NEWS & EVENTS
Laborde Law holds its first event during Dubai Arbitration Week
11 November 2024
A few months after having settled an office in Dubai, Laborde Law is proud to participate to the 2024 Dubai Arbitration Week, taking place on 11 - 15 November 2024. The firm will hold its very first event on Monday 11 November 2024, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm (Dubai local time) at the Waldorf Astoria, DIFC, followed by a cocktail.
The roundtable discussion will focus on "The Rise of Investor-State Arbitration in the MENA Region", featuring four stellar speakers with regional and international experience in investor-State disputes. They will explore recent developments in the MENA region, as well as trends and recent geopolitical issues.
The panel will be moderated by Gustavo Laborde (Laborde Law) and will feature as speakers:
• Anne K. Hoffmann (Hoffmann Arbitration)
• Luca G. Radicati di Brozolo (ArbLit and Fountain Court Chambers)
•. Philippe Pinsolle (Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan)
• Mohamed Abdel Wahad (Zulficar & Partners Law Firm)
The panel will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience, followed by a tea and fresh-juice reception. The conference will take place both in person and online.
Learn more and register by checking out the DAW calendar: https://lnkd.in/dST9kF4D
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 3rd ICC France Annual Arbitration Conference
15 October 2024
Laborde Law is a proud sponsor of the 3rd ICC France Annual Arbitration Conference, taking place on 15 October 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Cercle National des Armées, followed by a cocktail.
The objective of this third edition is for in-house counsel and arbitration practitioners to meet and discuss the new ICC arbitration practices and proposals for improvement. A panel of in-house lawyers will present for the first time the recommendations of a working group aimed at improving arbitration practices from the point of view of users:
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The systematic introduction of a Case Review Conference between the first and second rounds of written submissions;
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The means of ensuring that the arbitrator have a good understanding of the case and are sufficiently available;
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The control of the timetable and the predictability of the proceedings
Laborde Law welcomes new associate
15 July 2024
Laborde Law is delighted to welcome a new associate as part of its international arbitration team!
Vinko Galiot is a Croatian lawyer focusing on international arbitration, a member of the New York Bar and a graduate of Harvard Law School (LL.M.) and the Univeristy of Zagreb (Mag. Iur.).
Before joining Laborde Law, he worked in the international arbitration practices of leading global law firms. Vinko has been involved in high-profile international commercial, investor-state and state-to-state arbitrations. Acting for both sovereign and corporate clients, he has participated in arbitrations conducted under major arbitration rules, governed by a variety of substantive and procedural laws, and spanning a wide range of industry sectors.
His full profile is available here.
Laborde Law welcomes new interns
1 July 2024
Laborde Law is delighted to welcome two new interns, who will join its international arbitration team for 6 months!
Umberto Novara
Before joining Laborde Law, Umberto trained with leading international arbitration law firms in Paris and Geneva. He has experience acting in arbitrations under various rules, including those of the ICC, PCA and ICSID. Umberto completed his legal studies at the University of Turin in Italy, where he continues to work on academic projects. During his studies, he spent a semester at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil and obtained a certificate in Transnational Legal Studies from Georgetown University of Washington, D.C.
His full profile is available here.
Martina Crespo Prieto
Martina is a student in the Master's Degree in Economic Law at Science Po with the specialisation in Commercial Litigation and Arbitration. She is gaining first-hand experience in international arbitration as Laborde Law's legal intern. In 2023-2024, Martina represented Sciences Po Law School in the 31st Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. She is currently preparing for the upcoming 17th edition of the Competencia Internacional de Arbitraje.
Her full profile is available here.
Associate Antoine Cottin speaks at the Annual Conference of the Peruvian Arbitration Institute
16 May 2024
Our associate Antoine Cottin will replace Founding Partner Gustavo Laborde and speak at the 6th edition of the Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje (IPA) Conference about "Los Jóvenes y el Futuro del Arbitraje IPA", on a panel discussing the topic "Eyes on the top: ¿Cómo hacer una carrera exitosa en el arbitraje?" ("How to pursue a successful career in arbitration?").
The panel will take place on Thursday 16 May 2024, from 9:10 to 10:10 (GMT-5) / 16:10 to 17:10 (GMT+2).
The panel will also include distinguished colleagues:
• Cristina Arizmendi (Independent Lawyer, USA)
• Gonzalo Chirinos Vidaurrazaga (Rodrigo, Elias & Medrano Abogados, Peru)
• Luis Miguel Manrique Ruesta (CMS Grau, Peru)
• Miguel Delgado Henderson (Deloitte Legal, Spain) and
• Pablo S. Esteban Tello (Arbitrator, Peru)
A recording of the session is available here.
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 8th edition of the Paris Arbitration Week
16 March 2024
Laborde Law is proud to sponsor the 8th edition of the Paris Arbitration Week for the fourth consecutive year. The firm organises three panels as part of two events:
1. ISDS Enforcement War Stories and Lessons
Monday 18 March, 14h30 - Plaza Athénée, Salon Organza
The panel will address a number of issues on the enforcement of awards, including whether this area of law is mostly based on general principles or is more jurisdiction-specific, the most recent trends and developments, as well as the speakers' insights and war stories.
Moderated by Gustavo Laborde, the panel will feature as speakers:
• Alison Macdonald KC (Barrister, Essex Court Chambers)
• Andrea Pinna (Partner, Pinna Legal)
• Ali Al-Karim (Barrister, Brick Court Chambers)
2. The Post-Achmea Universe: Any Room Left for Intra-EU Investment Protection?
Monday 18 March, 16h30 - Plaza Athénée, Salon Organza
Following an assessment of the intra-EU landscape six years after the Achmea decision, this second PAW panel will discuss the different alternatives for investors to benefit from investment protection. Did the Achmea impacted foreign investments? What was the attitude of intra-EU investors? Local courts, commercial arbitration, CJEU, setting up an extra-EU investment vehicle... what are the best alternatives? Our panelists will present the views of diverse pratitioners, i.e. an intra-EU investor, the EU, a EU member State, and an arbitration lawyer.
The panel will be moderated by Gustavo Laborde. Speakers of the panel include:
• Prof. George Bermann (University of Columbia)
• Lorena Fatas-Perez (Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Spain)
• Karl Henessee (Senior Vice President, Airbus)
• Nicolaj Kuplewatzky (Court of Justice of the European Union)
• Anna Kozmenko (Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle)
3. French Courts as ISDS Lawmakers
Wednesday 20 March, 14h30 - Plaza Athénée, Salon Haute Couture
This third panel will focus on French courts' investment case law, including the reasons for such a development, the process and standard of review in annulment proceedings before French courts, as well as French courts' approach on jurisdictional issues, such as dual nationality or the definition of an investment.
Gustavo Laborde will moderate the panel, with the following speakers:
• Shaparak Saleh (Three Crowns)
• Luca de Maria (PMG Avocats)
• Raphaël Kaminsky (Teynier Pic)
Q&A session at the end of each panel. Best question of each panel will be rewarded with champagne and chocolate.
For more information and to register, see our official PAW partner webpage.
Associates Antoine Cottin and Vladislav Osykin review 2023 arbitration-related developments in France for Kluwer Arbitration Blog
27 January 2024
Associates Antoine Cottin and Vladislav Osykin authored for Kluwer Arbitration Blog a panorama of arbitration-related developments in France in 2023.
Among other issues, the blog post analyses decisions rendered on arbitrators' independence and impartiality, investment arbitration, the effectiveness of arbitration agreements, and the (non-)arbitrability of disputes involving French public entities.
The post can be read here.
Laborde Law authors Lexology's 2023 Guide on Investment Treaty Arbitration in France
5 November 2023
For the second consecutive year, Laborde Law team authored the 2023 Lexology Guide on Investment Treaty Arbitration in France.
The Guide includes insights on the regime applicable in France to investment treaty arbitration, France's treaty practice, and its dispute settlement record.
The Guide is accessible here (requires subscription).
Partner Gustavo Laborde speaks at the VI St Petersburg Online FDI Pre-Moot Conference
19 October 2023
Partner Gustavo Laborde will speak at the VI St Petersburg Online FDI Pre-Moot Conference, organised by the Russian Arbitration Center (RAC) on 20 October 2023 at 3:00 pm (Paris time), on the topic "Dotting the I's and Crossing the T's: Regulating Creeping Expropriation".
During the discussion moderated by Vera Bykova, Gustavo Laborde will discuss, along with Alessa Pang (WongPartnership), the most exciting issues that arise from the concept of "creeping expropriation" in investment arbitration.
A recording of the session can be found here.
Partner Gustavo Laborde speaks at the MIDS 15th Anniversary and 3rd MIDS Alumni Association Annual Conference
20 September 2023
Partner Gustavo Laborde will speak at the "MIDS 15th Anniversary and 3rd MIDS Alumni Association Annual Conference: Back to the Future", an event jointly organised by the Geneva Center for International Dispute Settlement (CIDS) and the MIDS Alumni Association Executive Committee, taking place on 22 September 2023 at the Geneva Graduate Institute.
Along with René Cienciala (Urban & Hejduk), Monika Feigerlova (Institute of State and Law, Prague), and Larisa Babiy (Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton), Gustavo will discuss the evolution and future of sunset clauses during the first panel moderated by Fernando Perez Lozada (PL Arbitration) entitled "Will the Sun Set on Investment Treaties? Sunset Clauses in International Law".
To register for the Conference and cocktail (required), click here.
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the Institute of International Law's 150th Anniversary in Angers
25 August 2023
Laborde Law is a proud sponsor of the 150th Anniversary of the Institute of International Law, that will be held in Angers from the 27 August to 3 September 2023.
Our partner Gustavo Laborde will intervene in discussion No. 3 - "Legal Challenges against Unilateral Sanctions" on "May Sanctions be Submitted to Investment Arbitration?".
In principle, the Institute meets every two years to examine and adopt Resolutions of a normative character, which are then brought to the attention of governmental authorities, international organizations as well as the scientific community. See more here.
Laborde Law welcomes new intern
1 August 2023
Laborde Law is delighted to welcome Elizaveta Rachkova, joining Laborde Law's international arbitration team as a legal intern.
Elizaveta holds a master degree from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow in "Law of International Trade, Finance and Economic Integration" and a LL.M. degree from the Geneva Master of International Dispute Settlement (MIDS), a joint program of the Law School of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.
Elizaveta graduated with high honors from the Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO). During her studies, Elizaveta actively participated in moot courts, such as the "Foreign Direct Investment Moot Court", the "John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on the Law of the World Trade Organization" and the Telders International Law Moot Court Competition.
Further, Elizaveta worked for two years as an associate in the dispute resolution team of Moscow-based law firm "Nektorov, Saveliev and Partners". She also completed an internship at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Laborde Law represents the Republic of Romania in public hearing on jurisdiction
8 July 2023
Laborde Law represents the Republic of Romania in the two arbitrations Mr Jak Sukyas v. Romania (PCA Case No. 2020-53) and Mr Edward Sukyas v. Romania (PCA Case No. 2020-54), along with Stoica & Asociatii, Savoie Arbitration, and FAR Avocats.
Members of the public are invited to follow the hearing on jurisidiction held from 10 to 13 July 2023 via live-feed, broadcast at a designated viewing room located in Paris.
The Parties’ dispute relates to alleged rights and assets connected to a film production and post-production laboratory and business in Bucharest, Romania.
Registration for the hearing is open until 15:00 CEST on Sunday July 9, 2023, by sending an email to: gchevalier@pca-cpa.org.
For more information, see here.
Laborde Law welcomes new associate
1 July 2023
Laborde Law is delighted to welcome a new associate as part of its international arbitration team! Vladislav Osykin is a Russian lawyer focusing on international arbitration. He has over 7 years of experience in dispute settlement.
Before joining Laborde Law, he worked at a top-tier litigation boutique and in the legal department of a major bank. Vladislav’s career track spans high profile arbitration and court cases under various procedural rules and across more than 10 jurisdictions.
Partner Gustavo Laborde speaks at the "Rencontre Juridique Franco-Argentin-Brésilien"
26 June 2023
Partner Gustavo Laborde will speak at the "Rencontre juridique Franco-Argentin-Brésilien", a symposium jointly organised by Sciences Po and University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne on the topic of "Magistrats, Entreprises et Arbitrage".
Sharing the panel with Carlos Guaia (Universidad del Salvador) and Márcio Guimarães (Márcio Guimarães TWK Advogados), with Miguel Angel De Dios (USAL) as moderator, Gustavo will present a view from France on the advantages of international arbitration for both French and foreign companies, and the continually important role it is to play on the future of international commerce and investments among Argentina, Brazil and France.
The audience will include distinguished judges from Argentina and Brazil.
Laborde Law welcomes new interns
1 June 2023
Laborde Law is delighted to welcome Julián Darmun and Hristijan Zafirovski as legal interns in its international arbitration team.
Julián Darmun
Julián is an Argentinian qualified lawyer who graduated from the University of Buenos Aires and subsequently completed a Master's degree in Law and Economics at the University Torcuato Di Tella. For three years, he represented the Argentine Republic as Counsel at the National Office of International Controversies (Procuración del Tesoro) in several high-profile investment disputes. He worked as an associate at JP Morgan & Chase, supporting outside counsel in numerous cases across the U.S., collaborating effectively with other attorneys and stakeholders. Before joining Laborde Law in Paris, Julián worked as an associate at an Argentine law firm specialised in financial disputes and mining.
Hristijan Zafirovski
Hristijan is currently attending an LL.M. specializing in French and European Business Law at Paris I Panthéon - Sorbonne University, as a scholar of the French government. He has also obtained an LL.M. in International Law, International Relations and EU Law from University Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, North Macedonia, with a focus on investment arbitration in the energy sector. Hristijan has three years of clinical experience and participation in the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court Competition, the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Together with his university team, Hristijan won the second place at the 2021 Philip C. Jessup Moot and the Hardy C. Dillard Award for Best Combined Materials.
Associate Antoine Cottin interviews EDAC Chairman Mr Suleyman Bosça for Kluwer Arbitration Blog
5 June 2023
Associate Antoine Cottin interviewed Mr Suleyman Bosça, Chairman of the Energy Disputes Arbitration Center (EDAC), about EDAC's growing role in shaping the future of arbitration in Türkiye.
This interview is part of Kluwer Arbitration Blog's "Interview with our Editors" series.
To find out more and download the full article, please see the link below: https://lnkd.in/ep86a6JJ
The interview is also available on the website of the Energy Disputes Arbitration Center.
Partner Gustavo Laborde speaks at the Conference of the Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje
6 May 2023
Partner Gustavo Laborde will speak at the traditional Conference of the Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje (IPA) on the "The Youth and the Future of Arbitration", held virtually from 10 to 12 May.
Date: 11 May 2023
Time: 09:00 AM (GMT-5) / 04:00 PM CET
Gustavo will be speaking on the extension of the arbitration agreement to non-signatories ("La extensión del convenio arbitral a partes no signatarias"), together with
esteemed colleagues Julio Olortegui, Marcela Kohlbach, Maria Alejandra Reyes Munoz and Rodolfo Núñez Robinson.
Click here to register.
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 7th edition of the Paris Arbitration Week
10 March 2023
As an official PAW partner, Laborde Law invites you to the 2023 edition of Paris Arbitration Week, during which the firm will be hosting three panels in hybrid format (in person + online):
1. The Future of Investment Arbitration: In Conversation with Meg Kinnear, Toby Landau KC and Professor Alain Pellet
Jointly organized with the firm Honlet Legum Arbitration, the first conference on Monday will be held on Monday 27 March 2023 from 3:30 to 5:00 pm, at the Salon des Arts et Métiers.
Dire predictions of demise notwithstanding, investment arbitration does indeed have a feature. That future, however, will almost certainly diverge from the present in a number of respects. This panel brings together three of the leading lights in the field, from very different backgrounds, for a wide-ranging conversation on what the future of investment arbitration will likely ressemble:
• Meg Kinnear (ICSID Secretary General)
• Toby Landau KC (Duxton Hill Chambers)
• Alain Pellet (International Law Institute)
The panel will be jointly moderated by Gustavo Laborde (Laborde Law), Barton Legum (Honlet Legum) and Jean-Christophe Honlet (Honlet Legum), and will address questions including: Is evolution or revolution the way forward? Investment arbitral tribunals or investment courts? What role for the EU going forward? Q&A with the audience will follow.
A recording of the conference is available here.
The discussion was also covered by the Kluwer Arbitration Blog.
2. The Ferocious Divide: What Future for the Modernised ECT?
As part of the 2023 PAW week, Laborde Law will hold a second conference on Wednesday 29 March 2023, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm, at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée. The discussion will focus on the new reformed ECT.
Moderated by Gustavo Laborde (Laborde Law), the guest speakers will include:
• Prof. Loukas Mistelis (QMUL, Clyde & Co)
• Anna Kozmenko (Schellenberg Wittmer)
• Lorena Fatas Perez (Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Spain)
• Graham Coop (Pinsent Masons, Former General Counsel of ECT Secretariat)
Q&A with the audience will follow.
3. The Business of Arbitration: State of the Third-Party Funding Market
Finally, the firm will organise a third panel on the topic of third-party funding. The discussion will address the state of affairs of the arbitration market, funding trends, and a look into the future. Q&A with the audience will follow.
Speakers will include:
• Pierrick Le Goff (De Gaulle Fleurance)
• Annie Lespérance (Omni Bridgeway)
• Benjamin Siino (GBS Disputes)
• Moderator: Gustavo Laborde (Laborde Law)
For more information, see our official PAW partner webpage.
Associate Antoine Cottin reviews 2022 arbitration-related developments in France for Kluwer Arbitration Blog
7 February 2023
For the third consecutive year, Associate Antoine Cottin authored for Kluwer Arbitration Blog a panorama of arbitration-related developments in France in 2022.
Among other issues, the post analyses the French courts' practice to conduct a substantive review of awards on grounds of competence and public policy, decisions rendered on arbitrators' independence and impartiality, investment arbitration, and the issue of the law applicable to the arbitration agreement. The post can be read here.
Laborde Law welcomes new interns
1 February 2023
Laborde Law is delighted to welcome Natalia Rodriguez Alvarez and Sabina Nurbagandova as legal interns in its international arbitration team.
Natalia Rodriguez Alvarez
Natalia is a Colombian qualified lawyer specialised in international arbitration who graduated from the University del Rosario in Bogota and subsequently completed a Master degree at both Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne Universities. She has previously worked at top Colombian and US law firms. Natalia speaks Spanish, English and French.
Sabina Nurbagandova
Sabina is a Russian qualified lawyer specialising in international commercial and investment arbitration. She has gained professional experience at the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SS). In 2022, she obtained an LL.M. in International Commercial Arbitration from Stockholm University, graduating with highest honours. She speaks English, Russian and Spanish.
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 1st ICC France Annual Arbitration Conference
1 December 2022
Laborde Law is a proud sponsor of the 1st ICC France Annual Arbitration Conference, taking place on 2 December 2022 from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the InterContinental Paris Le Grand hotel, followed by a cocktail.
The objective of this first edition is to open a dialogue between Claudia Salomon (President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration) and legal directors of companies resorting to arbitration. This will be a superb opportunity for in-house counsel and arbitration practitioners to meet and discuss the new ICC practices and proposals for improvement.
The full program is accessible here.
Laborde Law authors Lexology's 2022 Guide on Investment Treaty Arbitration
15 October 2022
Laborde Law has authored the France chapter for the 2023 Guide on Investment Treaty Arbitration from Lexology.
The Guide includes insights on the regime applicable in France to investment treaty arbitration, France's treaty practice, and its dispute settlement record.
All you wish to know about investment treaty arbitration in France in a concise nutshell is available here.
Laborde Law welcomes new associate
27 July 2022
Laborde Law is delighted to welcome a new associate as part of its international arbitration team! Antoine Cottin is an associate focused on international arbitration, commercial and arbitration-related litigation before French courts, and public international law.
Before joining Laborde Law, Antoine worked as an associate at a French law firm specialised in international dispute settlement. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Cour de cassation, at leading law firms in Paris and Madrid, and for a major French electric utility company.
Antoine is a member of several arbitration associations, including Young ICCA (International Council for Commercial Arbitration), ICC YAF (Young Arbitration & ADR Forum), and ESIL (European Society for International Law). He regularly publishes articles in specialised reviews and is a member of the Editorial Board of Kluwer Arbitration Blog.
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 6th edition of the Paris Arbitration Week
15 March 2022
As part of the 2022 edition of the Paris Arbitration Week, Laborde Law will be hosting two events on March 28 and Friday, 1st April.
The March 28 event is focused on current big-picture issues in investment arbitration (1st panel) and Eastern Europe (2nd panel).
The April 1 event features a double debate: first, leaders of major arbitral institutions will discuss future challenges and trends, including climate change; second, we will host an Oxford-style debate: the UK v. France on the question of the law applicable to the arbitration agreement (inspired by the UK Supreme Court’s Kout Food judgment).
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 5th edition of the Paris Arbitration Week
15 September 2021
Laborde Law is an official partner of Paris Arbitration Week and invites you to its virtual events scheduled for 20 and 22 September 2021:
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The Future of Investment Arbitration
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Unconscious Bias Induced by Party Appointment: An Arbitral Game-Changer?
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Paris's Enduring Status as Arbitration Mecca
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The Users’ Perspective
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 4th edition of the Paris Arbitration Week
10 March 2020
Laborde Law is a sponsor of the 4th edition of the Paris Arbitration Week which, by reason of the pandemic, will be held online for the first time ever.
Laborde Law is hosting two online events.
In the first, on Wednesday, 8 July 2020, a panel will discuss the latest arbitral developments in the Americas.
The second, on Friday, 10 July 2020, will feature a two-panel series on arbitration reform. The first panel will revisit the issue of unilateral party appointments and consider the possible creation of a multilateral investment court. The second panel will debate about the reform of arbitration rules and practices at leading arbitral institutions.