On Thursday 19 October at 3 pm CEST (until 3.30 pm CEST) took place an interactive discussion of independence and impartiality: Paris-seated arbitrators face ever-evolving challenges. The episode reviewed the evolution of French case law from recent years, in our ‘A Case in Time’ headnote series.

Marie Danis and Benjamin Sabbagh Zadeh, of August Debouzy, the authors of the GAP chapter on France, provided a discussion of the case study, followed by comments from Sara Koleilat-Aranjo of Morgan Lewis (short bios of the speakers below) and a Q&A with the participants. Chatham House rules applied. The event chat was open to facilitate networking and interaction.

The recording is available here.

ABOUT THE GAP AND THE SPEAKERS

The Delos Guide to Arbitration Places (GAP) is designed to assist in-house counsel, corporate lawyers and arbitration practitioners with efficiently accessing key insights into a large range of jurisdictions, including for the purposes of negotiating the choice of arbitral seats and conducting arbitral proceedings in those jurisdictions.

This peer-reviewed open access publication is now in its second edition. Browse the table of contents, explore the jurisdictions covered in the GAP or jump to the traffic lights table.

Marie Danis joined August Debouzy in 2009 as a partner after beginning her career with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. She advises French and foreign clients in connection with international arbitration and business litigation cases. She has received recognition in various French and international lawyer rankings and has developed specific expertise in arbitration related to post-acquisition disputes and in obtaining evidence. She is involved in the organisation called Paris, Place d’Arbitrage and is responsible for promoting Paris internationally in relation with arbitration. She is a member of the board of directors of the Association Française d’Arbitrage and also teaches arbitration at the EFB and at university

Sara Koleilat-Aranjo is a partner at Morgan Lewis. Sara focuses her practice on international arbitration and dispute prevention and resolution, primarily in cases with cross-border elements. She advises and represents the interests of governments, semi-governments, and corporations in proceedings arising out of inbound and outbound investments in the Middle East and Africa across a range of sectors, including energy, real estate, hospitality, construction, banking and finance, distribution, and technology, media, and telecommunications. Sara is admitted to practice in New York, Paris and Beirut and speaks Arabic, French, and English.

Benjamin Sabbagh Zadeh joined our Litigation, Arbitration and White-Collar department in. 2023.  His practice is focused on international arbitration and commercial litigation. He acts as counsel for companies operating in a number of different industries such as telecommunications, construction, information technologies, oil and gas, energy, construction, banking or industrial manufacturing. He has experience in international arbitration administered by the ICC, the Swiss Chambers or the PCA and in judicial proceedings closely related to arbitration such as actions to enforce, set-aside or recognize arbitral awards. He started his career in 2019 in an American law firm before joining us 2023. Having learned law from the Paris II Panthéon-Assas University and UCLA, he has since acquired significant experience in set-aside proceedings.