Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes

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.