Our team
Under the leadership of Professor Thomas Clay, Clay Arbitration brings together a team of high-level lawyers and academics with established experience as counsels or arbitrators in several arbitral proceedings conducted under the auspices of major arbitration centers in the world, or in court proceedings relating to arbitration.
Professor Thomas Clay
Biography
Professor Agrégé of Private Law at the law Faculty of the Sorbonne University
University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Former interim President
University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Honorary Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Science
University of Versailles (Paris Saclay)
Chevalier des palmes académiques
Attorney at law and Member of the Paris Bar
Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School (New York)
Thomas Clay, agrégé des Facultés de droit, is a full professor at the Sorbonne Law School (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), in charge of international arbitration law and alternative dispute resolution. In particular, he founded Sorbonne Arbitrage, a structure bringing together the Sorbonne's arbitration law activities.
Before that, he founded the Arbitration and Business Law Master’s degree known as the “MACI”, a genuine talent incubator, at the University of Versailles, which he directed for twelve years. He was also Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Law at this University.
Enjoying a strong and recognized expertise in domestic, international and investment arbitration, he has participated in more than a hundred arbitration proceedings, as chairman, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator. From domestic to international, to ad hoc or institutional arbitrations, Professor Thomas Clay has intervened in a wide range of sectors, including energy, telecommunications, construction, distribution, commercial law, sports law, labor law and others, under the aegis of many different arbitration centers, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and the Stockholm Chamber of Arbitration (SCC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration of The Hague (PCA), the Arbitration Chamber of Milan (CAM), the OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration, the Court of Arbitration for Sport of Lausanne (CAS), the Mediation and Arbitration Centre of Paris (CMAP), the International Arbitration Chamber of Paris, etc. He was notably appointed by France as arbitrator in the first ICSID arbitration brought against France, and currently sits on other ICSID arbitral tribunals.
He has also developed specific expertise in sports law. He is on the list of arbitrators for the CAS and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
Member of the Paris Bar, Professor Thomas Clay advises and represents States, companies and investors before arbitral tribunals and States’ courts.
Thomas Clay works in French, English, Spanish and Italian.
Full curriculum vitae: upon request.
10 Representative cases
As an Arbitror
Arbitrator in an ICSID arbitration between several oil companies and the Republic of Cameroon regarding the performance of an establishment agreement for the construction and operation of a hydrocarbon transportation system.
Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration evaluated at 207.861.612 USD seated in Paris between the central bank of an African State and a Belgian company regarding the alleged breach of contractual obligations under two contracts, one private and one administrative, for the refining, labeling and deposit of gold.
President in a CMAP arbitration evaluated at several billion euros in insurance and reinsurance.
Arbitrator in an investment arbitration under the aegis of the Permanent Court of Arbitration of The Hague evaluated at 12 billion USD seated in Madrid between an investor and the Russian Federation.
Arbitrator in a CAS arbitration seated in Lausanne between FIFA and the President of the African Federation of football.
As Counsel
Counsel to an African State against a Swiss company in an ICC arbitration evaluated at 47.751.000 USD seated in Brussels regarding a disputed transaction involving the sale of a bank’s shares to the State.
Counsel to a major European bank in two ICC arbitrations evaluated at 500 million USD, seated in London, regarding the allocation of risks between the partners of the largest non-performing loan transaction.
Counsel for the State of Burkina Faso against a group of private companies in an ICC arbitration evaluated at 4 billion USD, seated in The Hague, regarding the award and operation of a manganese mine.
Counsel to the Kuwaiti group Al-Kharafi against the State of Libya for the enforcement of an international arbitration award of 1.4 billion USD.
Counsel to Alteo Gardanne against the Altran-Pechiney-Rio Tinto Group in the annulment proceedings of an Award before the Paris Court of Appeal.
Maître Taha Zahedi Vafa
Maître Taha
Zahedi Vafa
Biography
Attorney at law and Member of the Paris Bar
Lecturer at the law Faculty of the Sorbonne University
University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Taha Zahedi Vafa is an attorney-at-law admitted to the Paris Bar. Taha has a unique international disputes practice which focuses on both civil and common law jurisdictions. He has advised and represented clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in several multi-billion dollar disputes, many of which have involved politically sensitive questions and his clients in these disputes have included States, State-owned entities, large multinational corporations and international organizations.
He has conducted cases under many of the major institutional and ad hoc arbitration rules, including those of the ICC, ICSID, PCA, UNCITRAL and CCJA/OHADA, appeared in arbitrations seated in important jurisdictions such as Paris, Dubai, London and Geneva, and resolved disputes in a wide range of sectors, including oil & gas (upstream, midstream and downstream) banking and securities, telecommunications, construction, distribution, defence, international trade and mining.
He also possesses extensive experience in international litigation, including complex multi-jurisdictional enforcement proceedings and annulment proceedings. He has frequently appeared before the Paris Court of Appeal in such proceedings and before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in sanctions-related delisting proceedings.
A trilingual advocate, Taha practices in English, French and Farsi. Further, he holds an academic role as a lecturer at Sorbonne Law School (University Paris 1), where he teaches civil procedure and arbitration law.
Taha was educated at Sorbonne Law School (University Paris 1) and holds a Master’s degree in Arbitration and International Business Law (also known as MACI) from the University of Versailles and Paris Saclay.
10 Representative cases
As Counsel
Counsel to a state-owned enterprise of a Middle Eastern state against a private Middle Eastern group in a PCA arbitration valued at several tens of billions of US dollars, sitting in Geneva, concerning a gas sale and purchase contract.
Counsel to an African State against a Belgian mining group in an ICC commercial arbitration evaluated at 3.057.580 USD regarding the confiscation by the State of several tons of gold panning.
Counsel to a Singaporean group against an English company and its Middle Eastern holding company in an UNCITRAL arbitration valued at USD 400 million, seated in Paris, concerning a dispute between shareholders of a petrochemical refinery.
Counsel to a leading bank in West Africa against a Swiss management company in an OHADA arbitration evaluated at 200 million USD regarding the annulment of a technical assistance agreement between the bank and a service provider.
Counsel to a Middle Eastern company against a Chinese company in a dispute valued at 210 million USD arising from a gas sale and purchase contract.
Counsel to an African State in an ICC investment arbitration valued at 21 million USD under the BIT, seated in Paris, concerning the operation of an airport concession in West Africa.
Counsel to the Italian racing team Vincenzo Sospiri Racing in an appeal before the International Court of Appeal of the FIA regarding the conditions of a race at Monza and their impact on the 2019 International GT Open ranking.
Counsel to an Italian company specialized in the manufacturing of armament against a French company in an ICC commercial arbitration evaluated at 2.245.226 USD.
As Secretary of the Arbitral Tribunal
Secretary to the Arbitral Tribunal in an ad hoc arbitration evaluated at 62,795,614 USD seated in Paris between French companies and an Italian group regarding the termination of a franchise contract.
Secretary of the Arbitral Tribunal in an ICC commercial arbitration evaluated at 254.100.491 USD seated in Paris between a French group and an African State regarding the conditions of the termination of a port concession.
andrÉ vallini, FORMER MINISTER
Biography
Attorney at law
Former Minister
Honorary Member of Parliament
Member for Isère
from 1997 to 2011
Chairman, Isère Department
from 2001 to 2015
Senator
from 2011 to 2023
Vice-Chairman of the French Delegation to the Council of Europe
from 2020 to 2023
National Secretary of the Socialist Group in charge of Institutions and Justice
from 2003 to 2008
Chairman of the parliamentary committee of inquiry into the Outreau affair in 2006
Member of the Valls and Cazeneuve governments
(local authorities and territorial reform, cooperation, development and francophony, relations with Parliament)
Lawyer by profession, André Vallini was parliamentary assistant to Gisèle Halimi when she was elected Member of Parliament for Isère in 1981.
Elected Mayor of Tullins-Fures, his home town, from 1986 to 2001, André Vallini was also a regional councillor for Rhône-Alpes from 1986 to 1992.
In 1992, André Vallini became a departmental councillor for Isère, a position he still holds following his re-election in 2021. He also presided over the Isère department from 2001 to 2015.
While a member of parliament for Isère, André Vallini was a member of the Law Commission, where he was rapporteur for several laws on justice. He was also chairman of the parliamentary commission on the Outreau affair, and speaker for the Socialist group on revisions to the Constitution at the parliamentary congress in Versailles in 2008.
In September 2011, André Vallini was elected Senator for Isère for the first time. In his second term as Senator, in September 2017, André Vallini was a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee. Within this commission, André Vallini was rapporteur each year for the budget for cultural diplomacy and influence. He was also responsible for a report on the Europe of Defense and a report on the abolition of the diplomatic corps.
In 2014, André Vallini joined the Government. He successively held three ministerial posts: Secretary of State in charge of Territorial Reform, then Secretary of State for Cooperation, Development and Francophony, and finally Secretary of State, in charge of Relations with Parliament.
André Vallini was also Vice-Chairman of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 2020 to 2023 in Strasbourg, where he sat on behalf of the Senate.
At the Council of Europe, André Vallini was a member of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights. During his term of office as a senator, André Vallini was vice-president of the French section of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF).
Maître nandakumar srivatsa
Biography
Barrister, England & Wales
Advocate,India
LLM (Public International Law), University of Cambridge
Nandakumar Srivatsa is Of Counsel at Clay Arbitration. A dual-qualified English barrister and Indian advocate, Nanda is one of only a coterie of practitioners holding full rights of audience in both England & Wales and India.
He focuses his practice on international disputes involving common law jurisdictions and parties, and his experience in the areas of investment treaty arbitration, public international law and international commercial arbitration is trusted by clients across North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle-East and Asia.
He has represented and advised investors, States, international organizations (including an international court), State-owned entities and private international corporations in several multi-billion dollar and technically complex disputes and matters, many of which have involved politically sensitive issues and novel questions of international law.
He has conducted cases under many of the major institutional and ad hoc arbitration rules, including those of the ICSID, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, GAFTA and LMAA, resolved disputes in numerous sectors, including oil and gas (upstream and midstream), power, infrastructure, telecommunications, banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, construction, retail, pharmaceutical, shipping and commodities, and acted in arbitrations seated in important jurisdictions including New York, London, Paris and Singapore. He possesses particular expertise in cases governed by English law and other common law systems.
Nanda has a background in criminal litigation and an outstanding record in disputes involving claims of corruption/bribery, fraud and illegality. Further, the clients he has represented in such cases include a European State-controlled oil and gas corporation, a major North-American oil and gas corporation, one of the largest European banking and finance corporations and even an entity of the UN.
He has published important works in international arbitration and his co-authored book chapter on the provisions of the ICSID Arbitration Rules 2022 relating to arbitrators’ disqualification, incapacity, failure to perform duties and resignation, and vacancies on the tribunal, is widely considered the leading commentary on the ICSID’s procedural framework in respect of the aforementioned questions.
Nanda possesses a native understanding of international commercial disputes involving South-Asia and splits his time between Paris, where he is based, and Bangalore, where he maintains chambers. He practiced English law from these chambers prior to his association with Clay Arbitration.
Nanda holds first class undergraduate degrees in law and business administration from India, and a postgraduate degree in public international law from Cambridge, where he wrote a thesis under the supervision of Professor James Crawford.
10 Representative cases
As Counsel
Counsel to a European producer of alcoholic beverages, in a USD 2 billion ICSID arbitration against Romania, concerning Romania’s enforcement of its regulatory framework for the taxation of its spirits sector.
Counsel to a Middle-Eastern manufacturer of fibreglass (GRP) pipes), in a USD 100 million ICSID arbitration against Egypt, concerning Egypt’s selection of GRP pipes for infrastructure (water and sanitation) projects commissioned by it.
Counsel to a North-American oil and gas corporation (claimant), in a USD 1 billion London-seated and English law-governed ICSID arbitration against two Asian State-owned energy providers, concerning the claimant’s development of gas fields of the respondents.
Counsel to a European State-controlled oil and gas corporation (claimant), in a USD 100 million Singapore-seated and English law-governed ICC arbitration against an Asian energy provider, concerning the claimant’s ex-ship sale of LNG to the respondent.
Counsel to a European mining corporation (claimant), in a USD 100 million Paris-seated and English law-governed ICC arbitration against a European steel manufacturer, concerning the respondent’s acquisition of an aluminium smelter of the claimant.
Counsel to a European commodities trading firm (claimant) (as sole counsel) in a London-seated and English law-governed GAFTA arbitration against a Middle-Eastern State-owned entity, concerning the claimant’s ex-ship sale of wheat to the respondent.
Counsel to a European manufacturer of building materials (claimant) (as sole counsel) in a Singapore-seated and English law-governed ICC arbitration against an Asian EPC contractor, concerning the respondent’s construction and commissioning of a dry mortar manufacturing plant.
Counsel to a UN entity (respondent) (as sole counsel) in a New York-seated and UNIDROIT principles-governed UNCITRAL arbitration against a European manufacturer of consumer goods, concerning the UN entity’s marketing and sale of the claimant’s goods.
Counsel to Charterers (respondents) (as sole counsel) in a London-seated and English law-governed LMAA arbitration against Owners, concerning Charterers’ non-performance of shipment obligations under a contract of affreightment.
Counsel to Charterers (respondents and claimants) (as sole counsel) in two Singapore-seated and English law-governed SIAC arbitrations against Owners and Sub-Charterers, respectively, concerning a mid-sea explosion in one of the cargo holds of the performing vessel.
Maître Antoine Weber
Biography
Attorney at law and Member of the Paris Bar
Lecturer at the Bar Training School
Antoine Weber acts as counsel in commercial and investment arbitrations, and as secretary to arbitral tribunals. He also has experience in appeals to national courts to set aside arbitral awards.
He has been involved in numerous arbitration proceedings under the auspices of various arbitration institutions, such as the ICC, ICSID, SCC, CMAP, and ad hoc tribunals.
Antoine Weber’s experience spans various sectors, including energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, construction, distribution, and international trade.
Prior to joining the firm, Antoine Weber worked for several years as an arbitration associate at a major international law firm and at a leading Parisian boutique firm.
Antoine Weber teaches arbitration law at the Paris Bar Association’s Training Center.
Antoine Weber works in four languages: French, English, Spanish, and Bulgarian.
10 Representative cases
As Counsel
Counsel to a state-owned enterprise of a Middle Eastern state against a private Middle Eastern group in a PCA arbitration valued at several tens of billions of US dollars, sitting in Geneva, concerning a gas sale and purchase contract.
Counsel for an oil exploitation company in an ICC arbitration seated in Paris arising out of an oil sale and purchase contract.
Counsel for a Canadian mining company in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Colombia concerning the exploitation of a gold mine.
Counsel for an African state in an ICC investment treaty arbitration valued at 21 million USD, seated in Paris, concerning the exploitation of an airport concession in a Western African state.
Counsel for several European insurance companies in an ICC arbitration concerning the liability of a subcontractor on a construction project in the Middle East.
Counsel for an Asian pharmaceutical manufacturer in an ICC arbitration seated in Frankfurt concerning good manufacturing practices.
Counsel for an Indonesian oil company in an ICC arbitration with an African national oil company concerning an oil exploration project.
Counsel to an American reinsurance company in an ad hoc arbitration concerning the scope of a reinsurance treaty.
Counsel for a mining company and its French subsidiary in ICC arbitrations concerning post-M&A disputes.
Counsel for a French pharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration seated in Munich related to product distribution.
jonathan abi rached
Biography
Attorney
Admitted to the Paris and New York bars
Jonathan advises on commercial and investment arbitrations in a variety of sectors, including energy, mining, construction and distribution. He has particular experience in ICSID arbitrations based on bilateral investment treaties.
Prior to joining Clay Arbitration, Jonathan practiced for several years in the New York and Paris offices of an international law firm.
Jonathan works in French, English and Arabic.
10 Representative cases
As Counsel
Counsel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Samsung Engineering Co., Ltd. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a treaty-based ICSID arbitration relating to the termination of a contract for the construction of a power and desalination plant in Saudi Arabia.
Counsel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in MAKAE Europe SARL v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a treaty-based ICSID arbitration relating to an investment in the retail sector.
Counsel to North Macedonia in Skubenko et al. v. North Macedonia, a treaty-based ICSID arbitration relating to the termination of a mining concession.
Counsel to Georgia in Bob Meijer v. Georgia, a treaty-based ICSID arbitration relating to the termination of a contract for the construction and operation of a deep-sea port.
Counsel to the owner of an LNG plant in West Africa in an ICDR arbitration against the contractor, seated in New York and governed by New York law, claiming for the faulty construction of LNG trains and seeking over US$ 700 million in damages.
Counsel to a West African State in an ICC arbitration, seated in London and governed by English law, arising out of an offshore oil and gas exploration project.
Counsel to an East Asian consumer electronics manufacturer in a dispute over the attempted termination of a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing and distribution agreement, involving a SIAC arbitration in Singapore and parallel judicial proceedings in the U.S.
Counsel to a Middle Eastern State-owned company in an ad hoc arbitration against a South Asian State and State-owned company, seated in Paris and governed by French law, relating to a dispute over a gas sale and purchase agreement.
Counsel to a Middle Eastern State in connection with a vast reform of its investment-treaty framework, involving the negotiation of new investment treaties and the renegotiation of dozens of previously concluded investment treaties.
Counsel to several mining companies in connection with potential contractual and treaty-based disputes over their investments in a Central African State.
Smahane Akhouad
Biography
University Lecturer
University of Versailles (Paris Saclay)
Smahane Akhouad is a University lecturer in Private Law at the University of Versailles (Paris Saclay), where she teaches the law of contracts and torts, business law and domestic and international arbitration law within the Master in Arbitration & International Commerce, known as "MACI". She is also involved in the Arbitration Law degree program at the University of Montpellier.
She advises the firm on questions related to international arbitration, French and foreign private law in arbitration proceedings where the firm is appointed as counsel. She also acts as counsel in procedures before the Paris Court of Appeals to set aside arbitral awards.
She has published numerous reference articles on arbitration law.
Smahane Akhouad works in French, English, Arabic and Spanish.
Maître Patricio Grané
Biography
Member of the Buenos Aires Bar
University of Buenos Aires
Patricio Grané focuses his practice on investment treaty and international commercial arbitration in a broad range of economic sectors, including financial services, energy, mining and metals, construction, agribusiness, transportation, and hospitality.
His experience includes acting for sovereign and corporate clients in more than twenty high profile international arbitration proceedings under the ICSID, ICC, and the UNCITRAL Rules, involving parties from Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. He also has experience assisting sole arbitrators and Arbitral Tribunals.
In addition, Patricio Grané has experience in complex and high-stakes cross-border litigation involving financial fraud.
Prior to joining the firm, Patricio Grané acquired experience within the international arbitration practice groups of leading law firms in Geneva and Paris and worked for several years as an associate in the Buenos Aires office of a boutique international law firm.
Patricio Grané also served as a judicial law clerk at the Federal Court of Appeals of Buenos Aires and as Legal Advisor at the Ministry of Finance of Argentina, where he acquired extensive experience in public, administrative, and regulatory law.
Patricio Grané is admitted to practice in Buenos Aires and holds an LLM in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS) from the Geneva Graduate Institute and the University of Geneva.
Patricio Grané works in four languages: English, Spanish, Italian and French.
10 Representative cases
As Counsel
Counsel for a Latin American State against a Spanish financial company in an ICSID arbitration evaluated at 220 million USD concerning the alleged expropriation of a savings and loan institution.
Counsel for a Latin American State against a car importer from Barbados in an ICSID arbitration evaluated at 120 million USD arising out of currency controls imposed on the luxury car import business.
Counsel for a Latin American State against a British farm company in an ICSID arbitration evaluated at 150 million USD regarding the alleged expropriation of a cattle farming business.
Counsel for a Latin American state against a US shipbuilding company in an UNCITRAL arbitration evaluated at 450 million USD regarding the breach of a contract for the repair and upgrade two navy frigates.
Counsel for a Latin American State against a Barbadian trust manager in an ICSID arbitration evaluated at 400 million USD concerning a concession to repair a cable car system and renovate two hotels.
Counsel for a Latin American state against a bottle manufacturer in an ICSID arbitration evaluated at over 1 billion USD regarding the alleged expropriation of two bottle manufacturing plants.
Counsel to a Latin American State in UNCITRAL and ICSID arbitration proceedings evaluated at 1.1 billion USD brought by the shareholders of Spanish food import and distribution companies for the alleged expropriation of their assets in the food industry.
Counsel for a South Asian state against a Turkish powership company in an ICSID arbitration evaluated at 1.2 billion USD following the detention of electricity generation vessels.
Counsel for a South Asian State against an Australian Joint Venture in an ICSID arbitration evaluated at 4 billion USD arising out of the denial of a mining lease application for a copper-gold project.
Counsel to a Latin American state in a cross-border litigation evaluated at over ten billion US dollars in relation to the attempted enforcement of certain fraudulent obligations.
inaya olleik
%20web%20copie.jpg)
Biography
Jurist
Inaya Olleik is a jurist at Clay Arbitration and is pursuing a PhD in arbitration and insolvency proceedings.
Inaya Olleik previously worked in the arbitration and litigation departments of several international law firms in Paris.
She has been involved in proceedings under the aegis of various arbitration centers, including the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), in cases involving parties from Europe and the Middle East.
Inaya Olleik works in French, English and Arabic.
MELISA TOSUNOGLU
Biography
Administrative Manager
Melisa Tosunoglu is responsible for the firm's administrative and financial management, logistics, press relations and human resources.
In general, she organizes life at Clay Arbitration's offices, which occupy Picasso's former studio in Paris. She is the first point of contact for all Clay Arbitration clients.
Melisa Tosunoglu works in French, English and Turkish.