We had the pleasure of hosting, at Medici, the first breakfast seminar in a series dedicated to contract management “From Risk to Performance”, in partnership with Jean-François Lerouge, founder and CEO of SolvActis Consulting, and the Paris International Arbitration Chamber (CAIP).

On May 27^th, we launched this first edition with Alexandra Fioux, Contract Manager at ENGIE, and Gilles Cotte, Development Director at EQUANS France, who agreed to address, without holding back, a key question for our profession: “Contract drafting: should we embrace greater risk to enhance performance?”

Following a role-play exercise in which each speaker was asked to defend, respectively, the position in favour of greater contractual precision and the opposing view, rich and practical discussions took place, fuelled by pragmatic feedback and real-life experience, illustrating the current challenges of contract management. Ultimately, the objective is to strike the right balance between risk mitigation and value creation.

We would like to thank our speakers, as well as all participants, for the quality of the discussions.

Discover the breakfast seminar report!

We are honoured to once again be recognised in the Leaders League – Africa Desk ranking, this year joining the “Excellent” category, Band 1, for "International Arbitration and Litigation"

We are particularly proud to see Medici’s practice in Africa recognised, reflecting the firm’s continued commitment to the region.

This year, the firm’s partners took part in numerous events bringing together local colleagues and practitioners, including:

• a conference in Kolwezi in October 2025 on extractive investments in conflict zones,
• a roundtable held in Abidjan in December during the International Campus of the Côte d’Ivoire Bar on CSR-related issues,
• two events held during PAW 2026 dedicated to Moroccan arbitration law and civil law in the MENA region,
• and, most recently, a conference in Dakar on the topic of public policy and international arbitration last May.

We extend our sincere thanks to our clients and peers, both here and across Africa, for their continued trust and support.

A special thank you also goes to the entire team for their remarkable efforts, commitment, and enthusiasm.

Link to the ranking: https://www.leadersleague.com/fr/classements/africa-desk-arbitrage-et-contentieux-internationaux-cabinet-d-avocats-france-2026.

On June 2, 2026, Caroline Duclercq, Marie-Laure Bizeau, and Chiraz Abid had the pleasure of speaking at a conference organized by the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP).

The discussions revolved around a deliberately provocative question: Can you lose an arbitration before it even begins?

This topic highlights a fundamental reality: the success of an arbitration proceeding is often determined well before a request for arbitration is filed.

The discussions focused in particular on three strategic pillars:

1. Drafting the arbitration agreement and making key structural choices (seat, applicable law, institution, language)

Effective arbitration begins during contract negotiations. A carefully drafted arbitration clause, tailored to the nature of the project and consistent with the contractual documentation as a whole, is essential to ensuring legal certainty and managing dispute-related risks.

2. Managing contract performance

Preserving evidence, complying with notice requirements, and formulating reservations and claims with precision are essential practices for safeguarding parties’ rights and avoiding the weakening of a future arbitration.

3. Initiating and anticipating the proceedings

Complying with preconditions to arbitration (such as multi-tier dispute resolution clauses) helps avoid creating procedural disputes within the main dispute. It is also crucial to identify in advance the party or parties that should be brought into the arbitration so that any award will be effective and enforceable. Arbitration is not merely about presenting the merits of a case—it requires meticulous procedural preparation and a long-term strategic vision.

Key takeaway: Many difficulties encountered in arbitration stem not from the proceedings themselves, but from strategic decisions made—or omitted—months or even years before the dispute arises.

A sincere thank you to the CMAP for its invitation, and to all participants for the richness of the discussions and the valuable experiences shared!

Our new Investment Arbitration Series is now launched. The series draws on our arbitration practice to offer practical reflections on key issues in investor-State dispute resolution.

Our first article is now available: “Investment Contracts and BITs: Being Ready When the Balance Is Shifting”.

Invoked as the basis of consent in 15% of ICSID cases registered in 2025 – making them the second most frequently invoked basis after BITs – investment contracts remain an important, and sometimes underused, layer of legal protection.

The article addresses three questions: is the ISDS landscape changing – and how? What explains the renewed focus on investment contracts? What are the key reflexes to adopt when entering into an investment contract?

Our aim is to offer a practical perspective on the negotiation and structuring of investment contracts, with a focus on legal certainty, enforceability and the balance between investor protection and States’ regulatory powers.

Read the first article of the series below!

Marie-Laure Bizeau, Caroline Duclercq, and Chiraz Abid are pleased to take part in a discussion taking place next June 2^nd and raised by the question “Can you lose an arbitration before it even begins?” as part of the CMAP's MARDis, a breakfast series dedicated to ADR.

Through this question, they will discuss the following topics:

• Strategic choices when drafting the arbitration clause;
• Common mistakes made during contract performance;
• Procedural and litigation strategies to be put in place.

The best arbitration strategy begins well before the request for arbitration: it starts with the drafting of the contract, continues throughout its performance, and is strengthened when the dispute crystallises.

Registration link: https://evenium.events/gw5mct86.

We are particularly proud that our firm has been awarded 5 stars in the 2026 Le Point Lawyer's Ranking in the “Arbitration Law” category.

It is an honour to see the firm recognised alongside the leading partners in this field.

We warmly thank our clients and peers for their continued trust and support.

Well done to the entire team for their outstanding work and commitment!

Link to the ranking: https://www.lepoint.fr/classements/avocats/.

Construction contracts do not only allocate risk. They also determine how that risk is priced, managed, and ultimately preserved as a claim.

In the second article of our Contract Management series, "Construction Contracts, Risk Pricing, and Claim Management: From Drafting to Entitlement Preservation", we examine how drafting choices, risk allocation, and day-to-day contract administration interact in practice.

The key point is simple: a party may have a strong entitlement on the merits, but still lose it if it fails to issue timely notices, keep proper records, or follow the contractual claims procedure. In construction contracts, claims are often lost because risks were poorly priced, misunderstood, or inadequately managed during performance.

Our objective is to provide practical insights into how parties can better anticipate, price, and manage risk throughout the life of a construction project.

Read the second article of the serie below!

Medici is pleased to share a recent contribution, published by Décideurs Juridiques, addressing one of the most important aspects of dispute resolution: multi-tier dispute resolution clauses. While these clauses are designed to mitigate litigation risk, they often become, in practice, a source of dispute themselves.

In these “expert insights”, the firm’s three partners, who regularly encounter such clauses in both litigation and arbitration, highlight the pitfalls to avoid when drafting and implementing these escalation clauses:

• Drafting the clause properly,
• Managing it during contract performance, and
• Anticipating risk at the pre-dispute stage.

This concise contribution offers practical guidance to professionals in both arbitration and commercial litigation dealing with such clauses, whether at the drafting stage or in their implementation.

Read the full article: https://www.decideurs-juridiques.com/paroles-experts-juridiques/64206-clauses-graduees-de-resolution-des-litiges-rempart-contractuel-ou-risque-procedural.html.

As part of the conference on public policy and international arbitration, organized by Francarbi with the support of the Ifriqya Arbitration Forum in Dakar from May 13 to 15, 2026, Caroline Duclercq, partner at Medici, will speak on May 15 on the topic of “The Exequatur or Annulment Judge and the Review of Public Policy" under French law.

The conference will offer a valuable platform for dialogue among practitioners, academics, and institutions on key issues shaping the future of arbitration in Africa.

Registration is mandatory: jean-francois.tossens@htgo.be and sara.boualem@htgo.be.

We were truly delighted to host our traditional Wine & Cheese Party during Paris Arbitration Week 2026 — and what a remarkable evening it proved to be!

Amid a stimulating and particularly busy week, it was a real pleasure to open our doors for an evening of informal conversations, renewed friendships, and new encounters within the arbitration community. Gathered around wine and cheese in a quintessentially Parisian atmosphere, our guests brought with them lively and genuine exchange that make these moments so worthwhile.

Bringing together practitioners, arbitrators, counsel, friends, and colleagues of the field from across the world, this gathering embodied what we value most: excellence, collegiality, and the joy of meaningful exchange.

Evenings such as this one remind us that the relationships built within our community are as vital as the legal and institutional work we share.

We extend our warmest thanks to everyone who joined and contributed to making the evening so memorable. We look forward to welcoming you again at Paris Arbitration Week 2027!