Coralie Darrigade is a partner in the International Arbitration practice.

She has represented companies, States and State-owned entities in numerous investor-State and commercial arbitrations, under the Rules of the ICC, SCC, and ICSID as well as in ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules, with a strong focus on construction, energy, business combination and general commercial disputes across a broad range of industries.

Coralie features in Who’s Who Legal: France 2019, which notes that she “elicits praise as ‘a great name’ in the market. Her practice is geared towards representing public and private sector clients in investor-state and commercial arbitrations.” She is also recognized as a “leading individual” in The Legal 500: Algeria – Foreign Firms 2019. 

• Lagardère Sports, Claimant in an ICC arbitration in Geneva against the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The dispute arises from the termination by CAF of a $1 billion exclusive television and marketing rights agreement. Swiss law applies.
• An international joint venture and an African energy company, Respondents in an ICC arbitration in Geneva brought by North Asian contractors. The dispute relates to a settlement agreement entered into following a dispute arising from an EPC contract for the construction of a $3 billion fertilizer plant in an African State. The law of the African State applies.
• The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Respondent in an ICSID arbitration initiated by Société des Parcs d’Alger and Emirates International Investment Company LLC (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/11). The dispute arises from a contract for the development of a $5 billion urban park project.
• A European company in the renewable energy sector and its subsidiaries, Claimants in a multi-contract ICC arbitration in Paris against a European contractor and its French subsidiary. The dispute relates to alleged defects in the equipment delivered by the Respondents. French law 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 $1.6 billion was at stake.
• Sonatrach, Respondent in an ICC arbitration in Paris initiated by Saipem SpA and Saipem Contracting Algérie SpA. The dispute arose from an agreement for the construction of an oil & gas production facility in North Africa. Algerian law applied. Over $1 billion was at stake.
• EDF International, Respondent in an ICC arbitration in Zurich initiated by a company fully-owned by the German Land of Baden-Württemberg. The dispute arose from the acquisition by the Land of EDF’s stake in an energy company based in the Land of Baden-Württemberg and raised complex issues of EU law. German law applied.
• A European energy company, seller in a long-term gas supply agreement, Respondent in a gas price review arbitration brought by another European energy company (as buyer). Algerian law applied. Over $1.3 billion was at stake.
• The Republic of Lithuania, Claimant in an SCC arbitration in Stockholm against Gazprom in relation to Gazprom’s obligations to supply gas based on fair prices under the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement between Lithuania and Gazprom as well as Gazprom’s breaches of its obligations under the Shareholders’ Agreement, resulting in overpayments in excess of €1.54 billion.
• SAUR International, a leading French service management company in the field of water, energy and cleanliness, Claimant in an ICSID arbitration against the Argentine Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/04/4). The dispute arose out of violations by Argentina of investment treaty obligations owed to our client in relation to a water and sewer services concession in Argentina. The Tribunal held that Argentina had expropriated SAUR’s investment in the concession without compensation, awarded our client $59 million and entered a significant costs award in favor of the Claimant. We also successfully represented SAUR International in proceedings initiated by the Argentine Republic before an ICSID Ad hoc Committee to seek the annulment of the award obtained by our client.
• The Latin American subsidiary of a European retailer, Respondent in an ICC arbitration in Paris initiated by a Latin American company. The dispute related to an acquisition of equity interests in a company incorporated in Latin America. Brazilian law applied.
• The Republic of Lithuania in arbitration proceedings commenced by Russian State-owned gas company Gazprom in relation to Lithuania’s unbundling of gas transmission from gas production and supply in the Lithuanian gas distribution company Lietuvos Dujos, in compliance with the EU Third Energy Package and in particular Directive (EC) 2009/73. The proceedings were brought under the 1999 Russia-Lithuania BIT and were conducted under the 1976 UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
• The majority shareholders in the former Yukos Oil Company, Claimants in a series of three UNCITRAL arbitrations in The Hague against the Russian Federation in relation to the expropriation of their investment in the company. The claims were brought under the Energy Charter Treaty. In an Interim Award, the Arbitral Tribunal decided that it had jurisdiction over the dispute and that the claims were admissible. The Tribunal ordered the Respondent to reimburse to our clients 75% of the legal fees they had incurred in these proceedings, as well as 100% of the arbitration costs.
• A major European retail group in two ICC arbitrations in São Paulo against its Brazilian joint venture partner. The dispute related to the control of Brazil’s largest retailer. Brazilian law applied.
• Three European chemical companies in four ICC arbitrations in Paris and Geneva against European subsidiaries of a large North American chemical concern. The disputes arose from a joint venture agreement formed to manufacture a product used for the production of nylon, as well as from a related confidentiality agreement and the resulting settlement agreement entered by the parties to settle a previous dispute. French and Swiss laws applied and the language of the arbitrations was both French and English.
• Sonatrach in a UNCITRAL arbitration in Geneva against Repsol and Gas Natural. The dispute arose from delays in the completion of an integrated project including the development of existing gas fields, the construction of a liquefaction gas plant and upstream facilities, and the commercialization of the liquefied gas. Algerian law applied.

Professional Affiliations

• Member, ICC Task Force on Emergency Arbitrator Proceedings
• Member, International Arbitration Institute (IAI)
• Member, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
• Lecturer, International Arbitration Writing Workshop, Sciences Po (2012–16)
• Lecturer (International Arbitration), Montpellier University (2010–11, 2014–)
• Lecturer (International Arbitration), Paris Bar School (EFB) (2014–16)

Publications

• “France,” in Practitioner’s Handbook On International Arbitration 450 (F.-B. Weigand and A. Baumann eds., OUP, 2019) (with E. Gaillard)
• “L’arbitrage dans le secteur des énergies renouvelables,” Magazine des Affaires No. 126, at 60 (2017)
• “Arbitrage et opérations de fusions et acquisitions,” Magazine des Affaires, Guide du CAC-40, Edition 2015
• “États-Unis: La sentence annulée dans son pays d’origine, approche américaine,” note following District Court Southern District of New York, 27 Aug. 2013, 2015 (1) Revue de l’arbitrage 183
• “Improving Arbitration Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes,” New York Law Journal, 9 Feb. 2005 (with E. Gaillard)

Speaking Engagements

• “La notion de partie faible,” Ordre des Avocats de Paris and European Court of Arbitration Colloquium, La protection de la partie faible et de la partie impécunieuse dans l’arbitrage, Paris, 18 December 2019
• “Provisional Measures in International Arbitration,” conference organised by Queen Mary University of London and the RDAI/IBLJ during Paris Arbitration Week, Paris, 4 April 2019
• “Multi-Jurisdictional Perspectives on Arbitration: Brazilian Domestic & International Arbitration in the Americas, Continental Europe and the UK,” CPR Brazil Congress 2018 : Business Dispute Management – Reflections on Innovation, São Paulo, 23 April 2018
• “Conflicting Supranational Obligations: The Complex Web of State Liability,” Columbia Arbitration Day 2017, New York, 3 March 2017
• “Le droit applicable : le droit inappliqué ?, ” Wake up (with) Arbitration ! Roundtable, Paris, 7 December 2016
• “La résolution des litiges dans le secteur de la construction,” 4^èmes Journées maghrébines de l’arbitrage: L’Algérie – Acteur majeur de l’arbitrage international, Algiers, 7 November 2016
• “Résolution des litiges, Regards croisés franco-algériens,” Campus Alger 2015, Ordre des Avocats de Paris Conference, Algiers, 8-9 November 2015
• “Limits to regulation” (Panel on Culture, soft law and ethics in international dispute resolution), International Dispute Resolution: Diversity Towards Convergence? ICC International Court of Arbitration and Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University Joint Conference, Krakow, Poland, 15-16 October 2015
• “Résolution des litiges : juridiction et arbitrage, regards croisés,” Campus Brésil 2014, Ordre des Avocats de Paris Conference, Rio de Janeiro, 10-11 November 2014