A&O Shearman ‘s merger resulted in the formation of a large and very attractive arbitration offering, notably in the investment space where the Parisian team regularly represents state entities and companies in high-stake disputes, spanning oil and gas, telecoms and construction. Often acting alongside colleagues from the London, Singapore and other international offices, the Parisian practice has a strong footprint in Africa, the Middle-East and Eastern Europe, and notably acts in several highly sensitive matters relating to Russia (EU Russian sanctions and Russian invasion of Crimea) with Ukraine as a client. Cambodia and Morocco are two other key clients. The team’s commercial arbitration caseload is also dynamic and diverse, dealing notably with offshore renewables projects and banking issues. The practice is led by Marie Stoyanov, who also serves as the firm’s global international arbitration practice head, and with Jennifer Younan   as the other key member within the team. Support is notably provided  by senior associate Alex Calthrop .

Led by Emmanuelle Cabrol, Ashurst LLP‘s  compact Parisian team, which regularly combines forces with the London office, acts for a prominent client base including leading names in the energy and nuclear sectors. The team mainly handles commercial arbitration disputes, while also currently managing a large gas investment dispute. It is often involved in African related matters, dealing with energy, construction and energy issues, as well as high-stake nuclear and renewable matters in France.

Excellent boutique firm Clay Arbitration  punches well above its weight, regularly representing state entities or companies in multi-billion dollars investment disputes. The team is often retained to act in large and challenging oil and gas disputes pertaining to Iran and the Middle East, while its involvement also extends to Europe and many other industry sectors such as banking and the renewables sector. Finally, the practice also handles commercial arbitration and exequatur proceedings. Thomas Clay  is highly regarded, and ably supported by associate Taha Zahedi Vafa .

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton boasts a small but excellent practice in its Parisian office that often combines forces with the firm’s other offices including London. The Parisian team handles both commercial and investment arbitration, acting for companies and state entities. It has a strong caseload advising on Africa and the Middle East related issues, notably in the oil and gas sectors, but its involvement also extends to many other geographical and industry areas such as M&A and telecoms. It also regularly manages exequatur and award enforcement proceedings before French courts. The Paris practice is co-headed by the excellent pair made up of Jean-Yves Garaud  (whose litigation practice is also prominent) and Laurie Achtouk-Spivak .

Clifford Chance runs a busy commercial arbitration practice representing French and international companies in ICC cases dealing with various subjects and geographical areas. The firm is heavily involved in the defense and aviation sectors where it is the preferred advisor to a leading European manufacturer. It also regularly acts in cases linked to Africa, notably concerning mining. The practice is co-headed by Jason Fry and Simon Greenberg, who are supported by counsels Sandrine Colletier, Karolina Rozycka, Marie-Isabelle Delleur and Alexis Foucard.

Clyde & Co LLP assists major companies as well as several state entities in managing ICC cases, as well some investment arbitration and exequatur proceedings. The team’s caseload is quite diverse and spans many industry sectors such as energy, construction, transport and concession. The team is regularly involved in African related disputes and also acts in Latin America and European related matters. Its involvement alongside the state of Ukraine in some challenging cases also deserves a particular mention. Practice head Nadia Darwazeh and Ivan Urzhumov are the key names in the practice, while Michael Conrad  and counsel Sophie Grémaud are two other contributors.

Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP is highly regarded for its expertise in representing state entities in large investment disputes – the firm applies a rare and unique policy of acting only for states and state-owned entities in investor-state arbitration. The team regularly handles large cases on behalf of Kazakhstan but also manages cases dealing with European countries and Africa. It acts in large oil and gas and mining disputes in addition to many other issues. The practice also has strong knowledge of exequatur and set aside proceedings, while the firm’s international platform is another asset. The team is co-headed by Geoffroy Lyonnet and Peter Wolrich. Also involved are Rémy Lerner and Marie-Claire Argac.

Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier has the ability to handle complex and challenging commercial arbitration (ICC) and exequatur proceedings. The team regularly represents large corporations involved in matters linked to M&A transactions or the defense sector and in cases relating to France, Africa and the Middle-East. It is also involved in a large dispute in the energy sector in Nigeria. The team also stands out for its excellent exequatur and set-aside practice, where it regularly acts in complex proceedings including currently handling a key matter concerning Crimea. The practice is co-headed by professor Laurent Aynès and Carine Dupeyron .

DLA Piper has a large and experienced Paris-based team that regularly handles work in relation to Africa (Guinea, Congo, RDC, Algeria), Europe (Hungary) and the CIS (Georgia). The practice acts in investment and commercial arbitration, on behalf of major companies and occasionally for state entities, in large cases often dealing with mining, construction, telecoms and expropriation issues. The practice also acts in exequatur and set-aside proceedings. The team is co-headed by the excellent  Michael Ostrove and Alexander Brabant, with Théobald Naud and counsel Maxime Desplats being two other key members.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP's Parisian team works in close combination with the firm’s European and international offices managing a strong investment and commercial arbitration caseload. The practice represents leading companies spanning various industries such as healthcare, energy and construction, in large disputes concerning oil and gas concessions, renewables and real estate projects often linked with France, Europe and the Middle East. The practice also manages exequatur proceedings. The team is co-headed by star partner Noah Rubins,  Christophe Seraglini and Alexandra van der Meulen , who was promoted to partner in 2024. Counsel Vasuda Sinha provides support. Of note, Peter Turner has now retired.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP‘s Parisian-based team combines solid common and civil law expertise as well strong OHADA know-how. The practice is regularly involved in ICC disputes, often relating to Africa and dealing with construction, commercial contracts and energy. The team also stands out for its involvement in sensitive matters linked to the defense and aviation industries (such as recently managing complex issues relating to Russia and some Asian countries). Finally, the team is also adept at handling matters dealing with Brazil and exequatur and set aside cases. The team is co-headed by the excellent Thierry Tomasi , Laurence Franc-Menget and Emily Fox who was promoted to partner in 2024. Of Counsel Vincent Bouvard provides support.

Led by Laurent Gouiffès, Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP develops a solid Parisian based practice that is well known for its strong ICC and Africa expertise, while also handling a good amount of work in relation to South America (notably Mexico by combining forces with the firm’s Miami office). The practice, which manages both investment and commercial disputes, mostly acts for commercial companies but a number of European, South American and Africa states are also clients. Its caseload is quite diverse, spanning oil and gas, telecoms, joint venture, M&A, and construction and infrastructure issues.  Of note, the team recently won a major victory in an investment dispute for its client the state of Colombia. Key team members include Thomas Kendra , Melissa Ordonez  and senior associate Lucas Aubry .

Honlet Legum Arbitration's main strength lies in its solid investment arbitration expertise where the firm manages several large ICSID disputes notably spanning oil and gas and mining issues linked to various parts of the world. Additionally, the team also regularly assists companies in commercial arbitration proceedings, also often linked to the oil and gas and mining industries. The boutique is co-headed by Jean-Christophe Honlet and Barton Legum .

King & Spalding LLP has a solid Parisian practice that regularly combines forces with the firm’s US and Middle East based teams in assisting major corporations, notably in the oil and gas sector, while also handling work for private investor collectives and state entities.  The team notably acts in billion dollars investment and commercial disputes, linked with real estate, infrastructure and energy projects undertaken in Europe, Eastern Asia and the Middle East (Turkey, Iraq, Algeria). The team also assists clients before judicial courts in exequatur cases. Marc-Olivier Langlois leads the Paris practice, which also includes the excellent Ken Fleuriet  (Paris and Washington based), Amy Frey (who rejoined the firm in 2023 after a brief period at McDermott Will & Emery AARPI ) and counsel Agnès Bizard. Senior partners James Castello and Laurent Jaeger left the firm in 2024 to focus on their respective arbitrator practice.

Headed by the excellent   Fernando Mantilla-Serran, Latham & Watkins‘  Paris-based arbitration practice stands out for its excellent Latin American practice, that recently translated into several victories on behalf of its key client Colombia in high-stake disputes raising major environmental issues.  Often supported by the firm’s other international offices, the Parisian practice also handles a good amount of commercial arbitration, notably in relation to the pharmaceutical sector. Associates Esperanza Barrón-Baratech and Diego Romero provide additional support.

Linklaters ' solid Parisian-based practice is proficient at handling investment and commercial arbitration disputes, and regularly combines forces with colleagues based in the firm’s other international offices. The team is busy managing work in relation to Africa (Gabon, Senegal) and the Middle East, spanning various industry sectors such as oil and gas, construction, mining and M&A. The team also regularly deals with award enforcement proceedings before French courts, including handling sensitive matters raising corruption allegations. International corporations as well as some African states are clients. The team is headed by Roland Ziadé , who is supported by counsels  Andrew Plump, Maria Mitaeva and Claudia Cavicchioli.

Reed Smith is home to a large and experienced team that goes through a diverse commercial arbitration caseload, spanning energy, construction, aviation, shipping and oil and gas. The Paris-based team acts for large French technologies and construction companies as well as many foreign companies which it regularly assists with matters linked to Africa (Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon). Exequatur is also dealt with. The practice is co-headed by  Peter Rosher and Ana Atallah. Andrew Tetley and  Clément Fouchard are two key members.

Squire Patton Boggs houses one of the market’s strongest investment arbitration practices with a particularly strong involvement alongside state entities (Latin American, Eastern European, African and Asian state entities) which the Parisian based practice often represents alongside colleagues from the firm’s other international offices. It is entrusted with high-stakes and billion-dollar cases, encompassing various industry sectors such as infrastructure, joint-venture, mining, oil and gas. Its range of expertise also extends to commercial arbitration. The Paris team is co-headed by Carole Sportes , José Ricardo Feris and  Sabrina Aïnouz, Jérôme Lehucher and Rostislav Pekař (who divides his time between Prague and Paris) are other names to note.

Teynier Pic is one France’s most established dispute resolution boutique firms, adept at handling arbitration, litigation and mediation proceedings. The firm is entrusted by a prominent client base including a number of top French engineering firms to assist with ICC and commercial arbitration, dealing with a various array of issues (construction notably but also licensing and telecoms). The team has a strong presence on matters linked to Africa and also a strong know-how managing significant exequatur cases. The team is co-headed by Eric Teynier and Pierre Pic, and also includes key partners Raphaël Kaminsky,  Sara Nadeau-Séguin and  Danny Rifaat. Counsel Yann Dehaudt-Delville provides additional support.

International arbitration firm Three Crowns LLP houses a large and experienced Paris based team that can leverage on a prominent international platform to handle large and highly strategic cases. The practice stands out for its balanced commercial and investment arbitration practice, representing leading international corporations active in a wide array of industries and particularly the oil and gas sector but also banking. The team handles large disputes linked to various geographical areas such as notably the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It is able to assist with complex matters including cases raising state corruption issues. The highly seasoned Georgios Petrochilos and Todd Wetmore co-head the practice which also include  Kathryn Khamsi, Shaparak Saleh and  Ilija Mitrev-Penushliski .

White & Case LLP hosts one of the market’s largest teams with about 60 Parisian-based lawyers which allow for the coverage of a full array of disputes. The practice, which manages both commercial and investment arbitration cases, is renowned worldwide for its second-to-none construction arbitration expertise which earns it mandates on high-stakes cases linked to many parts of the world and pertaining to canal, seaport, road and power plant projects. Its energy-related caseload is also prominent, spanning oil and gas disputes including dealing with several sensitive proceedings that are the result of wars and conflicts. The team’s involvement also encompasses many other industrial sectors such as telecoms or legal issues such as M&A. It has a strong presence in matters pertaining to Africa (Nigeria, Angola), and the Middle East (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya). Michael Polkinghorne , Christophe von Krause and Charles Nairac  are at the helm of the practice. Andrew de Lotbinière McDougall , John Willems and Elizabeth Oger-Gross are particularly recommended, while Nicolas Bouchardie, Kirsten Odynski,Noor Davies, Lucas De Ferrari and Samy Markbaoui  are other strong elements.

Launched early 2024 in Paris with an a satellite office in Bogota, arbitration specialist firm Wordstone Dispute Resolution AARPI manages a busy caseload that includes a number of new prominent mandates. Particularly recognised for its Latin America arbitration practice that represents a large portion of its activity, its involvement is also important in cases linked to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The team represents both state entities (Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt) and commercial entities in large and high-stakes investment and commercial disputes, spanning a wide array of issues and industry sectors (construction, telecoms, pharmaceutical, M&A). Of note, the firm recently won a series of victories in several investment arbitration cases alongside state entities. The excellent team is co-headed by the highly regarded Eduardo Silva Romero and José Manuel García Represa.  Other key members include Catalina Echeverri Gallego  and of counsel Audrey Caminades .