Alexandre de Gramont

Alexandre de Gramont focuses his practice on international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration across a range of industries, arising from nearly every corner of the globe. He also handles related litigation matters in the trial and appellate courts of the United States. He has been recognized as a leading international arbitration lawyer in publications such as Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration, The Best Lawyers in America, Washington, D.C.’s Best Lawyers, and Benchmark Litigation. Mr. de Gramont is Chambers-ranked both for his work in international arbitration and for enforcement matters.

Clients and peers have consistently praised Mr. de Gramont for his trial and advocacy skills as well as his substantive expertise. He is described as “an outstanding trial advocate, whose oral advocacy skills are very, very good.” (Chambers USA 2019). He “is a great cross-examiner and has a superb legal mind.” (Chambers USA 2022). He is “characterized as ‘a great debater and a very good writer’ by clients.” (Chambers USA 2020). He “is considered to be a ‘very good speaker who can create a very forceful argument,” and “garners considerable praise for his investor-State expertise.” (Chambers Global 2013).

Clients and peers have also commended his broad experience, case management skills, and dedication to matters. “He’s an excellent strategist in complex dispute resolution.” (Chambers USA 2022). “He is an example of how to best serve a client.” (Chambers USA 2021). He “is regarded as ‘really smart, sensible and experienced’ by market commentators.” (Chambers USA 2020). He has been “lauded as a ‘terrific practitioner,’ whose clients appreciate his varied experience of arbitrations in different jurisdictions, in addition to his ‘ability to maintain good time management.’” (Chambers USA 2015).

Mr. de Gramont’s industry experience includes energy, mining, life sciences, hospitality, financial services, and Internet governance. He has extensive experience in disputes arising from investments and transactions in multiple jurisdictions, including in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Central, North, and South America.

He has handled cases in many of the world’s leading arbitration institutions, and under its leading rules, including the AAA, ICC, ICDR, ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, PCA, SCC, CPR, and JAMS. In addition to handling disputes under international and domestic contracts, Mr. de Gramont has extensive experience with disputes arising under bilateral investment treaties (BITs); multi-lateral treaties and free-trade agreements (such as the Energy Charter Treaty, NAFTA, and CAFTA-DR); and foreign investment laws. He has also successfully represented clients in top-level domain disputes against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Mr. de Gramont is a co-author of The International Arbitration Rulebook: A Guide to Arbitral Regimes (Kluwer 2019), as well as numerous articles and book chapters on international arbitration topics. He frequently lectures on such matters and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught investor-state arbitration. He has also taught courses sponsored by the United Nations on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Law Institute (ILI) in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

In addition to his published work on legal topics, Mr. de Gramont is the editor and translator of a volume of Albert Camus’s war- time journalism (“Between Hell and Reason: Essays from the French Resistance Newspaper”, Combat, 1944-1947, University Press of New England).

Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. de Gramont served as a partner in the international arbitration practice of another international law firm.

MOL Oil and Gas Plc against the Republic of Croatia in an arbitration brought at ICSID under the Energy Charter Treaty, as well as a related arbitration brought by Croatia under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Hungary in an arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules brought by one of the world’s largest energy companies under the Energy Charter Treaty.
A Canadian gold mining company in an ICSID arbitration against El Salvador in one of the first cases brought under CAFTA-DR and El Salvador’s Foreign Investment Law.
A Canadian uranium mining company against Mongolia in an UNCITRAL arbitration brought under the Energy Charter Treaty, Mongolia’s Foreign Investment Law, and an Investment Agreement.
An international mining company in an investment dispute with a government in sub-Saharan Africa.
Republic of Bolivia in an ICSID arbitration with a subsidiary of an international consortium involving a water concession under the Netherlands-Bolivia bilateral investment treaty.
A California import-export business in an ad hoc arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules brought against the Republic of Georgia under the U.S.-Georgia bilateral investment treaty.
ICM Registry in an ICDR arbitration against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers arising from ICM’s application for a registry agreement for the .XXX top level domain.
Employ Media in an ICC arbitration against ICANN arising from Employ Media’s registry agreement for the JOBS top level domain.
A Russian airline in an ICC arbitration against a U.S. supplier.
A Russian airline in an LCIA arbitration arising from an aircraft leasing agreement.
An U.S. hotel management company in an ICC arbitration involving a hotel in Beirut.
A US oil and gas supply company in an ICC arbitration against its former distributor in South America.
A Swiss pharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration concerning a dispute over a patent licensing agreement.
A US pharmaceutical company in a CPR arbitration against its contract manufacturing organization (“CMO”).
A US trustee in a JAMS arbitration arising out of net profit interests in oil and gas fields in the southeastern United States.

Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm.

Investment Arbitration and Environmental Protection: Who Will Blink first? — African Arbitration Experience: Expectations for the Future, 2nd NCIA Arbitration & ADR Conference, Mombasa, Kenya (March 6, 2020)
Evidence in International Arbitration — Africa Legal Network Academy, Mombasa, Kenya (March 4, 2020)
The Indelible Stain of Corruption in the International Legal Landscape: Views From Litigation, Arbitration, and Transactions — iLaw2020 The ILS Global Forum on International Law, Miami, FL (February 28, 2020)
Achmea’s Aftermath: Jurisdictional Objections, Enforcement Actions, and the Fate of Intra-EU BITs — Washington, D.C. (February 18, 2020)
Radical Proposals for Dispute Resolution: An Efficiency Revolution — 14th ICC New York Conference, New York, NY (October 4, 2019)
Recent Developments in International Arbitration — Moscow (October 5, 2018)
EMTA Special Seminar: Recent Developments in Emerging Markets Arbitrations — (September 26, 2018)
Confronting Corruption Claims in International Business Disputes —Association of Corporate Counsel, New York, NY (June 20, 2018)
Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) Prevention and Management — APEC Workshop, Washington D.C. (October 3, 2017)
Business Skills Institute | Corporate Counsel University — CLE Seminar Presented by the Greater Philadelphia ACC, Philadelphia, PA (September 19, 2017)
Speaker, “Choosing Arbitration and International Arbitration for the Resolution of Business Disputes” — a panel on how best to ensure that the goals for which parties choose arbitration are actually achieved.
Game theory: How do the Incentives, Processes, and Psychology of ISDS Affect Damages Outcomes? — Fifth Annual Damages in International Arbitration Conference, Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2016)
EMTA Special Seminar: Arbitration in the Emerging Markets— London (January 29, 2016)

Supreme Court of New Jersey, Honorable Alan B. Handler

Alexandre de Gramont

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