Charles Nairac concentrates on international arbitration, with a focus on the construction and energy industries. He has been involved in international commercial and investment arbitrations, under most of the major institutional rules as well as in ad hoc arbitrations, in English and in French.

Charles' recent experience has included representing: 

• A Middle Eastern company in an ICC arbitration arising out of the termination of a construction industry joint venture with a European company; 
• The purchaser of a French manufacturer of specialty food products, in a post-M&A arbitration against the seller, in connection with inaccurate representations and warranties; 
• A former Soviet Republic in an UNCITRAL arbitration brought against it by an individual, in connection with the alleged expropriation of such individual's assets; 
• A Western European mining concern, in a dispute arising out of design and construction advisory services provided to a North African operator of a lead smelting plant; 
• A Japanese contractor, in various claims arising out of a contract for public works in Dubai; 
• A Central Asian petroleum company, in a dispute against the EPC contractor of a gas treatment plant arising out of the contractor's delay in erecting the plant; 
• A North African mining company, in a dispute arising out of a long-term supply agreement with a North American customer; 
• A German company in an arbitration against an Eastern European State, pursuant to a bilateral investment treaty, arising out of the State's treatment of the German company's investments in the host State; 
• A Middle Eastern infrastructure investor in claims against an African State; 
• A Western European contractor, in an ICC arbitration arising out of the construction of a stadium in Eastern Europe; 
• A major petroleum company in a PSA dispute involving the Russian Federation; 
• The government of Georgia in ICSID cases ARB/08/7 and ARB/09/22 (Itera International Energy LLC and Itera Group NV v. Georgia), arising out of alleged breaches of Georgia's treaty obligations to the claimants, suppliers of natural gas; 
• The government of Georgia in ICSID case ARB/08/19 (Karmer Marble Tourism Construction Industry and Commerce Limited Liability Company v. Georgia), arising out of alleged breaches of Georgia's treaty obligations to the claimant, in connection with the construction of a motorway and the concession of a hotel in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara; and 
• A consortium of major Western European contractors, in an ad hoc arbitration against a Southern European State, arising out of the construction of a motorway.

Prior to joining White & Case, Charles worked as in-house legal adviser for a French bank in Singapore, providing legal support for the bank's corporate banking and project finance activities.

Bars and Courts
Paris Bar, 2001

Education
CAPA, Paris Bar School, 1998
Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies - Droit International Privé et Droit du Commerce International (Postgraduate Degree in International Law), University of Paris II, Panthéon-Assas, 1997
Maîtrise en Droit des Affaires, University of Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne, 1996
Bachelor of Laws (LLB), King’s College London, 1996

Languages
English
French

Citizenship
United Kingdom
France
Mauritius