Marie-Aude Ziadé
Marie-Aude advises and represents French and foreign companies, investment funds, international organizations and senior executives in domestic and international pre-litigation, litigation and arbitration. She also assists her clients in mediation and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
Marie-Aude acts as Counsel, Arbitrator and Mediator.
Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Marie-Aude was Head of International Arbitration at CBR & Associés. She had previously cofounded her own independent firm in Paris dedicated to dispute resolution, which was highly successful during four years.
Marie-Aude started her career in the International Arbitration department at the Paris office of White & Case LLP. She then joined the French firm Wilhelm & Associés where she practiced commercial and white-collar crime litigation. She subsequently joined the in-house legal teams of several major corporations (ARKEMA, AMAZON, AREVA). She was General Counsel – Head of Disputes of the AREVA group (now ORANO), one of the world's leading companies in nuclear energy, for several years.
Marie-Aude always seeks solutions to complex disputes that are relevant and efficient on a long-term basis. Through her experience as both external counsel and in-house lawyer, she acquired a deep understanding of a client's ecosystem and developed cross-disciplinary skills that allow her to handle some of the most sensitive cases with a 360° approach that is both pragmatic and daring. Accustomed to handling matters covered in the media, she is also at ease with crisis communications.
Marie-Aude is individually distinguished in International Arbitration and in Commercial Dispute Resolution by Legal 500 EMEA (2023 ed.), and in International Arbitration, Commercial Litigation and Mediation by Best Lawyers (2023 ed.) The independent firm that she had cofounded in 2018 was ranked by Décideurs Magazine (Leaders League), the year of its creation, in International Arbitration (Tiers 2), Mediation (Tiers 2) and Commercial Litigation (Tiers 3). Her former firm was also distinguished amongst the "30 best firms in France" in International Arbitration by the French magazine Le Point (2021 ed.).
A client quoted says about her: 'Marie-Aude is very efficient and one of the best within her generation'.
Marie-Aude is a member of a number of recognized professional organizations and regularly invited to speak on strategic questions related to litigations, arbitrations and ADR, in key professional events in France and abroad. She is also invited to share her expertise on the duty of care of major corporates, in particular with regards to the protection of Human Rights throughout the supply chain.
Marie-Aude lectures on "the practical aspects of international arbitration" in the post-graduate Master of Law program of Professor Sylvain Bollée and Professor Mathias Audit (University Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne) and on "the use of mediation to solve cross-border disputes" in the post-graduate Master of Law programs of Professor Lucie Mayer, Professor Jean-Baptiste Racine and Professor Cécile Chesnais (University Paris II – Panthéon-Assas). She further holds a seminar on "the liabilities associated with the duty of care of major corporates " in the post-graduate Master of Law of Professor Louis d'Avout (University Paris II – Panthéon-Assas).
Marie-Aude previously taught private international law in the post-graduate Masters of Law programs of Professor Pierre Mayer (at the time - University Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Professor Christophe Seraglini (University of Paris XI - Versailles), as well as at the leading French business school ESSEC. She taught French Civil Law to the students of Professor Murielle Fabre-Magnan (University Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne) for a couple of years.
Experience
- Represented a French industrial group, leader in the nuclear energy sector, against one of its clients in ICC arbitrations related to the construction of nuclear plants.
- Represented the affiliate of an industrial group, leader in the aviation sector, in an ICC arbitration against one of its commercial agent in Asia, following the termination of its contracts due to suspicions of bribery.
- Representing a Luxembourgish investor in an ICSID arbitration against a Balkan State, on the grounds of expropriation and unfair and inequitable treatment.
- Advising an International Organization in a PCA arbitration dispute against a claimant alleging violation of public international law principles.
- Advised an industrial company, leader in the gas sector, in pre-ICC arbitration negotiations with one of its Japanese supplier, following the discovery of a serial defect affecting equipment incorporated in plants operating in 15 countries.
- Representing a Tunisian company in annulment proceedings initiated against an ICC award ruling on a post-SPA shareholders' dispute in the healthcare sector.
- Seated as co-Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration opposing Cyprus sellers and Hungarian purchasers post-SPA, in the automotive sector.
- Represented before the International Chamber of the Paris Commercial Court a American oil & gas company in a dispute against its contractor in relation to a drilling rig in Congo.
- Advising and representing before French Courts the affiliate of a French industrial group, leader in the nuclear energy sector, in a dispute against four German sub-contractors before French Courts following the discovery of defaults affecting a key equipment for the decommissioning of a nuclear plant.
- Advising and representing before French Courts an owner company, leader in the solar energy sector, against French and Burkinabe EPC contactors in an dispute related to the erection of a solar plant in Burkina Faso.