Nadia Darwazeh

Full Profile

Nadia Darwazeh is a Managing Partner and Head of Arbitration in the Paris office of Clyde & Co. Nadia has 25 years of experience acting as counsel and sitting as arbitrator in commercial and investor-state arbitrations covering numerous applicable laws and seats of arbitration. 

Nadia's experience spans the commercial spectrum, including the construction, telecoms, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, energy and natural resources, metals, hotels, and luxury. She regularly handles disputes arising out of M&A transactions, joint venture, shareholder and distribution agreements, as well as investment treaties. Nadia has particular expertise in Asia and French-speaking Africa.

Before joining Clyde & Co, Nadia practiced in the international arbitration groups of leading international law firms based in Paris, Frankfurt and London. She also spent five years in Shanghai, where she acted as counsel in disputes under the major regional arbitration rules including SIAC, HKIAC and CIETAC. Nadia also has deep ICC expertise, having led the Europe, Middle East, Africa team at the ICC for a period of three years, during which she oversaw more than 400 ICC arbitrations.

Nadia is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and the ICC Taskforce on Addressing Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration. She is co-chair of Delos’ Remote Oral Advocacy Programme for construction and vice-president of the UIA Commission on the Future of the Lawyer.

Nadia is dual-qualified in England & Wales (Solicitor-Advocate) and Germany (Francfort - Rechtsanwältin) enabling her to represent clients in both civil and common law disputes. She earned her LLM in International Public Law from the University of Cambridge and her LLB from the University of Warwick. 

Nadia has received several accolades for her work in international arbitration and public international law. In 2022, she was awarded the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA) Prize for Advocacy in International Commercial Arbitration, a prestigious prize awarded every two years to a chosen individual with “exceptional talents in advocacy”. She has been recognised by Legal 500, Legal 500 - Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist,  Chambers and Partners, Who’s Who Legal Arbitration: Thought Leaders, and by Best Lawyers in France™.

Clients have described Nadia as “innovative, pragmatic and a true leader”, “a real strategist” and “a very strong cross-examiner,” praising that she is “business-minded and sees the bigger picture, which is great from a client perspective” (Chambers and Partners) and that she is an “incredibly articulate, clear and compelling arbitrator” (Who’s Who Legal). 

Nadia conducts arbitrations in French, German and English, speaks Mandarin Chinese and Dutch, and has basic knowledge of Arabic and Italian. Nadia is a German and Dutch national.

Experience

Selected experience as counsel

Arbitration

• Defending a French chemical company in a post-M&A ICC arbitration
• Representing a US multinational in a post-M&A arbitration under the HKIAC rules
• Representing an African government in an ICSID arbitration relating to the alleged expropriation of an online platform to help fund community projects
• Representing an African government in an ICSID arbitration and ICSID annulment proceedings relating to the restructuring of the Commercial Bank of Cameroon
• Representing an Asian State-owned entity in an UNCITRAL arbitration in the renewables sector
• Representing a mining company operating in Africa in an ICC Arbitration
• Representing a South-East Asian State-owned company in an ICC arbitration in the construction sector
• Representing a European government in an ICC emergency arbitration arising out a concession agreement in the healthcare sector
• Acting for a West-African company in an OHADA arbitration against a bank relating to letters of guarantee
• Representing a German company in a SIAC arbitration related to a joint venture agreement dispute
• Representing a US pharmaceutical company in a dispute conducted under the DIS arbitration rules relating to a pharmaceutical licensing and distribution agreement

Proceedings before state tribunals

• Representing an East-African state-owned company in set-aside proceedings before the French Courts (Cour d’Appel de Paris)
• Representing a Spanish natural resources company in enforcement proceedings in North Africa

Selected experience as arbitrator

• President of the Tribunal in an ICC arbitration arising out of an offshore oil and gas project in sub-Saharan Africa
• Co-arbitrator in an ad hoc arbitration in the entertainment sector
• President of the Tribunal in a post-M&A arbitration in the financial sector
• President of the Tribunal in an ICC arbitration arising out of the termination of a license and supply agreement in the pharmaceuticals sector
• Co-arbitrator in an ICC dispute relating to a distribution agreement concerning medical equipment in the Middle East
• Sole arbitrator in a Swiss Arbitration Centre arbitration arising out of a distribution agreement in the luxury goods sector in Asia
• President of the Tribunal in an ICC dispute relating to the distribution of foodstuffs in Turkey
• President of the Tribunal in an ICC dispute relating to the acquisition of a telecoms company in sub-Saharan Africa
• Co-arbitrator in two ICC disputes relating to the supply of oil and gas products in sub-Saharan Africa
• Sole Arbitrator in an LCIA dispute relating to the construction of a methanol fuel plant
   

Publications

• Co-author of chapter "Fees and Costs in International Arbitration" The MENA Leading Arbitrators' Guide to International Arbitration, Juris Legal Information - 2023.
• “A law firm’s failure to comply with the exact terms of an attorney-client fee arrangement may result in the law firm not recovering its fees, even if such fees are undisputed (Bernard Taillan France v M [H] [D])”, LexisNexis UK - 2023.
• “Seven commandments to tackle corruption”, Global Arbitration review - 2023.
• “How close is too close? Paris Court of Appeal sets aside arbitral award due to an arbitrator’s failure to disclose a “close personal relationship” with counsel”, Clyde Co, Lexology - 2023.
• Co-author “International Arbitration Comparative Guide – France”, Legal 500 - 2022.
• “From Paris with Love or How the French Courts Fight International Arbitral Awards Tainted by Corruption and Money Laundering”, Festschrift für Herbert Kronke: ‘National, International, Transnational: Harmonischer Dreiklang im Recht’, Giesking Verlag - 2020.
• “The more the merrier or how different arbitral institutions tackle multi-party and multi-contract disputes,” Liber Amicorum Cepani 50 Years - 2019.
• “Navigating Through Corruption and Money Laundering in International Arbitration: A Toolkit for Arbitrators and Counsel,” Journal of International Arbitration, 36(2) - 2019.
• “Is Efficiency an Arbitrator’s Duty or Simply a Trait of Character?,” Liber Amicorum for Pierre Karrer, Wolters Kluwer - 2017.
• “Les Mesures Provisoires et Conservatoires sous l’angle du Contradictoire,” Le Principe du Contradictoire en Arbitrage - 2016.
• “Disclosure and Security for Costs or How to Address Imbalances Created by Third-Party Funding,” Journal of International Arbitration, 33(2) - 2016.
• “No One’s Credit Is As Good As Cash: Awards and Orders for the Payment of the ICC Advance on Costs,” Journal of International Arbitration, 31(5) - 2014.
• “ICC arbitration in China or 'to know the road ahead, ask those coming back'” Concerto Arbitral en Trois Mouvements pour Pierre Tercier - 2013.
• “Clues to Construing the New French Arbitration Law: An ICC Perspective on Procedural Efficiency, Good Faith and Independence” Journal of International Arbitration, 28(4) - 2011.
• “Joint Nominations in Multi-Party Arbitration: The Exercise of the ICC Court’s Discretionary Power to Appoint the Entire Arbitral Tribunal Post-Dutco,” ICC Bulletin, 23(1) - 2012.
• “Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: A Global Commentary on the New York Convention,” commentary on Article V(1)(e), Kluwer Law International - 2010.