Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes > Paris, France > Firm Profile
Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes Offices
46 rue Copernic
78116 Paris
France
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Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes > The Legal 500 Rankings
France > Dispute resolution: International arbitration Tier 1
Launched early 2021, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes houses a sizeable and international team and has offices in Paris, London and New York. The fully dedicated arbitration firm offers a full-service practice, from advisory work and early-stage case management to final enforcement proceedings, representing leading French and international clients. It manages high-profile investment and commercial arbitration disputes, acting for state entities and leading companies in strategic and geopolitically sensitive cases (some matters involving corruption and international security issues), in connection with various industry sectors including oil and gas, nuclear and telecoms. The team's caseload spans global disputes involving Russia, China and Latin America (notably Colombia and Brazil). It has a particularly strong footprint handling matters concerning the Middle East and Africa through a dual qualified team able to handle cases in Arabic, including headline disputes in Egypt and Algeria. Practice head Yas Banifatemi
is a high-profile figure in the field, with other top names including Mohamed Shelbaya, Coralie Darrigade, Maude Lebois, and Thomas Parigot who was promoted to partner in early 2023. In Benjamin Siino, the firm has remarkable arbitration exequatur expertise in France and across the globe, notably for cases involving state entities. Practice head(s):
Yas Banifatemi
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘A very united and extremely competent team. Excellent strategic approach and explanations to clients. The best arbitration firm.’
‘Yas Banifatemi and Mohamed Shelbaya are exceptional arbitration lawyers. Competent, strategisers, educators, available and very pleasant. Their teams are also remarkable and have a great team spirit.’
‘Great versatility of the team which is able to advise on negotiations prior to a dispute. Very regular communication with the client. The team is capable of managing a large volume of documents and technical documentation. Finally, I think the firm achieves a good level of gender parity.’
‘Maude Lebois is proactive and has a practical approach to issues. She always takes into account the commercial aspects of a case, navigates easily between the various technical questions and quantification of damages, which are often complex. She seems to have a real interest in technical issues relating to construction projects. She does not hesitate to propose creative solutions.’
Key clients
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei)
Sanofi
Electricité de France
Dassault S.A.
Mubadala
Majority shareholders of former Yukos Oil Company
Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS)
Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation
Sonatrach (Algeria)
Sonangol (Angola)
Georgia
Algeria
Egypt
Lithuania
Colombia
Work highlights
- Defeated $30 billion worth of claims in an arbitration on behalf of the Arab Republic of Egypt initiated by four Saudi investors.
- Secured the dismissal, on behalf of an affiliate of Mubadala, of EUR 550 million claims brought in an ICC arbitration by Real Madrid Football Club.
- Representing Huawei in an investment arbitration against Sweden regarding measures that have resulted in Huawei’s exclusion from Sweden’s 5G network.
Algeria > Foreign firms Tier 2
Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes‘ team is 'made up of lawyers from diverse backgrounds’, with each member consistently demonstrating ‘a mastery of his or her cases, and a broad knowledge of various aspects of the law and judicial or arbitral jurisprudence'. The firm is exclusively focused on the management of international disputes, with an enviable track record spanning key economic areas including energy, natural resources, construction and infrastructure. Yas Banifatemi leads the practice from Paris and has experience representing the Algerian Republic in numerous investment and commercial arbitrations. Coralie Darrigade, Maude Lebois and Benjamin Siino are also key practitioners, as is Thomas Parigot, who was promoted to partner in January 2023. Practice head(s):
Yas Banifatemi
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The GBS team is foremost made up of lawyers from diverse backgrounds, and this is already one of its strengths. Then, the trust that reigns between the members of the team is very reassuring for the client.’
‘The lawyers are highly competent and serious, and handle the cases entrusted to them with great professionalism.’
‘Each of the lawyers with whom our firm has dealt has demonstrated a mastery of his or her cases, and a broad knowledge of various aspects of the law and judicial or arbitral jurisprudence.’
‘In-depth, detailed analysis of the issues submitted to them within very tight deadlines. Other main qualities: affability, sympathy, intellectual honesty, commitment to clients. I am thinking in particular of Yas Banifatemi, Maude Lebois, Benjamin Siino, Coralie Darrigade and Theresa Vega.’
Key clients
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
Sonatrach
Work highlights
- Representing the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in UNCITRAL proceedings in relation to two cement production projects in Algeria.
- Representing an international joint venture in an ICC arbitration related to an EPC contract for the construction of an industrial plant in Algeria.
Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes > Firm Profile
Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes is an international firm with a singular focus: managing international disputes in a result-oriented and innovative manner.
We are widely recognized as one of the world’s leading international arbitration practices, with an unparalleled track record of landmark victories, including the then largest commercial arbitration award ever rendered, the largest investment arbitration award in history, as well as the full dismissal of numerous multibillion-dollar claims brought against companies, States and State-owned entities.
With eight partners, four counsel and over thirty-five associates, based in three major centres (Paris, London, and New York) and all dedicated to the management of international disputes, our team combines the resources of a first-tier international firm with the focus and flexibility of a specialized practice.
The diversity of our team and its wide range of legal expertise allow us to provide our clients with all-encompassing representation, which minimizes costs and ensures consistent high-quality service, regardless of the language, the applicable law or the seat of the arbitration.
We know that no dispute, no arbitration and no arbitral tribunal can be approached in a standardized fashion. Rather, we put our craft to the service of our clients when we devise strategies adapted to their specific needs, when we draft submissions, and when we conduct oral pleadings and cross-examinations. We practice arbitration as an art.
Our practices cover the entire spectrum of dispute management. We represent companies, States and State-owned entities in both investment treaty and commercial arbitrations under all major arbitration rules and across all industries. We handle disputes governed by a wide range of applicable laws, including international law, English law, French law, US federal and state laws, Egyptian law and the laws of the Middle East, as well as Colombian and Brazilian law, among others.
We are able to conduct arbitral proceeding in over 20 languages, including English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Russian.
We also advise our clients on liability and risk management through dispute-minded contract drafting and optimization of our clients’ corporate structure.
Where appropriate we help our clients achieve favourable negotiated settlements and, where necessary, we devise their collection and asset tracing strategies and represent them in setting aside and enforcement proceedings.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yas Banifatemi | ybanifatemi@gbsdisputes.com | +33 1 7935 9000 | |
| Mohamed Shelbaya | mshelbaya@gbsdisputes.com | +33 6 2315 2668 | |
| Benjamin Siino | bsiino@gbsdisputes.com | +33 6 2315 2664 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dr Yas Banifatemi | Founding Partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes | View Profile |
|
Ms Coralie Darrigade | Founding Partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes | View Profile |
|
Ms Ximena Herrera-Bernal | Founding Partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes | View Profile |
|
Ms Maude Lebois | Founding Partner, Gaillard Banifatetmi Shelbaya Disputes | View Profile |
|
Mr Thomas Parigot | Partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes | View Profile |
|
Mr Mohamed Shelbaya | Founding Partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Partners : 8 Counsel : 4 Associates : 36Languages
English French Arabic Spanish Portuguese Russian Italian German Dutch Swedish Finnish Serbian Croatian Bulgarian Romanian Albanian Ukrainian Farsi Hebrew Hindi Punjabi- Dispute resolution: International arbitration
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Algeria > Foreign firms