Chloé Vialard is an associate in the International Arbitration practice.

Chloé has experience advising and representing companies and State-owned entities in international arbitrations conducted under the rules of various arbitral institutions, with a focus on Asian and African matters. She also advises clients in enforcement and annulment proceedings before French courts. She is an accredited mediator at the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI).

Chloé also serves as Head of Strategic Partnerships for the International Arbitration practice globally, to develop collaborations with clients and other regional and international organizations. Chloé has developed partnerships focusing on social responsibility and environmental sustainability, including projects on gender equality, human rights and climate change.

Chloé spearheads various initiatives aimed at supporting gender equality and women’s rights, including Shearman & Sterling’s partnership with the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society. She was a core member and co-coordinator of a team advising the Women’s Forum to prepare public policy proposals to promote and support women's entrepreneurship, in the context of the 2020 G7 Summit. Chloé also co-created Shearman#Elles, a group established to promote equality and contribute to women and girls' empowerment. The group was awarded the Grand Prize for Professional Equality by the Paris Bar in 2019.

Chloé is a member of Shearman & Sterling’s Human Rights at Sea Arbitration team. A collaboration between Shearman & Sterling and UK-based charity Human Rights at Sea, this innovative project seeks to develop a system for the arbitration of complaints concerning human rights abuses at sea.

Chloé also founded and co-leads Shearman & Sterling’s Sustainability Working Group in Singapore. The group promotes selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through of pro bono, public policy and corporate social responsibility work. In 2020, Shearman & Sterling ’s Singapore’s Sustainability Working Group received the “Champion of Good” award from the Singapore National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (see Channel News Asia’s coverage on Shearman & Sterling here).

In September 2018, Chloé Vialard transferred to our team in Singapore after having practiced at our Paris office since 2014.

International arbitrations on which Chloé Vialard has worked include the representation of:  

• An international company in proceedings initiated before the Paris Court of Appeal to seek the annulment of an award rendered in an ICC arbitration. The underlying dispute arose out of the performance of a joint-venture and license agreement.
• Sonatrach, Respondent in an ICC arbitration in Geneva brought by Saipem SpA and Saipem Contracting Algérie SpA. The dispute arose from a contract for the construction of gas liquefaction facilities. Over €2.6 billion was at stake. Algerian law applied.
• A North African company, Respondent in an ICC arbitration in Geneva initiated by an Iberian contractor. The dispute related to a major infrastructure project in North Africa. The law of the Respondent’s State applied.
• The African subsidiary of a European energy company in an ICC arbitration in Paris against an African State. The dispute related to local tax claims.
• A European construction company in proceedings before French courts to set aside a partial award rendered by an ICC Arbitral Tribunal on the grounds of lack of independence and impartiality on the part of the Chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal.

Professional Affiliations

• Member of the Board of Directors, French Chamber of Commerce Singapore
• Member, “Paris-Singapore” international Commission of the Paris Bar and Law Society of Singapore
• Co-president, Women in Business, French Chamber of Commerce Singapore (2019–Present)
• Member, Sustainability & Responsibility Club, French Chamber of Commerce Singapore (2019–Present)
• Steering Committee, Paris Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (PVYAP) (2015–18)
• Steering Committee, Young Arbitrators’ Match (YAM) (2015–18)
• Member, ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF)
• Member, LCIA Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
• Member, Young Singapore international Arbitration Center (YSIAC)
• Member, HK45

Pro bono and corporate social responsibility

• Co-initiator and volunteer lawyer at the Support Centre for women victims of violence among the French community in Singapore, a first-of-a-kind multi-jurisdictional pro bono partnership between the Paris Bar, the Law Society of Singapore and the Embassy of France in Singapore.
• Member of the team of volunteers, trained by AIDHA, that run financial literacy workshops to women victims of family violence residents at Star Shelter of the Singapore Council Women’s Organisations (SCWO). The firm’s partnership (private/public/NGO) with Star Shelter and AIDHA has been shortlisted for the FT Innovative Lawyers Asia-Pacific Awards in the “Social Justice” category (2021 – Present)
• Member of Shearman & Sterling’s Human Rights at Sea Arbitration team. A collaboration between Shearman & Sterling and UK-based charity Human Rights at Sea, this innovative project seeks to develop a system for the arbitration of complaints concerning human rights abuses at sea (2021 – Present)
• Member of the team advising the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in the preparation of public policy proposals to promote and support women's entrepreneurship in the private and public supply chains, in the context of the G7 Summit (2020)
• Member of the team advising WEConnect International, a global network that connects women-owned businesses to member buyers around the world, on the promotion of women-owned businesses in supply chain under French law and EU law (2020)
• Member of the team advising the Public International Law & Policy Group on Best Practices for Local Civil Society Organisations' Engagement in the context of the violence against the Rohingya population in Myanmar (2019)
• Participation in various mentorship programs for under-privileged youth in Singapore (in partnership with YMCA) and in France (for students of a middle school in Seine-Saint-Denis) (2018 - Present)
• Member of the team that organized a special event in Paris to raise awareness on the “Girl Rising” campaign for girls’ education and empowerment around the world. Shearman & Sterling is a partner of Girl Rising (2018)
• Member of the team of volunteers for the Singapore Asia Regional Women's Forum (2018)

Publications

• Research Assistant, New York Convention Guide Project (www.newyorkconvention1958.org)
• Rapporteur, Singapore Ministry of Law, United Nations’ Mediation Convention, Signing Ceremony (2019)
• “Women initiatives in their workplace, Shearman & Sterling’s engagement for professional equality and diversity”, ArbitralWomen Newsletter (June 2019)
• The Arbitration Paradox: moralizing parties’ power to choose arbitrators, Versailles International Arbitration & Business Law Review No. 2, at 19 (2011)

Trainings

• Dedicated trainings in France, Singapore and the United Kingdom to support women victims of violence (2020)
• INSEAD Corporate Gender Diversity Programme and Certification (2019)

Speaking Engagements

• Moderator, “Inspirational Women Leader Series,” French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, 2022
• Moderator, “Board Focus Series: Unpacking the S risks in ESG,” SICC - Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, webinar, 5 April 2022
• Moderator, “Domestic Violence and the Workplace: developing a company response,” French Chamber Singapore, 16 February 2022
• Debater, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb), Singapore (2019)
• Lecturer (Arbitration), Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas, Magistère de Juriste d’Affaires (2016-18)