Jalal El Ahdab

I am a partner in our Dispute Resolution Group in Paris, the head of our Arbitration Department in France and member of our DR practice in the UAE (and soon KSA), where I offer our clients longstanding and cross-border expertise in managing international disputes and arbitrations.

My practice-area is international business law, with a focus on international disputes and foreign investments, notably in Europe, Africa and the MENA region. I work in the context of commercial arbitration (ICC, LCIA, DIAC, etc.) and investment arbitration (ICSID/UNCITRAL). Having acted as a counsel, arbitrator, mediator and expert in over 250 cases, I have in-depth experience in managing complex disputes including shareholders' rights, suits against States, class actions, breach of negotiations, bank guarantees and joint ventures. My sector experience encompasses work for our high-profile clients in the aerospace, defense and aeronautic industries, as well as in the sectors of energy, commodities trade, telecoms, ports, airports, construction, life sciences, sports and more.

Having a transactional background, I am also well-versed in amicable settlements and negotiation strategies: as an advocate, I have mediation skills (CEDR-trained) enabling me to identify when there is room for a deal, how to cope with the most sensitive disputes and reach settlement in the most effective, fair and reasonable manner.

In addition to being a regular speaker at international arbitration conferences, I have also authored dozens of articles in professional and legal journals, while acting as managing editor of the International Journal of Arab Arbitration (available on Kluweronline.com). Furthermore, I have co-authored two books: 'Arbitration with the Arab Countries' (published by Kluwer in 2011), and a book on Arbitration Law and Practice in France, written jointly with Professor Daniel Mainguy of Paris 1-Sorbonne University (published by LexisNexis in 2021).

I am a former UNCITRAL representative (2013/2018) and member of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC (2015/2021) and its Commission since 2008. I was also Vice-Chair (after being Chair) of the European Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ciarb) and am the past co-chair of the IBA Arab Regional Forum and Mediation Committee. At last, I am a member of the Advisory Board of VIAC (the Vienna International Arbitration Centre), and of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Committee (in Geneva), Chair of the CIMAC Court in Morocco, Chair of MARC Advisory Board in Mauritius and a member of the Board of the Association Française d'Arbitrage (AFA).

I am qualified to practice in Beirut (Lebanon), New York (USA), and Paris (France), and am equally fluent in Arabic, English and French.

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