Biography
Professor of Private Law at the Sorbonne Law School
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)
Professor of Private Law at the Sorbonne Law School
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)
Officier des Palmes académiques
Attorney at Law and Member of the Paris Bar
Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School (New York)
(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.
EXPERIENCE
XX Representative Cases
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 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 Alteo Gardanne against the Altran-Pechiney-Rio Tinto Group in the annulment proceedings of an Award before the Paris Court of Appeal.
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 to the Kuwaiti group Al-Kharafi against the State of Libya for the enforcement of an international arbitration award of 1.4 billion USD.
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.
President in a CMAP arbitration evaluated at several billion euros in insurance and reinsurance.
Arbitrator in a CAS arbitration seated in Lausanne between FIFA and the President of the African Federation of football.
Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration valued at USD 207,861,612, 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.
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.
EXPERIENCE
10 Representative Cases
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 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 Alteo Gardanne against the Altran-Pechiney-Rio Tinto Group in the annulment proceedings of an Award before the Paris Court of Appeal.
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 to the Kuwaiti group Al-Kharafi against the State of Libya for the enforcement of an international arbitration award of 1.4 billion USD.
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.
President in a CMAP arbitration evaluated at several billion euros in insurance and reinsurance.
Arbitrator in a CAS arbitration seated in Lausanne between FIFA and the President of the African Federation of football.
Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration valued at USD 207,861,612, 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.
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.