Yasmine El Achkar

Associate, Paris

Biography

Overview

Yasmine El Achkar is an associate in the International Arbitration Practice in Paris. Her practice covers both investment treaty and commercial arbitrations, as well as enforcement and annulment proceedings.

Prior to joining White & Case, Yasmine acquired experience in international arbitration, commercial litigation and public international law in several leading law firms in Paris.

Yasmine has also been actively involved in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition for a number of years.

Bars and Courts
Paris
Education
Master II
Litigation, Arbitration and ADR
Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas
Master II
Global Business Law and Governance
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Columbia Law School, and Sciences Po Paris
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
International and European Law
Université Paris 1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne
Bachelor of Arts
Political Studies
American University of Beirut
Languages
English
French
Arabic

Experience

Representing Georgia in parallel ICC and ICSID arbitration proceedings brought respectively by ADC and its Dutch indirect minority shareholder Bob Meijer in connection with a dispute arising out of the termination of the investment agreement to build and operate the Anaklia deep-sea port;

Representing an international group of hotels in a LCIA arbitration in relation to a dispute arising out of the performance of a hotel management agreement;

Representing Iraq Telecom Ltd. in its successful ICC arbitration against Korek Telecom Company and Sirwan Barzani involving direct and derivative claims for fraud, corruption, self-dealing and other contractual breaches of a shareholders' agreement. In an award issued in March 2023, the tribunal unanimously found in favour of Iraq Telecom Ltd and awarded damages in the amount of US$ 1.65 billion;

Advising an airport operator in relation to a dispute arising out of the performance of retail concession agreements and involving complex issues of EU competition law;

Representing an Eastern European State in an ICSID Arbitration arising out of the termination of a copper concession agreement;

Advising an airport operator in relation to the effects of COVID 19 on the performance of a concession agreement for the upgrade, maintenance, management and operation of several regional airports;

Representing the Respondents in an ICC arbitration arising out of a share purchase agreement in the online betting industry. The matter resulted in a favorable settlement for our clients;

Advising an insurance company as to a potential investment treaty claim on behalf of the insured entity against the State of Libya and Libyan State-owned entities, relating to losses incurred as a result of the unrest in Libya.

Publications

Author, "Actualité du contrôle de la compétence par les juridictions françaises", Paris Journal of International Arbitration (2022-4).

Co-author, "COVID-19 and the Exceptions to Contractual Liability in Arab Contract Law", 2021, Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution - International Arbitration Review (with Michael Polkinghorne)

Author, "Le Mécanisme de règlement des différends de l'accord de l'Organisation de la conférence islamique", Paris Journal of International Arbitration (2020-3).