Alexandre Reynaud

Practice Areas

Alexandre is a founding partner of TALMA Dispute Resolution, a Paris-based boutique firm dedicated to the resolution of complex business disputes.

A member of the Paris and New York Bars, he has been practicing international arbitration at a world- class level for over fifteen years.

He advises and represents French and foreign companies, investors, governments and public entities in ad hoc and institutional proceedings in a wide range of industries, with a focus on aerospace, defence, energy, hospitality and construction.

He has acted in arbitrations under the aegis of major arbitral institutions, such as the ICC, the LCIA, ICSID, the OHADA Common Court of Arbitration (CCJA) and the Paris Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CMAP).

He also regularly sits as arbitrator in international commercial arbitrations.

In support of his international arbitration practice, Alexandre has developed in-depth expertise in proceedings related to the recognition and the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration awards against private individuals and foreign States in France.

Alexandre also boasts a wealth of experience in other arbitration-related litigation proceedings, including matters relating to the appointment and challenge of arbitrators, the review and setting aside of arbitral awards and proceedings brought by third parties to a contract.

Finally, Alexandre is regularly mandated to act in complex commercial and corporate governance disputes, both in France and in foreign jurisdictions.

Alexandre is the co-founder of the French Defence Sector Lawyers’ Association (Cercle des Avocats du Secteur de la Défense). He was a regional representative of the Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG) of the LCIA between 2016 and 2019. Alexandre has been a lecturer on international arbitration at the Paris Bar School (EFB) since 2019.

Alexandre holds an LL.M. from Cornell Law School, Ithaca (New York,) a second level master’s degree in private international law and international trade law and a first level master’s degree in business law from Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne university. He also studied law at the London School of Economics during a one-year Erasmus programme.

Prior to founding Talma Dispute Resolution in 2022, he was a partner in a disputes’ boutique firm in Paris and an associate in an American British law firm.

Career

• TALMA Dispute Resolution | Founding partner (since 2022)

• Betto Perben Pradel Filhol | Partner (2019-2022)

• Betto Seraglini | Counsel (2018-2019)

• Betto Seraglini | Associate (2013-2017)

• Hogan Lovells | Associate (2010-2012)

Professional Memberships

Alexandre is the co-founder of the French Defence Sector Lawyers’ Association (Cercle des Avocats du Secteur de la Défense).

He was a regional representative of the Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG) of the LCIA between 2016 and 2019.

Publications

“Arbitrators’ friendship with counsel: the last frontier”, 40 under 40 International Arbitration (2024) (Libreria – Editorial Dykinson).

“Le droit à un bon arbitre (The right to a good arbitrator)”, Transcripts of the Colloquium on “Arbitration and fair trial”, University Lyon 2, 2023.

“L’ordre public international sous deux prismes : sanctions internationales et inconciliabilité de décisions (International public policy from two angles: international sanctions and irreconcilability of decisions)”, The Paris Journal of International Arbitration / Cahiers de l’Arbitrage, 2023, n°1, p. 139.

“Rappels et précisions sur l’obligation de révélation de l’arbitre (Reminders and clarifications on the arbitrator's disclosure obligation)”, note under Paris, 14 September 2021, Arbitration Review / Revue de l’Arbitrage, 2022, p. 1094 (with E. Evain).

“L’irruption du financement terroriste en arbitrage commercial international (The irruption of terrorist financing in international commercial arbitration)”, note under Paris, Pôle 5 - Ch. 16, 5 October 2021, Cahiers de l’Arbitrage, 2022, n°2, p. 631 (with M. Pradel).

“France Chapter”, in The European Arbitration Review 2021, Global Arbitration Review (with J-G. Betto and L. Canet).

“The Arbitrator’s Duty to Investigate his or her Law Firm’s Business Ties Before and During the Arbitral Proceedings, note under 1st Civ., 3 Octobre 2019, Audi Volkswagen Middle East v. Saad Buzwair Automotive”, The Paris Journal of International Arbitration / Cahiers de l’Arbitrage, 2019, n°4, p. 687 (with A. Cottin).

“L’arrêt Gold Reserve : une mine d’or d’enseignements (The Gold Reserve judgment: a goldmine of lessons)”, note under Paris, Pôle 1 - Ch. 1, 7 February 2017, Revue de l’Arbitrage, 2017, p. 566 (with J. Fouret).

“Une illustration récente : l’affaire Planor Afrique (A recent illustration: the Planor Africa case)”, in Procédures Parallèles et décision contradictoires (Parallel Proceedings and Contradictory Decisions), Bruylant, 2015 (with H. Meur).

“Exécution des sentences arbitrales commerciales internationales et protection des investissements : le triomphe de la Convention de New York (Enforcement of international commercial arbitral awards and investment protection: the triumph of the New York Convention)”, Versailles Intl Arb. Bus. Law Review, November 2013 (with E. Nicolet).

“Prorogation, estoppel et renonciation : variations sur le délai d’arbitrage en droit de l’arbitrage interne (Extension, estoppel and waiver: variations on the arbitration time limit in domestic arbitration law)”, note under Civ. 1st, 22 September 2010 and Paris, 1st Ch. C., 19 November 2009, Revue de l’Arbitrage, 2011, p. 152 (with J-G Betto).

Expert in these Jurisdictions

France, Europe, Africa, Americas, Asia

Languages Spoken

English, French

Industry Sector Expertise

Alexandre has extensive experience in a variety of industry sectors, with particular expertise in aeronautics, defence, energy, hospitality and construction.

Work Highlights

Aerospace & Defence

- acting for a French aeronautics’ group in an ad hoc arbitration relating to a €100 million dispute arising out of a licence agreement for a navigation system;

- acting for a French aeronautics group and its German subsidiary in a $54 million ICC arbitration seated in New York against a former partner regarding the alleged use of licensed technology;

- acting for a French company in an LCIA arbitration relating to the delivery of armament to an Eastern European country;

- acting for a French company in a dispute against an international organisation based in Africa concerning a contract for the supply of protective military equipment;

- representing an African commercial agent in an ICC arbitration under OHADA law against a Middle Eastern company concerning the payment of a commission on the sale of military equipment in West Africa.

Africa

- acting for World Natural Resources Ltd in ICSID and ICC arbitrations against the Republic of Congo in relation to a €200 million dispute arising out of an oil production sharing agreement;

- acting for a coal brokerage company in a €27 million ICC arbitration against a North African state entity concerning the non-payment of deliveries;

- representing a French hotel group in a €32 million ICC arbitration under OHADA law against an African State concerning the performance of a hotel lease;

- representing N-SOFT, a Hong Kong-based telecommunications company operating in emerging markets, in two CCJA arbitrations against a Central African State regarding the performance of a €25 million settlement agreement;

- representing a French construction company against a Chinese supplier in an LCIA arbitration concerning works carried out in a port in West Africa.

Recognition and the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards

- acting for an African national oil company in a challenge to enforcement measures taken by a creditor in relation to an ICC award of €1 billion euros;

- acting for a public entity in the Middle East in exequatur proceedings for a $490 million foreign judgment in France in the telecoms sector;

- representing a French hotel group in proceedings to enforce an arbitration award in France against a West African State by means of a seizure of property;

- acting for an Asian telecommunications company in several proceedings brought before French courts by the Republic of Chad to oppose the exequatur of a €25 million CCJA award and the seizure of real estate property.

Other arbitration-related litigation proceedings

- securing a major victory for the Belgian company Projet Pilot Garoubé in set-aside proceedings brought by the Republic of Cameroon against a €22 million ICC award ;

- representing a leader European arbitrator in a professional liability action before the Paris Civil Court;

- representing World Natural Resources Ltd and its Congolese subsidiary in a challenge against an ICC award declining jurisdiction over one of the respondents;

- representing a French company in the defence sector in a challenge brought against a partial award on liability in an ad hoc arbitration ;

- representing a French aeronautics group in two set-aside proceedings against partial and final awards on liability;

- acting for a Belgian company in set-aside proceedings against an award rendered in a €3 million ad hoc arbitration relating to a shareholder dispute concerning several real estate projects.

Education