Alexandre Kiabski is in Quinn Emanuel’s Paris office as Counsel. He joined the firm in 2020. His practice focuses on complex domestic and cross-border commercial litigation, as well as international arbitration.
Prior to joining the firm, Alexandre worked for 8 years in the Dispute Resolution team of Linklaters LLP in Paris. While there, Alexandre handled multiple high stakes disputes before State courts in France and several African jurisdictions (Senegal, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo), across a broad range of industries, including the mining and energy sectors, and was seconded in 2016 to South African firm Webber Wentzel.
Litigation
- Representing before the Court of Appeal of Dakar and the Supreme Court of Senegal several subsidiaries and former managers of one of the leading mining conglomerates in the context of a $500 million dispute with a South African competitor which initiated criminal and civil proceedings before Senegalese courts for alleged acts of bribery and influence peddling;
- Acting for various large industrial groups in the energy sector (gas, oil) in the context of commercial disputes with significant financial and reputational stakes;
- Representing one of the foremost mining company in a multi-billion cross-border matter involving criminal, regulatory and commercial issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo;
- Acting for large media and insurance companies in the context of unfair competition proceedings;
- Elaborating a cross-border litigation strategy for a company operating an advertising and price comparison platform, in the context of a likely sanction from the European Commission in respect of alleged abuse of dominant position;
- Advising an African state in the context of cross-border enforcement proceedings in several European (Luxembourg, France, Monaco) and Asian (Hong Kong) jurisdictions;
- Acting for one of the largest French banking groups in the context of a dispute between entities of the group concerning regulatory issues;
- Representing a number of banks and biotech companies in the context of sanctions proceedings before the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (French Financial Markets Authority).
Arbitration
- Acting for an African State in the context of ICSID arbitration proceedings with high financial stakes (approx. €1 billion) raising complex issues of environmental, mining, property and investment law, brought by a French investor under a bilateral investment treaty;
- Representing an African State in the context of ad hoc arbitration proceedings initiated by a leading French logistics and transportation group in relation to alleged contractual breaches of a harbour concession;
- Acting for an African State in a €600 million ICC arbitration initiated by a foreign contractor handling various infrastructures projects and related criminal proceedings in various jurisdictions (Switzerland, France) for allegations of bribery and money laundering;
- Representing one of the Big Four accounting and audit firms in UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings with significant reputational stakes, initiated by a counterparty for breach of contract;
- Representing an oil company in the context of a contractual dispute with a partner in connection with a project in the Middle East.
- King’s College London
(LL.M., 2010) - Aix-Marseille III
(Master 2 Professionnel (DESS), Droit des Affaires Internationales, 2009)
(Diplôme de juriste conseil d’entreprise (DJCE), 2009)
- The Paris Bar
- French
- English
- Linklaters LLP:
- Managing Associate, 2016-2020
- Associate, 2012–2016
- Webber Wentzel, Johannesburg (secondment):
- 2016