Ifriqya Online Directory

2006- 2024 : Senior Legal Counsel – Cisco (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

• • Leader : Global Legal Learning & Development Team
  • Member of the Legal Global Strategy Team
  • Legal Lead for the Africa, Gulf and Middle-East region, with a special focus on local law matters, and complex Technology business models, including: Build-Operate-Transfer, Build-Integrate-Transfer, Transfer ownership- Build-Operate-Transfer, Public Private Partnerships, Payas-you-Grow, Revenue/Profit Sharing

2004 – 2006 : Associate, International Arbitration Department White & Case LLP (Paris, France)

• • Leading international, New York based law firm with expertise in international arbitration, litigation, international trade law…

2001 – 2004 : Associate, International Arbitration Department Coudert Brothers (Paris, France)

• • Coudert was a New York based law firm with offices around the globe, and was regularly ranked amongst the “highest grossing firms” … until 2005

Experience in International Arbitration

• Represented major international companies in oil & gas as well as in construction disputes, for instance:
  • Japanese company in negotiations with Yemeni public entities:attempts to settle a construction dispute amicably; negotiated and drafted a settlement agreement under Yemeni law
  • Two major petroleum arbitrations in Russia, involving obstruction of an acquisition through the use of pre-emption rights under Russian law (value ~US$ 600 million)
• Regularly advised major multinational oil & gas companies operating in Africa, and more particularly in the North African region (research, exploration, exploitation contracts)
• Worked on a big number of arbitrations (institutional (mainly ICC) and ad-hoc)
• Represented governments and multi-national companies in a number of arbitrations; for instance:
  • Worked on a construction arbitration related to a major project in Algeria (involving the liability of sub-contractors under Algerian law)
  • Represented a South-African company in a construction dispute in Libya (value ~US$ 1 billion)
  • Main associate lawyer representing an Asian government on a major arbitration related to suspected payment of commissions in two Asian countries and in Europe. Arbitration involved court proceedings in France and the Switzerland (value ~US$ 600 million)
• Assisted clients in proceedings before local courts (in connection with ongoing arbitrations):
  • litigation before the Algerian courts involving the freezing of a foreign operator’s assets in Algeria. US$ 1 million were at risk
  • a litigation before the Lebanese courts (civil and administrative courts)
  • supervised criminal and/or civil proceedings which took place in France, the United States, Switzerland and Luxembourg

• 2023 : Privacy Professional Certification
  IAPP Certification (International Association of Privacy Professionals) : Information Privacy Professional /Europe (CIPP/E)
• 2022 : Mediation Accredication
  CEDR Accredited Mediator (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution)
• 2015-2019 : Coaching Certifications & Qualifications
  • Cisco TMBC certification : Strength Coaching & Standout Debriefing
  • ORSC Qualification : Team Coaching (Organization & Relationship Systems Coaching Institute)
  • Certification in co-facilitation : “Alchemy, the Art & Science of CoFacilitation”
  • CTI Qualification & Certification (“Coaching Training Institute”)-HOGAN Certification
• Bar Exams & Titles
  2012: Paris Court of Appeal
  2001: Tunis Court of Appeal
• Post-Master’s Degrees (“DEAs”)
  1996: Comparative Law (Cum Laude) ; 1995: Public International Law (First in class) : Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France
• Master’s in law
  1991-1995: Tunis Law University: Faculté des Sciences Juridiques,
  Politiques et Sociales, Graduated with distinction
• Baccalauréat (Literature)
  1991: Presidential Prize, First prize nationwide

• Lawyer with substantial experience in international arbitration and complex technology (IT) transactions across various legal systems and cultures.
• CEDR Accredited Mediator.
• IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional /Europe (CIPP/E).
• Qualified to practice as a lawyer with the Tunis & the Paris Courts of Appeals.
• Coach : CTI Certified, ORSC Qualified, HOGAN Certified.
• Member of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC-ICA) since 2018.
• Served as the Director of the ICC YAF (Young Arbitrators’ Forum) for the Middle-Easter Chapter for three years.
• Legal Learning & Development Professional.
• Regularly speak at and organize seminars and conferences on international arbitration.
• Led numerous face-to-face negotiations in technology and oil & gas transactions in (mainly) the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland.
• Was a Board Member of the (now) “Association of Corporate Counsel – Middle East Chapter” (ACC-ME).

• Speaker, panelist, at conferences and summits on International Arbitration. Member of the organizing committee for events highlighted in blue :
  • “ICC Arbitration and ADR Commission Report on Leveraging Technology for Fair, Effective and Efficient International Arbitration Proceedings”, was a speaker at the webinar organized by the ICC on February 18, 2022 and a have been a member of the ICC Working Group on the Report: *The Report is available here: https://iccwbo.org/media-wall/news-speeches/icc-launches-newreport-reflecting-how-tech-is-changing-the-face-of-arbitration
  • “Resilient, Flexible, Agile: Our 4.0 approach to Dispute Resolution”, 12th World Chambers Congress, Dubai, November 23, 2021
  • “Confidentiality during arbitration”, a webinar organized by the WIPO, November 9th, 2021
  • “Arbitration & trade secrets”, a webinar organized by the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (SVAMC) during the Paris Arbitration Week, September 23, 2021
  • “Valedictory Session with Sami Houerbi”, interviewed Mr. Houerbi at the 9th ICC-MENA (Middle East & Africa), February 24, 2021, the video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kie6wjYbK4k&t=1313s
  • “International arbitration in a post-COVID world”, a webinar organized by Kings Chambers & Freshfields, June 18, 2020
  • “La virtualisation accélérée de l’arbitrage internationale : une chance pour l’Afrique”, webinar organized by the ICC and Lexis Nexus, June 16, 2020
  • “Avocats & juristes d’entreprise: principaux défis et quelques clés de réussite”, Sole speaker invited to a webinar organized by Legal Doctrine, May 31, 2020
  • “Regards croisés sur la métier de Juriste d’entreprise”, Panel Moderator on a webinar organized by the Association of Corporate Counsel – Middle East Chapter, September 20, 2020
  • Panel Moderator of a session on “Artificial intelligence in international arbitration”, 5th Annual GAR Live Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, January 28, 2021
  • “Emergency proceedings in international arbitration”, Dubai & MENA – 7th International Arbitration & Corporate Crime Summit, Dubai, January 22, 2020
  • Participated to a training on “Drafting Enforceable Awards” with the ICC Advanced Training Institute, Abu Dhabi, October 24, 2019
  • “The Arbitrator as a Facilitator?”, speaker and member of the Organizing Committee, the ICC Conference “Journée Maghrébine de l’Arbitrage”, Tunis, June 14, 2019
  • “The future of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms”, 2nd International Litigation Legal Conference by The International Legal Council, Dubai, March 26, 2019
  • Member of the Organizing Committee of the 7th ICC MENA Conference, Abu Dhabi, March 3-5, 2019
  • “Arbitrators’ role as settlement facilitators”, ICC Institute of World Business Law, Abu Dhabi, March 3, 2019
  • “Conflicts of interest and disclosures in international arbitration”, Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Live Conference, Abu Dhabi, February 5, 2019
  • “Tips & Tricks on how to run an ICC arbitration”, ICC Conference, Amman, January 16, 2019
  • “Challenges for Arab legal counsel in arbitration proceedings”, ICC Conference, Beirut, September 21, 2018
  • “Bonds and guarantees”, Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Live Conference, Abu Dhabi, February 7, 2018
  • “Corporate in-house ODR policies and practices”, ICC Conference on Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Equal Access to Information and Justice Online Dispute Resolution, Paris, June 12-13, 2017
  • “Practicing Contracts in the Gulf States”, training delivered with the ICC Institute (Training level 1 on International Contracts), June 2, 2016, Paris
  • Speaker at the Conference for Saudi Lawyers organized by the Saudi Training Institute, and sponsored by, amongst others, the DIFC Courts and the ICC, Dubai, September 2014
  • “Role of in-house counsel in international arbitration”, 4th ICC MENA Conference, Dubai, April 2014
  • Organizer, Moderator and Panelist of several ICC Young Arbitrators’ Forum (YAF) seminars in Dubai (UAE): 2009; Beirut (Lebanon): 2009; Manama (Bahrain): 2010
  • “The Relevance of international arbitration to in-house counsel”, Dubai Lawyers’ Conference, October 2009
  • “Arbitration, a contract?”, ICC Conference, Tunis, May 2007
• Speaker at conferences on Compliance and Commercial Negotiation skills:
  • “Expectations and demands from the stakeholders: Are you meeting your stakeholder’s expectations”, a panelist on the Asian Legal Business (ALB” In-House Legal Summit 2019, Dubai, October 22, 2019
  • “Why is risk assessment getting so much attention?”, GOAL’s Global Legal ConfEx Dubai, October 2015
  • “Privilege – Understanding your position in an International Business Environment”, Legal Week Forum, Dubai, May 2015
  • “Anti-bribery Regulatory Developments” matters in the Middle East, organized by TRACE, Dubai, June 12, 2013
  • The Dubai Summit on “Minimizing bribery risks in the Middle East and implementing an effective and risk-based global compliance program”, organized by the American Conference Institute, Dubai, February 2013
  • The Dubai IBA Conference 2011 –invited by the Telecom Commission
  • “Identifying who is a Government Official”, the Abu Dhabi AntiCorruption Summit, organized by the American Conference Institute (“ACI”), Abu Dhabi, December 2010
  • “Assessing the regulatory enforcement action towards bribery and corruption: Middle East perspective”, Dubai, November 2010
  • “Building anti-bribery and ethics awareness: devising and implementing effective training programs”, The Dubai Summit on Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Compliance, organized by the American Conference Institute (ACI), Dubai, October 2009

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