20 leading arbitration and mediation lawyers in France in 2026
Impact Lawyers' editorial selection brings together twenty professionals with particularly significant experience in arbitration and mediation in France. Lawyers are listed alphabetically by surname: the table order does not establish internal positions or identify one professional as superior to another.
| Lawyer | Firm | Main profile |
|---|---|---|
| Alexis Mourre | MCL Arbitration | International arbitration and litigation |
| Annet van Hooft | van Hooft | International commercial arbitration |
| Barton Legum | Honlet Legum Arbitration | Investment arbitration |
| Carmen Núñez-Lagos | Núñez-Lagos Arbitration | Cross-border disputes and ADR |
| Carole Malinvaud | Gide Loyrette Nouel | Investment arbitration |
| Christophe Seraglini | Freshfields | International commercial arbitration |
| Eduardo Silva Romero | Wordstone Dispute Resolution | Cross-border disputes and ADR |
| Éric Teynier | Teynier Pic | Cross-border disputes and ADR |
| Hamid G. Gharavi | Derains & Gharavi | Arbitrator and counsel work |
| Jean-Christophe Honlet | Honlet Legum Arbitration | Cross-border disputes and ADR |
| Jean-Yves Garaud | Cleary Gottlieb | Investment arbitration |
| Laurent Aynès | Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier | Investment arbitration |
| Mathias Audit | Audit Duprey Fekl | International arbitration and litigation |
| Nadia Darwazeh | Vanguard International Dispute Resolution | Arbitrator and counsel work |
| Pierre Duprey | Audit Duprey Fekl | Arbitrator and counsel work |
| Raëd Fathallah | Bredin Prat | International commercial arbitration |
| Roland Ziadé | Linklaters | International arbitration and litigation |
| Thomas Clay | Clay Arbitration | Arbitrator and counsel work |
| Yas Banifatemi | Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes | International commercial arbitration |
| Yves Derains | Derains & Gharavi | International arbitration and litigation |
How the ranking was prepared
This selection was built from scratch through Impact Lawyers’ own editorial review of professional and public information available through 2026. It does not reproduce or adapt the order of third-party directories, awards or rankings. Profiles were identified and cross-checked using current professional biographies, official law-firm information, publicly verifiable matters and transactions, publications, institutional and academic activity and international experience.
For this practice area, particular attention was paid to commercial and investment arbitration, mediation, experience as counsel and arbitrator, cross-border disputes and ADR.
The editorial assessment combines five dimensions:
- Depth, continuity and genuine specialisation in the practice: 30%.
- Complexity and relevance of publicly verifiable matters, transactions or responsibilities: 25%.
- Technical command and ability to handle complex matters within the specialty: 20%.
- Professional leadership, independent judgement and ability to lead significant mandates: 15%.
- International profile and doctrinal, academic or institutional contribution: 10%.
Impact Lawyers' own editorial approach
Inclusion does not depend on firm size, media visibility or presence in other rankings. The selection is intended to reflect different practice models, combining major firms, specialist boutiques and professionals with a particularly distinctive individual track record. The apparent number of wins, transactions or clients is not used as an automatic measure because public information is uneven and many matters remain confidential.
How to interpret the selection
This ranking is an editorial snapshot of the market based on public information available in 2026. It does not measure fees, guarantee outcomes or claim that any included professional is the right choice for every matter. The choice of counsel should take into account the precise specialty, potential conflicts of interest, jurisdiction, availability, language, budget and relationship of trust.
Professional careers and firm structures can change. Future editions should therefore verify partner moves, new firms, changes of role and potential incompatibilities before publication.
