports law
The firm has a pre-eminent practice in advising and representing some of the leading individual and institutional actors in the sports industry, in both court and arbitration proceedings.
The firm was co-counsel to the French football captain Kylian Mbappé in legal proceedings against his former football club Paris Saint Germain, obtaining a favorable judgment in the amount of EUR 61 million. It also advises and represents clients in the motorsport industry, having notably intervened in two FIA-CAS appeal proceedings, the first on behalf of a motorsport company challenging the conduct of a competitor following an unjust loss in a competition, and the second representing the interests of an automobile federation in proceedings brought against a racing driver.
The firm acted as co-counsel to French national soccer team captain Kylian Mbappé in legal proceedings against his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, obtaining a favorable judgment in the amount of EUR 61 million. It also advises and represents clients in the motorsport industry. In particular, it has been involved in two appeal proceedings before the CAS and within the framework of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), the first on behalf of a motorsports company challenging the conduct of a competitor following an unfair defeat in a competition, and the second representing the interests of a motorsports federation in proceedings brought against a racing driver.