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Arbitration in Translation
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France

Port Autonome de Douala v. Douala International Terminal S.A.

French Court of Cassation, appeal no. 23-10.972, decision dated 19 June 2024


The French Court of Cassation upheld the Paris Court of Appeal's decision setting aside an arbitral award rendered by a three-arbitrator tribunal based on doubts as to the impartiality of the presiding arbitrator (Thomas Clay) arising from a eulogy he gave of the lead counsel for one of the parties (Prof. Emmanuel Gaillard),  which revealed that they were close personal friends and that the presiding arbitrator consulted the counsel before making any important decision.


Original (Cour de cassation)  •  English Translation

Opportunity Fund et al. v. Telecom Italia S.p.A. et al.

Paris Court of Appeal, RG no. 21/08610, decision dated 2 May 2024 


An arbitral award rendered by a three-arbitrator tribunal was set aside because of reasonable doubts as to the independence of the presiding arbitrator (Carole Malinvaud), whose firm (Gide) did work for a major shareholder of one of the parties.


Original (Cour d'appel de Paris)  •  English Translation

Port Autonome de Douala v. Douala International Terminal S.A.

Paris Court of Appeal, RG no. 20/18330, decision dated 10 January 2023 


An arbitral award rendered by a three-arbitrator tribunal was set aside because of doubts as to the impartiality of the presiding arbitrator (Thomas Clay) arising from a eulogy he gave of the lead counsel for one of the parties (Prof. Emmanuel Gaillard),  which revealed that they were close personal friends and that the presiding arbitrator consulted the counsel before making any important decision.


Original (Cour d'appel de Paris)  •  English Translation

Saad Buzwair Automotive Co v. Audi Volkswagen Middle East Fze Llc.

Paris Court of Appeal,  RG no. 16/09386, decision dated 27 March 2018  


An arbitral award rendered by a three-arbitrator tribunal was set aside because of a reasonable doubt as to the impartiality of one arbitrator, arising from that arbitrator's firm having acted for an affiliate of a party during the arbitration. This was not disclosed. The arbitrator had a continuing duty to disclose, which was breached here. It was irrelevant that the doubt existed only with respect to one of the party-appointed arbitrators, since each member of the tribunal was equally likely to influence the others during the hearing and deliberations.


Original (Cour d'appel de Paris)  •  English Translation

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