Alexander Leventhal is a Partner in Quinn Emanuel’s Paris office. Alexander is a recognized dispute resolution expert who knows how to achieve clients’ objectives.
Alexander has extensive expertise in international commercial arbitration spanning multiple sectors, including the hospitality, telecommunications, entertainment, financial, and other sectors. However, his practice focuses in large part on the energy sector where he has represented clients upstream and downstream in all manner of dispute. He currently serves the Publications Co-Chair of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA), an arbitration think tank with a focus on the energy sector and the Energy Committee Secretary of the Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR).
Alexander also is known for his expertise in investment arbitration. Alexander helped lead a team that obtained an order from an ICSID tribunal, which, for the first time, ordered the suspension of extradition proceedings in a third-party State. He is recognized as a young thought-leader in the world of investment arbitration and guided a team that prepared a submission to UNCITRAL Working Group III on behalf of the European Federation for International Law and Arbitration (EFILA).
Alexander has received a number of awards and distinctions for his experience in international arbitration (including his ranking as a Future Leader in international arbitration by Who’s Who Legal), but his experience also extends beyond the world of international arbitration. He has handled numerous multi-jurisdictional disputes and serves on the IBA’s Mediation Committee. Alexander is a founding member of the Rising Arbitrators Initiative, an organization that provides support for arbitration practitioners receiving their first nominations as arbitrator.
- Counsel to Hydro S.r.l in an arbitration against the Republic of Albania in an arbitration under the Italy-Albania BIT, which led to the first ever provisional measures order enjoining a sovereign state to withdraw an Interpol Red Notice and extradition request and also led to a successful award on the merits.
- Counsel for an energy company in a commercial dispute with consortium members in respect to a gas exploration project off the coast of Africa.
- Counsel for UP Holding in annulment proceedings under the ICSID Convention against Hungary, leading to a favorable result.
- Counsel for a major Middle Eastern construction company in respect to construction of the world’s largest LNG pipeline in the Middle East under the ICC Rules.
- Counsel for B-Mex and various other U.S. claimants in a NAFTA ICSID Facility Rules investment treaty arbitration against the United Mexican States.
- Counsel for an energy company in a dispute in relation to a gas swap transaction under the UNCITRAL Rules.
- Counsel for a commodity trading company in a dispute under the SCAI Rules against a local agent.
- Counsel for an African telecommunications company in a commercial dispute under the ICC Rules against its JV partners.
- Counsel for various U.S. claimant investors in the Mexican company Oro Negro in a NAFTA UNCITRAL investment treaty arbitration against the United Mexican State.
- University of Pennsylvania Law School
(J.D., 2011) - Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris
(Master 2, 2011) - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
(Master 2, 2011) - Harvard University
(B.A., 2008)
- The State Bar of New York
- The Paris Bar
- Solicitor, England and Wales
- English
- French
- Arabic
- Portuguese
- Ranked by The Best Lawyers in France: Ones to Watch International Arbitration, 2024
- Recognized by Euromoney’s Rising Stars for Commercial Arbitration, 2022
- Ranked in International Arbitration by The Best Lawyers in France: Ones to Watch, 2022, 2023
- Listed in Who’s Who Legal Future Leaders in Arbitration, 2021, 2022 and 2023
- 2018 CIArb (Singapore Branch) Competition
- 2018 CPR Y-ADR Award for Efficient and Effective Collaboration between Corporate Counsel and Outside Counsel
- Special Award, 2014 Young Arbitrators Match
Lectures
- Moderator, “YoungITATalks UK and Continental Europe - After Brexit”, Young ITA, 11 December 2020.
- Moderator, “Young ITA Talks Portugal, Brasil, e Europa: Olhares Cruzados Europa-Brasil: Um Bate-Papo sobre o Admirável Mundo Novo da Arbitragem”, Young ITA, 23 July 2020.
- Speaker, “A Tour Around the Arbitration World - Commonalities and Divergences in a Time of Disruption”, 32nd Annual ITA Workshop and Annual Meeting, 17 June 2020.
- Moderator, “The Future of Intelligence in International Arbitration – Artificial Intelligence & Arbitrator Intelligence”, Young ITA, 5 March 2020, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Speaker, “Tel Aviv Arbitration Day: Young Arbitration Practitioners’ Symposium”, Tel Aviv Arbitration Day, 4 March 2020, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Moderator, “2019 – A Year in Review”, 16 January 2020, Paris, France.
- Speaker, “Young ICCA Skills Training Workshop on Document Management and Production in International Arbitration: Perspectives from Civil and Common Law” Young ICCA, 17 November 2019, Dubai, UAE.
- Moderator, “International Arbitration(s): Legal Culture and the Prague Rules”, CIArb, 3 April 2019, Paris, France.
- Speaker, “Ongoing Challenges to International Investment Arbitration,” Penn Law International Arbitration Conference, 22 March 2019, Philadelphia, PA.
- Moderator, “Arbitration and Mediation at a Crossroads”, CIArb YMG, 6 February 2019, Paris, France.
- Panelist, “2018 Year-In-Review”, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Young Members Group (YMG), 19 December 2018, Paris, France.
- Speaker, “Mid-Year Meeting”, American Society of International Law (ASIL) 10 November 2018, Los Angeles, California.
- Faculty Member, “Young ICCA Skills Training Workshop on Cross-examination in International Arbitration”, ICCA, 14 September 2018, Brussels, Belgium.
- Speaker, “ICC YAF Event on Conflicts of Arbtirators”, Belgrade Arbitration Conference,” ICC YAF, 17 March 2018, Belgrade, Serbia.
- Panelist, “ICC YAF: The Global Supply Supply Chain of Arbitration: Is It a Saturated Profession?”, ICC YAF, Cambridge Arbitration Day, 2 March 2018, Cambridge, UK.
- Speaker, “International Arbitration, between Innovation & Tradition: Rethinking Cultural and Legal Diversity in Light of the Internationalization and Standardization of the Arbitration Practitioner,”
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Young Members Group (YMG), Annual Conference, 6 December 2017, Paris, France.
- Moderator, “Arbitrator’s Studio: Bernard Hanotiau,” Paris Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (PVYAP), 17 November 2016, Paris, France.
- Moderator, “Arbitrator’s Studio: Brigitte Stern,” PVYAP, 23 April 2015, Paris, France.
- Panelist, “Pathways into a Career in International Arbitration,” ICC Court Symposium, 30 March 2014, Vienna, Austria.
- Speaker, “The Dodd-Frank Reform in Light of EU Law,” Italian Society of Law and Economics, 16 December 2011, Turin, Italy.
- Speaker, “Retooling Corporate Governance,” Bocconi University School of Law, 10 March 2010, Milan, Italy.
- Speaker, “Regulating Islamic Finance,” OECD-MENA Islamic Finance Technical Workshop, 5 July 2007, London, UK.
- Speaker, “Convergence in Recent Trends of Islamic Finance,” Arab Financial Forum/Cambridge University Interfaith Initiative, 4 July 2007, London, UK.
Publications
- Threading the Sovereign’s Needle: A Philosphical Deconstruction of an Investor-State Tribunal’s Authority to Award Interim Relief in Relation to Criminal Proceedings (2021).
- “Etats-Unis: Vers l’atténuation de la place du consentement en droit américain de l’arbitrage ?”, Revue de l’arbitrage, Revue de l’arbitrage, 2020 No. 3.
- “L’influence du droit français dans la zone MENA”, Revue internationale du droit comparé, forthcoming (with A. Makhlouf, A. Ben Mansour, and J. Hage Chahine).
- “The European Commission – Ami Fidèle or Faux Ami? Exploring Decisions on the Commission’s Applications to Intervene as a Non-Disputing Party under ICSID Arbitration Rule 37(2)”, EU Investment Law and Arbtiration Review, 2020.
- “Ensuring Equitable Access to All Stakeholders: Critical Suggestions for the MIC”, Submission by the European Federation for Investment Law and Arbtiration (EFILA) to the UNCITRAL Working Group No. III on ISDS Reforms, 15 July 2019.
- Co-Author, “Ensuring Equitable Access to All Stakeholders: Critical Suggestions for the MIC”, Submission by the European Federation for Investment Law and Arbtiration (EFILA) to the UNCITRAL Working Group No. III on ISDS Reforms, 15 July 2019.
- The Federal Arbitration Act and American competence-competence: demystifying the Supreme Court decisions in Schein and New Prime, International Bar Association Arbitration Committee Newsletter (March 2019).
- Back to the Future: Young Voices Reflect on How the Past Year in International Arbitration Will Inform Upcoming Years at CIArb, YMG and Young ITA Event, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (26 January 2019) (with A. Gerdau de Borja and R. Digon).
- The 2018 Proposals for Amendments of the ICSID Rules: ICSID Enters the Era of Trump, Populism, and State Sovereignty, 22 ASIL Insights (19 October 2018).
- Towards an Exceptio Fundati? Assessing a (Potentially) Emerging Exception for Third Party Funding in Investment Treaty Decisions on Security for Costs in the Wake of Armas v. Venezuela, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (18 September 2018).
- Ordre Arbitral, Ordre Souverain : Le juge de l’exequatur devant la sentence internationale et la décision d’annulation – Une lecture de la jurisprudence aux Etats-Unis, CAHIERS DE L’ARBITRAGE .
- Jurisprudência Internacional: Corrupção e Arbitragem, 59 REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE ARBITRAGEM 167.
- Corporate Counsel Are from Mars, Outside Counsel Are from Venus: Building a Successful Attorney-Client Relationship through Communication, 36 ALTERNATIVES 116 (2018).
- What to Expect When Arbitrating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Arbitration in the Middle East – Expectations and Challenges for the Future (TDM 2 2015) (with Jean-Pierre Harb).
- Chapter 22: Objections to Jurisdiction in LEADING ARBITRATORS GUIDE TO ARBITRATION (2014, Eds. Lawrence W. Newman and Richard D. Hill) (with Sigvard Jarvin).
- Jurisprudência Internacional: Impugnacão do Árbitro, 39 REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE ARBITRAGEM 151 (2014).
- Why Venezuela Ought to Reconsider its Withdrawal from ICSID, CARIBBEAN J. (2013).
- The New Saudi Arbitration Law, 30 J. OF INT’L ARB. 113 (2013) (with Jean-Pierre Harb).
- Inside-Out Corporate Governance, 32 J. OF CORP. L. 147 (2012) (with Prof. David Skeel).
- CONVERGENCE TRENDS IN ISLAMIC FINANCE (Arab Financial Forum 2007, Ed.).
- Officer, IBA Mediation Committee.
- Founder, Rising Arbitrators Initiative.
- Publications Co-Chair Chair, ITA.
- Secretary, CPR Energy, Oil & Gas Committee.
- Secretary, EFILA.
- Steering Committee Member, CIArb YMG.