Alia El Sadda

Lawyers

Associate
Paris

aelsadda@gbsdisputes.com
+33 1 79 35 90 46

Alia El-Sadda is an associate at Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes.

Alia represents and advises companies, States and State-owned entities in commercial and investment treaty disputes. She has acted in arbitrations conducted under the ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID and CRCICA Rules, with a focus on energy disputes and disputes involving interests in the Middle East and Africa.

Alia was previously a member of Shearman & Sterling’s international arbitration team, where she practiced for six years. Her prior experience also includes working as a deputy legal counsel at the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, where she administered cases with a nexus to the Middle East and East Mediterranean region.

Alia is or was part of the team representing:

Commercial Arbitrations

An African company in an ICC arbitration in Paris brought by a European contractor in relation to a gas plant project. The law of our client’s State applies.
An international joint venture, Claimant in an ICC arbitration in Geneva brought against North Asian contractors. The dispute arose from an agreement for the construction of a fertilizer plant in an African State. The law of the African State applied. Over USD 1.6 billion was at stake.
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.
An African petrochemical company in an ICC arbitration with a North American company. The dispute arose from a Marketing and Off-Take Agreement governed by English law. Over USD 170 million was 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 5 percent of the claim.

Investment arbitrations

A State as Respondent in an arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules, administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, in relation to a petrochemical plant. Over USD 2 billion was at stake. A settlement for less than ten percent of the claim was achieved.
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.

Advisory

Advising a mining company affiliated to a prominent sovereign wealth fund in relation to a multi-billion-dollar refinery project in Africa. This high-stakes engagement involved navigating complex legal issues common in mining disputes, including tax and customs regimes, reassessments of royalties, stabilization clauses, and economic equilibrium clauses.
Advising a State-owned entity in the Arabian Gulf regarding their model agreements and their corporate structure.
Advising a national oil company on its restructuring and the restructuring of its affiliates in order to minimise the risk of attribution of the national oil company’s conduct to the parent State.

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Alia El Sadda

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