GBS Disputes

Experience includes representation of:

Commercial disputes

• A supplier of nuclear technology in disputes with a nuclear power plant (NPP) contractor arising under three contracts for the supply, erection and maintenance of nuclear equipment. The matter relates to whether sanctions issued against the State of the contractor qualify as force majeure under the contracts.
• An international joint venture in an ICC arbitration in Paris initiated by an oil field services provider in relation to an EPC contract for the construction of upstream facilities in Africa. Issues included liability for delay, additional works and disruption, and USD 750 million was at stake. In its Final award, the Tribunal rejected 70% of the claims made by the opposing party and entered a costs award in favour of our client.
• Engie Energía Chile, Claimant in an ICC arbitration in Paris against TotalEnergies. The dispute arose from an LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement. The ICC Tribunal awarded Engie damages in excess of USD 100 million. New York law applied.
• A Middle Eastern national oil company in several interrelated disputes concerning, inter alia, (i) the specifications of Atmospheric Residue supplied under a sale and purchase agreement, (ii) responsibility for the safe operation of a refining facility, (iii) the quantities of refined products to which our client is entitled under an offtake and sales agreement, (iv) its shareholding rights in the company which owns the refinery as well as (v) its rights and liability as a guarantor of the company towards the company’s lenders. The law of the Middle Eastern State applies to the first four disputes. The law of a European State applies to the fifth dispute. Over USD 500 million is globally at stake.
• A Middle Eastern subcontractor in a dispute with a contractor in relation to disputes under a subcontract relating to painting works for a major LNG project in the Middle East. The dispute centres around the rate applicable to the works relating to the removal of a specific type of paint and to the alleged delay in completing the subcontract works.
• A European energy company in a gas pricing arbitration under a major long term gas supply agreement. Over EUR 1 billion was at stake.
• A Middle Eastern national oil and gas company in three disputes (and associated negotiation) with a major international oil company relating, respectively, to the review of the price applicable under a long-term natural gas supply agreement, the correct invoicing procedure under that agreement, and the allocation of gas between the partners. The law of the Middle Eastern State applies. Over USD 2 billion is at stake.
• A national oil company in a dispute arising from the impact of shortfalls under a major upstream concession on the company’s own supply obligations under its long-term downstream sale agreement with the concession holder.
• A national oil company in a dispute with a foreign supplier in relation to the disruption of supply following the outbreak of a regional war.
• A State-owned entity in two disputes with two States arising from the performance of two long-term gas supply agreements. The law of the State-owned entity and international law applied.
• A natural gas seller in an ICC arbitration in Paris and in two CRCICA arbitrations in Cairo and Madrid initiated by a Spanish gas buyer. The arbitrations, which involved claims in excess of USD 4 billion, arose under a tolling agreement governed by English law and a related long-term gas supply agreement governed by Egyptian law. In a precedent-setting award on the English law of assignment, the ICC Tribunal dismissed the USD 300 million claim brought against our client. In another ground-breaking decision on the application of the ICSID Convention, the Madrid-seated Tribunal equally dismissed the entirety of the USD 3.6 billion claim brought against our client. Finally, in the Cairo-seated CRCICA arbitration, the Tribunal dismissed the USD 10 million claim brought against our client.
• A high net worth individual in an ICC arbitration in Geneva related to the dissolution of a long-standing family partnership. The law of a Gulf State applied. Billions of dollars were at stake.
• Two State-owned entities in a USD 6 billion ICC arbitration in Geneva and a USD 4 billion CRCICA arbitration in Cairo arising out of a long-term gas supply contract relating to the export of Egyptian gas to Israel. English law applied to both arbitrations. More than three quarters of the Claimants’ claims were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction or on the merits. Following these decisions, the parties reached a global settlement for less than five percent of the claim.
• Sportfive EMEA (formerly Lagardère Sports) and a European marketing agency, Claimants in an ICC arbitration in Geneva against the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The dispute arose from the termination by CAF of two exclusive media and marketing rights agreements, one of which guaranteed the CAF a minimum revenue of USD 1 billion. Swiss law applied.
• EGPC in enforcement proceedings before French courts to challenge attachments conducted by NATGAS pursuant to an arbitral award.
• The Dow Chemical Company in an ICC arbitration in London against Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) arising out of the failure of the latter to close a large joint venture transaction. English and Kuwaiti law applied. Dow was awarded more than USD 2.47 billion, the then largest commercial award ever rendered.
• A Middle Eastern company, Respondent in two ICC arbitrations in Paris initiated by a European bank. The dispute arose from the termination of a facility agreement granted by the Claimant for the construction and management of a high standard hospital in the Middle East, as well as from the guarantee relating to the construction agreement. French law applied.
• Two international construction contractors, Respondents in an ICC arbitration in London initiated by a Middle Eastern State-owned company. The dispute concerns the development of a world-class medical facility in the Middle East. The law of the Claimant’s State applies. Over USD 3.7 billion is at stake.
• A major fertilizer producer, Claimant in an ICC arbitration in London against an Asian conglomerate. The dispute arose from the breach of a sales contract. English law applied. The Arbitral Tribunal granted our client pre-award interest at the unprecedented rate of 8.5% and post-award interest at the rate of 8%.
• A development company in an ICC arbitration in Doha initiated by a contractor. The dispute arose from a major urban development project in Qatar. Qatari law applied.

Investment disputes

• The Republic of Tunisia, Respondent in an ICSID arbitration brought by two members of the Shell group under the UK-Tunisia bilateral investment treaty (ICSID Case No. ARB/26/14). The dispute arises from two gas concessions and involves claims in excess of USD 680 million.
• A Middle Eastern State in an UNCITRAL arbitration initiated by Middle Eastern investors involving claims in excess of USD 8 billion arising from the alleged expropriation and mistreatment of real estate investments.
• Advising a group of bondholders regarding liability and damages issues arising in a potential investment arbitration against a European State. The dispute relates to the write down of bonds issued by a major bank as a result of the State’s instruction. The write down allowed for the bank’s takeover by another international bank.
• A Middle Eastern State, Respondent in an UNCITRAL arbitration initiated by Middle Eastern investors. The dispute, which involves claims in excess of USD 34.8 billion, arises from the alleged expropriation and mistreatment of investments in seven real estate projects. The proceedings are administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
• The Arab Republic of Egypt, Respondent in an UNCITRAL arbitration initiated by four Middle Eastern investors in connection with the alleged violation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Agreement. The dispute arises from the alleged expropriation and mistreatment of investments in major commercial and touristic real estate projects in Egypt. USD 52 billion is at stake. We succeeded in obtaining the dismissal of claims totalling USD 30 billion with the remaining claims now being briefed by the parties on the merits.
• The Republic of Colombia, Respondent in an ICSID arbitration brought by Angel Samuel Seda and others (ICSID Case No. ARB/19/6). The dispute arose from allegations of expropriation of a real estate project seized in application of Colombia’s asset forfeiture law, and claims in excess of USD 300 million were brought under the 2012 Colombia-U.S. Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA). In a landmark victory for our client, the Tribunal dismissed all claims and found, for the first time in investment arbitration history, that the essential security interests clause in the TPA invoked by Colombia applied and protected Colombia’s measures designed to fight narcotraffic and money laundering.
• The Arab Republic of Egypt, Respondent in two parallel ICSID and UNCITRAL arbitrations arising from a concession for the distribution of natural gas in one of Egypt’s largest governorates. The Claimants sought USD 190 million in damages under the Canada-Egypt and Egypt-UAE bilateral investment treaties in respect of the annulment of a commercial arbitral award by the Egyptian courts, the alleged failure to protect the assets of the Claimants’ company during the Egyptian revolution of 2011, the non-extension of the concession to cover a new phase, and the subsequent termination of the entire concession. We succeeded in obtaining the full dismissal of all claims, some on jurisdictional grounds and the remaining claims on the merits.
• The Arab Republic of Egypt, Respondent in two investment arbitrations concerning alleged violations under the Egypt-Poland, Egypt-U.S. and the Egypt-Germany bilateral investment treaties relating to the performance of a long-term contract for the export of Egyptian natural gas to Israel. Around USD 2 billion was claimed. More than two thirds of the claims were dismissed on jurisdictional grounds and on the merits. Following these decisions, the parties reached a global settlement, under which all claims against our clients were waived without our clients being required to make any payment.
• Port operator Togo Terminal, Claimant in an ICSID arbitration brought against the Republic of Togo (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/16). The dispute related to a concession agreement.
• The Arab Republic of Egypt in an ICSID arbitration initiated by a Kuwaiti investor. The claim was brought under the Egypt-Kuwait bilateral investment treaty and arose in respect of the operation of a fertilizer plant and an associated long-term gas supply agreement.

ADVISORY WORK

• Advising a Middle Eastern national oil company on two loan transactions with a Middle Eastern bank, in the amount of USD 1 billion and USD 150 million respectively, which will be repaid using the proceeds of crude oil sales. The transactions are structured through two orphan special purpose vehicles (SPV).
• Advising a Middle Eastern national gas company on a transaction with a trader, in the amount of USD 200 million, for the sale of LNG for which the price is prepaid under a prepayment agreement.
• In view of shortfalls under import agreements entered into by a major oil company, reviewing and assessing all export agreements, including with several major IOCs, in order to minimise the quantities to be supplied under the export agreements and to use the available products for domestic consumption.
• Representing an energy company in (i) the negotiation and drafting of agreements/treaties for the import of gas produced in Eastern Mediterranean gas fields, its transportation through a network of marine pipelines to be created, its treatment and liquefaction and its export as LNG and (ii) the settlement of associated disputes between LNG buyers and the energy company.
• Advising a State-owned entity in the Arabian Gulf regarding their model agreements and their corporate structure.
• Representing and advising the Arab Republic of Egypt, EGAS and EGPC regarding the conception, negotiation, drafting and implementation of over forty agreements which settle all disputes with Union Fenosa Gas S.A. (UFG), Spanish Egyptian Gas Company S.A.E. (SEGAS), Eni S.p.A. (Eni) and Naturgy Energy Group, S.A. and ensured the resumption of production at the Damietta Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant owned by SEGAS. The negotiation of this transaction lasted for over two years and involved four different parties, in addition to affiliates of some of those parties. The transaction settled all disputes between the parties and allowed for the resumption of operations of the Damietta plant, which had been idle for nearly 10 years. It also (i) modified the shareholding structure of SEGAS (ii) modified the allocation of the LNG produced by the plant, and (iii) regulated the supply of gas from EGAS to Eni for the next 9 years.

Education

• Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne/Institut d’études politiques de Paris, Master 2 in Global Business Law
• Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, Master in International Business Law
• University of Cairo, Bachelor of Law
• Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, B.A. in Philosophy

Admissions & Courts

• Paris
• Cairo

Languages

• English
• Arabic
• French

Nationalities

• Egyptian
• French

• Lecturer on international investment law and arbitration, Sciences Po Law School
• Member, Society of Construction Law (Gulf)
• Member, LCIA Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)

• “Questioning of Expert Witnesses in International Arbitration,” Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy (FIAA) Workshop, Paris, 18–20 June 2026 (Faculty Member)
• “Off the Record: Real Practice Stories from Key Moments in Arbitration,” Paris Arbitration Week, 27 March 2026
• “Introduction à l’arbitrage en matière d’investissement,” Université Catholique de Lyon, 9 October 2024