Background

Experienced, independent, available, absence of conflicts of interests, dedicated, time and cost efficient.

Christophe Dugué's experience of international arbitration in a variety of cases with a wide range of seats and applicable substantive laws allows him to act efficiently as Counsel and as Arbitrator 

Arbitrator

As an arbitrator, Christophe Dugué offers parties the benefit of an independent, experienced and commercially informed decision-maker for international commercial disputes. He has served as tribunal president, sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator in proceedings conducted in both English and French, including ad hoc and UNCITRAL arbitrations as well as cases administered by leading arbitral institutions.

His arbitral practice is underpinned by broad experience across civil law and common law systems, as well as familiarity with disputes arising from complex financial arrangements, post-M&A matters, international infrastructure projects and project-related issues. He is also directly appointed as arbitrator in cases by arbitral institutions such as the ICC and the AFA, while his inclusion on panels maintained by arbitral institutions worldwide, including eBRAM, the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), KCAB International, the Mediation and Conciliation Network (MCN) India and the Chambre Arbitrale Internationale de Paris (CAIP), reflects the international scope of his arbitration practice.

This international and commercially focused arbitral practice extends naturally to disputes arising from emerging technologies. Christophe Dugué is particularly engaged with the impact of blockchain, crypto-assets, smart contracts, the metaverse and artificial intelligence on dispute resolution. His practice includes the resolution of blockchain and cryptocurrency disputes through international arbitration, and he has acted as sole arbitrator in one of the very first crypto disputes involving an investor and a major crypto exchange. He regularly speaks on these issues, including the role of international arbitration in addressing crypto-asset disputes, on-chain dispute resolution and the emergence of artificial intelligence in dispute resolution. Christophe Dugué has the experience of expedited procedures under the auspices of the ICC.

When serving as Arbitrator, Christophe Dugué is fully aware that while the parties want a total flexibility in order to enjoy the benefit of a full opportunity to present their case they are also cost and time sensitive. Christophe Dugué strives at providing the parties with a full and fair opportunity to present their case, while ensuring that the proceedings are conducted as smoothly and expeditiously as possible.

A candid discussion with the parties is held at the outset of the case to adapt the procedure to the parties' requirements (is there a need for one or two rounds of written submissions, a dedicated production of documents phase, a hearing and the examination of witnesses and experts, post hearing briefs?) and the procedural timetable that best suits the instruction of the case is decided accordingly.

In the conduct of the proceedings, while ensuring that the procedural timetable is followed, and amended as the circumstances warrant, and due process is observed, Christophe Dugué strives at making the final award available in the shortest period of time possible after the parties have pleaded their case and filed their post-hearing briefs. 

Counsel

As counsel, Christophe Dugué provides clients with a highly tailored and strategic approach to international commercial arbitration. Recognising that each dispute calls for a bespoke response, he develops case strategies that seek to minimise costs, improve procedural efficiency and reflect the applicable law, the arbitral seat and the client’s commercial objectives. His work includes structuring dispute resolution strategy, drafting persuasive submissions, conducting oral advocacy and examining witnesses and experts.

He also brings substantial transactional experience to his counsel work, including the structuring, drafting and negotiation of international commercial and financial transactions. This enables him to approach disputes with a practical understanding of the underlying commercial arrangements, particularly in matters involving project finance, international finance, M&A finance, structured finance, securitisation of trade receivables, equity swaps and derivatives transactions. His sector experience spans construction, distribution, finance, private equity, energy, natural resources and mining projects in West Africa.

When acting as Counsel, Christophe Dugué works in close collaboration with the party he represents in order to determine what the party wants to obtain, what can be obtained, and what are the means to be implemented to have the best chances of achieving this result.

Christophe Dugué builds on the facts and focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the case to provide a structured, documented and comprehensive legal argument that best serves the client's objectives and strategy, in order to deliver concise, powerful and convincing briefs. 

At the hearing, he benefits from his experience as counsel and as arbitrator in the examination of witnesses and experts. Christophe Dugué pleads the decisive arguments and provides the explanations that the arbitral tribunal expects.

Christophe Dugué has successfully acted as counsel in the representation of parties against all sorts of opponents, including major international law firms.

• International Arbitration Institute (IAI)
• Swiss Arbitration Association/Association Suisse de l’Arbitrage (ASA)
• Association For Arbitration/Association Française d’Arbitrage (AFA) 
• Comité Français de l’Arbitrage (CFA)
• Paris The Home of International Arbitration/Paris Place d’Arbitrage
• Member of the Association For Arbitration’s Working Groups on:
  • the Decisions of the Arbitration Committee (2014-2015)
  • the Consolidation of Related Arbitrations (2014-2015)
  • Emergency Arbitration and Expedited Proceedings (2016-2018)

• Several direct appointments by the ICC and by the Association Française d'Arbitrage
• eBRAM's Panel of Arbitrators (for 5 years ending on 31 December 2028) 
• Panel of arbitrators of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (Malaysia) (AIAC) formerly the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA) since 2014
• List of neutrals of the Mediation & Conciliation Network (MCN), India
• Panel of arbitrators of the Chambre Arbitrale Internationale de Paris
• Panel of international arbitrators of KCAB International (Korean Commercial Arbitration Board) for the term from 1 June 2022 to 31 May 2025

• Paris Arbitration Week 2026- ICC France/Raid Square conference held on 27 March 2026, speaker How to address the challenges of arbitration involving crypto-assets ?
• Kleros Decentralized Justice Broadcast, Interview by Federico Ast: Christopher Dugué: International Arbitration and Innovation - Decentralized Justice Broadcast S2E12 (posted on 18 August 2023)

Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViMY6AdphQE

• ICC and UAB (Union of Arab Banks), joint conference held in Paris on 26 May 2023 on The Use of Arbitration and ADRs to provide efficient and innovative access to justice in the international banking and trade sectors, speaker in the panel on An increasingly digitalised financial sector: The suitability of arbitration and ADR to resolve emerging disputes

• Paris Arbitration Week 2023 - CMAP, conference held on 30 March 2023, speaker on Blockchain, Crypto, Smart Contracts, Artificial Intelligence, an opportunity for International Arbitration?

  Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c__su3R38T0

• Assas Lab’ Incubateur (University Paris 2), conference held on 8 March 2023 on New Trends in Technology and Law: Law in Times of Disruption / AI vs. Humans: Partners or Competitors?, speaker on The Place of International Arbitration vs. On-chain Dispute Resolution and Artificial Intelligence

• Société de Législation Comparée, conference held on 10 May 2022 on Cryptocurrencies: A Refuge for Countries under Economic Sanctions?, speaker on International Arbitration Proceedings in the Context of Cryptocurrencies Transactions

• Le Café des Arbitres, 2014 (2nd edition), conference on Investments and Mass Arbitration, speaker on Financial Products as investment and perspective further to the Abaclat decision

• VENCA conference, 1999, speaker on Arbitration of Disputes arising from Derivative Financial Instruments and Transactions

• ICC Vis Pre-Moot – March 2024, Paris: arbitrator (one session)
• ICC Vis Pre-Moot – March 2023, Paris: arbitrator (two sessions)
• ICC Vis Pre-Moot – April 2019, Paris: arbitrator (two sessions)
• Association For Arbitration (AFA):
  • speaker on every bi-annual session on International Arbitration, on the topic the “Arbitration Hearings”, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • speaker at the “AFA After Work” on the topic "Emergency Arbitration", 2019
• École Internationale des Modes Alternatifs de Règlement des Litiges (EIMA) training sessions organized by the Association For Arbitration and EFB (Paris Bar), on international arbitration:
  • speaker on the subject International Arbitration at the June 2016 and May 2017 sessions
  • speaker on the subject Instruction of the Case by the Arbitral Tribunal at the May 2018 session
  • speaker on the subject International Arbitration proceedings up to the date of the Terms of Reference at the April 2019 session
  • speaker on the subject Domestic and International Arbitration (Notion, French Law and Practice) at the April 2022 session