Practice Areas
Yann Schneller is a French-qualified lawyer and the founder of Darci, a law firm dedicated to international construction projects.
He advises clients across the full lifecycle of complex, high-value construction projects, from contract drafting through to project execution and dispute resolution. His practice combines front-end advisory work with extensive experience in construction arbitration and related court proceedings. He regularly assists both employers and contractors with contractual risk management, claims strategy and dispute avoidance mechanisms, and represents clients in international arbitration proceedings, both ad hoc and under the rules of leading arbitral institutions.
Yann Schneller is known for his close involvement in projects and his pragmatic, solution-oriented approach. He frequently works alongside project teams to address execution difficulties, with a focus on developing legally sound and commercially viable solutions that enable projects to proceed to completion while protecting clients’ positions in the event of disputes.
In addition to his work as counsel, Yann Schneller regularly sits as arbitrator and as a member of dispute boards. He has extensive experiences acting as president, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator in construction related disputes.
His dual perspective as counsel and arbitrator informs his approach to case management and decision-making, with particular attention to procedural efficiency, technical complexity and the commercial realities of construction projects.
He is trained in both civil law and common law and holds academic qualifications from France and the United Kingdom, including an MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution from King’s College London. His dual legal background enables him to act effectively in disputes involving diverse governing laws and procedural frameworks.
He is a FIDIC Certified Adjudicator and is included on the FIDIC President’s List of Approved Dispute Adjudicators, reflecting his recognised expertise in FIDIC contracts. He is also a FIDIC Certified Trainer and regularly delivers training on the interpretation and application of FIDIC contracts.
Indeed, Yann Schneller is actively involved in professional training and thought leadership in the field of international construction law and arbitration. He has delivered over 400 hours of training and lectures to construction professionals, in-house counsel, dispute resolution practitioners, public authorities and law students on topics including international arbitration, construction disputes and FIDIC contracts.
Professional Memberships
ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
Society of Construction Law
Dispute Resolution Board Foundation
IBA International Construction Projects Committee
ICC Institute of World Business Law
French National Committee of the ICC
