Adam El Shalakany

Adam El Shalakany

Adam El Shalakany

Senior Partner

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Practice Areas

    • Arbitration & Litigation
    • Construction
    • Investor-State
    • Hospitality

Rankings

    • The Legal 500: Head of Disputes – Tier 1 – Litigation and Arbitration- 2021, 2022
    • The Legal 500: Key Lawyer – Litigation-Arbitration-Employment – 2022
    • Chambers and Partners: Up and Coming – Arbitration & Litigation– 2022

Biography
Adam El Shalakany is a disputes specialist and acts as counsel and arbitrator. Trained in the Common Law and Civil Law legal systems Adam is experienced in high-value, complex and multi-jurisdictional disputes in the MENA region including Egypt, the U.A.E., Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and Sudan as well as before investment tribunals.
In construction disputes Adam has acted/acts for contractors, subcontractors, and owners in disputes in the Middle East and North Africa including Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, Bahrain, the U.A.E. and Libya. The claims have ranged from the complex to high value claims over a billion dollars. Adam’s expertise extends to both the legal and technical issues in construction disputes. Adam is experienced in the trial aspects of construction disputes particularly the selection of tribunals, the onboarding of witnesses,
the onboarding and selection of quantum experts, delay experts and technical experts.
Adam has also acted for investors in various Investor-State Disputes based on investment treaty violations.
Adam acts on behalf of owners in hospitality disputes in Egypt. The disputes generally concern the interpretation and application of management agreements and refurbishment agreements. Adam is experienced in the trial aspects of hospitality disputes particularly the selection of tribunals, onboarding of witnesses, selection and onboarding of quantum experts, technical experts, design experts and hospitality accounting experts.
Adam has several publications concerning arbitration, dispute resolution, and construction law in Egypt and the Middle East.
Adam also has a leading role in the mooting community in Egypt, helping organize and administrator several mooting competitions in Egypt every year for Egyptian and MENA students. Adam also sponsors and coaches teams to travel for international competitions, as well as judging in these international competitions.

Recent Cases

Investor-State

    • Representing a U.A.E company against the State of Egypt in an Investor-State Dispute under the Washington Convention (ICSID Case), Emirates-Egypt Bilateral Investment Treaty.
    • Representing a U.S Citizen and U.S Company against the State of Egypt in an Investor State-Dispute under the Washington Convention (ICSID Case), U.S.-Egypt Bilateral Investment Treaty. Representing a Canadian company against the State of Egypt concerning the expropriation of a nitrogen fertilizer plant under the Canada-Egypt BIT.
    • Assisting the State of Kuwait as an expert team member in an ICSID dispute concerning the building of a heritage site in Kuwait City under the Canada-Kuwait BIT.
    • Assisting the State of Kuwait as an expert team member in an ICSID dispute concerning the building of a highway in Kuwait City under the Mexico-Kuwait BIT.
    • Representing a Dutch investor in an UNCITRAL investor state dispute with the Government of Egypt concerning investments in the Red Sea.

Construction

    • Representing an Italian-Malaysian Joint Venture against a large petroleum operating company in Sudan and its shareholders, major Chinese and Malaysian oil companies; UNCITRAL arbitration, Sudanese law, seat of arbitration: London, UK.
    • Representing an Egyptian Real Estate Developer against a Turkish Construction contractor in a construction dispute. ICC arbitration, Egyptian Law, seat of arbitration: Egypt.
    • Representing a German contractor in a construction dispute concerning the construction of a hospital in Iraq. Iraqi Law, Seat: Egypt.
    • Representing an Emirati Developer in a construction dispute with a government entity concerning the construction of a major Egyptian real estate project. Egyptian Law. CRCICA. Seat of Arbitration Egypt.
    • Representing an Emirati Developer in a construction dispute with an Egyptian contractor concerning the construction of a large Cairo compound. Egyptian Law. CRCICA. Seat of Arbitration Egypt.
    • Representing an Emirati Developer in a construction dispute with a GCC design consultant concerning the construction of a major Egyptian real estate project. Egyptian Law. CRCICA. Seat of Arbitration Egypt.
    • Representing an Egyptian contractor against a GCC Employer concerning the construction of a chemical plant in Damietta.
    • Representing an Emirati contractor against an Egyptian joint venture partner in several arbitrations concerning compounds in Cairo.
    • Representing an Abu Dhabi employer against a consortium concerning a dispute in connection to a major Abu Dhabi utility
    • Representing the Sultanate of Oman against an Airport design consultant
    • Representing an Emirati developer in a construction dispute against an Egyptian contractor concerning the refurbishment of a mall in Alexandria.
    • Advising the French Egyptian Consortium in their dispute with the National Authority for Tunnels in certain phases of the Cairo Metro.
    • Acting as arbitrator in construction dispute between Employer and contractor concerning construction of cinema multiplex in Dubai. DIFC-LCIA Arbitration. Dubai law. DIFC seat.

Oil and Gas

    • Representing Panamanian and BVI companies operating an oil well in Egypt against the Egyptian General Petroleum Company, ICC arbitration, Egyptian and French Law, seat of arbitration: Sweden.
    • Acted as counsel in a commercial dispute between a Cypriot company and an Emirati company concerning the explosion of an oil rig in the Red Sea
    • Acting as arbitrator in an oil services dispute concerning an American oil services company and an Egyptian oil concession company.
    • Representing an Oil Services provider in a lease dispute arbitration with an Oil Processing Facility owner in Egypt.
    • Representing an environmental clean up company against an Oil producer concerning a bio-pile break down contract in Egypt.

Maritime

    • Representing an Italian and Egyptian Joint Venture against an Egyptian Company in a maritime dispute concerning a moveable rig. CRCICA arbitration, Egyptian law, seat of arbitration: Egypt.
    • Representing an Italian oil company against an Egyptian charter-party provider in a dispute concerning a movable rig.

Media

    • Acting as arbitrator in a dispute concerning a TV channel and a TV asset.

Coding and Tech

    • Acting as arbitrator in a dispute concerning a dispute between a French company and an Egyptian Company in connection to the use of proprietary programming code.
    • Representing an Egyptian start-up against a British FTSE 100 joint venture partner. DIFC-LCIA. Emirati Law. Seat DIFC.

Hospitality

    • Representing major U.A.E Mall Developer against international luxury retailer concerning a lease in an internationally known mall. DIAC arbitration, U.A.E Law, seat of arbitration: Dubai, U.A.E.
    • Representing Egyptian Hotel Owner against International Hotel Management Company in a contractual dispute concerning two hotels in two separate arbitrations, ICC arbitration, Egyptian Law, seats of arbitration: Egypt.
    • Representing Libyan Hotel Owner against International Hotel Management Company in a contractual dispute, Ad Hoc arbitration, Egyptian Law, seat of arbitration: Egypt. Representing a large UK hotel operator against an Egyptian government hotel owner in an arbitration concerning the refurbishment of a Cairo hotel.

Industrial

    • Representing a Swiss packaging Manufacturer in a DIFC-LCIA Arbitration against an Egyptian holding company – Swiss law.
    • Representing a Swiss packaging Manufacturer in a DIFC-LCIA Arbitration against an Egyptian juice company – Swiss law.
    • Representing an Egyptian packaging Manufacturer in a CRCICA Arbitration against three Egyptian entities – Egyptian law.

Agriculture

    • Representing a Cairo Utilities Company in an arbitration against a German engineering firm in an arbitration concerning the upgrade of a major Cairo power plant.
    • Representing a Ukrainian grain exporter against an Egyptian importer in an arbitration concerning a grain shipment.

Shareholder

    • Representing an Iraqi shareholder against an Egyptian shareholder in a shareholder arbitration concerning a hotel in the Egyptian Sinai.
    • Representing a Lebanese shareholder against a Saudi shareholder concerning a shareholder arbitration concerning an Egyptian pharmaceutical company.

Criminal

    • Representing U.S. NGO in a Egyptian Criminal Case and assisting in their legal defense concerning highly publicized political case.
    • Representing Two Canadian nationals, assisting in their legal defense concerning their wrongful political detention.

Competition Law

    • Representing a Qatari entity in two major competition law infringement litigation cases in Egypt concerning Paid TV, sports broadcasting and commercial satellite usage.

Aviation Law

    • Representing a Russian carrier and lnsurer in complex multi-party litigation in Egypt concerning an aviation accident.

Publications

    • Issues of recognition and enforcement of international commercial arbitral awards in Egypt – International Bar Association – Arbitration News – February 2013.
    • The growing trend of ICSID claims against the Arab Republic of Egypt – International Bar Association – Arbitration News – September 2013.
    • IBA Egypt Arbitration Guide – 2013
    • Chapter on Egypt – The International Arbitration Review – 4th Edition – 2013 Some Road Signs for Arbitration Practitioners in the MENA Region: Conflicts between Local Laws and Institutional Rules in the Region – Dispute Resolution International – Volume 8 – 2014
    • Chapter on Egypt – Legal Aspects of Doing Business in the Middle East – Center for International Legal Studies – 2019
    • Chapter on Egypt – Legal Aspects of Doing Business in the Middle East – Center for International Legal Studies – 2020

Academic Qualifications

    • McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, B.A. with Honors in Political Science and Economics, June 2008
    • School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK, Bachelor of Law, June 2011
    • European master’s in law and Economics, June 2015 at:
            Bologna University, Bologna, Italy,
            Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany.
    • Indira Ghandi Institute for Development and Research, Mumbai, India.

Association memberships

Member of the New York Bar association.

Languages
Arabic, English and French.