Peter & Kim

International Arbitration

Professor Hugo Barbier brings a depth of expertise and extensive practice as counsel, arbitrator and consultant in cross-jurisdictional commercial and investment disputes spanning the globe including Europe, Africa, South America, the Baltics and Central Asia. He regularly acts as counsel, legal expert, and arbitrator in international commercial and investment arbitrations (ICC, LCIA, SCC, HKIAC, and SIAC).

Professor Barbier is a Professor of Law (professeur agrégé des facultés de droit) in France and is widely published. Among his various publications, Professor Barbier is a co-author, together with ICC Secretary-General Alexander Fessas, of the annual commentary on ICC awards published in the Journal du Droit International (Clunet). His most recent works concentrate on investment arbitration.

In addition to his expertise in arbitration, Professor Barbier specializes in contract law. He is the co-author, along with Professor Jacques Ghestin, of the “Treatise on Civil Law – General Introduction,” which is published in two volumes (volume 1 in 2018 and volume 2 in 2020). Since 2013, he has also authored the quarterly commentary on court decisions related to contract law in the Revue Trimestrielle de Droit Civil.

Representative Cases

• Representing a service provider in the finance and telecom sectors in an ICSID arbitration against Uzbekistan.
• Representing a state oil company in a commercial arbitration against a component provider in the oil and gas sector under the UNCITRAL Rules.
• Representing a state oil company in a commercial arbitration against a South Asian State concerning a pipeline construction dispute under the UNCITRAL Rules.
• Representing investors in a nephrite mining business against the Russian Federation in an ad hoc investment arbitration (UNCITRAL) based on the China-Russia 2006 investment treaty.
• Representing a private Algerian company specializing in production of petroleum products against a Spanish company operating in oil and gas sector in an ICC commercial arbitration.
• Representing 73 cryptocurrency traders (crypto products: futures contracts and leveraged tokens) against a cryptocurrency exchange company in a HKIAC commercial arbitration.
• Assisting a private equity fund incorporated in Luxembourg in a spin-off including the assignment of a claim in a SCC investment arbitration.
• Act as Arbitrator in ICC investment arbitration based on a BIT between France and an African country.
• Act as Arbitrator in ICC commercial arbitration on a consultant agreement between an aircraft manufacturer and an agent in South America.
• Act as Arbitrator in SCC commercial arbitration on a lease agreement concluded to operate a heating system in a Baltic country.
• Advising the French Senate in the legislative implementation of the Agreement for the Termination of all Intra-EU Bilateral Investment Treaties.
• Advising in various proceedings related to BITs between African countries and France and other European countries.
• Representing numerous clients in Interpol proceedings, assisting clients in foreign judgement enforcement process, ECHR proceedings, EU proceedings.

Partner, Peter & Kim (October 2024 – present) Founder and Partner, Barbier Mehtiyeva Law (2019 – October 2024) Founder and Partner, Barbier Arbitration (2012 – 2019)

French, English, Russian

Member of the International Law Association Member of the International Arbitration Institute

2011: Professor of Law – Concours d’agrégation de droit privé et de sciences criminelles 2004-2009: Doctoral Thesis, Faculté de droit d’Aix-en-Provence 2004: DEA de droit des affaires, Faculté de droit d’Aix-en-Provence