Ahmed Abdel Hakam

Partner

Ahmed is a Solicitor-Advocate (Civil and Criminal Higher Rights of Audience) before the Higher Courts of England & Wales, and a French Avocat (Avocat au Barreau de Paris).  He holds a Licence en Droit (LLB equivalent) from the Université Panthéon-Assas, a Masters in Public International Law from the Université Panthéon-Assas and a Masters in Public Administration from France’s Ecole nationale d‘administration.

Ahmed, who holds Egyptian, French and British citizenships, has experience in investment and commercial arbitration proceedings under the rules of all the major arbitral institutions, dealing with disputes covering a broad range of sectors, with a focus on energy and natural resources.  A significant part of Ahmed’s work is focused on Africa and the Middle East, in cases which raise complex questions of international law such as exploitation of natural resources in disputed territories, the status of private and public property following state secession, and the impact of civil unrest/war over the operation of energy and construction projects.

Ahmed also has an extensive practice in non-contentious and advisory work for clients around the world. He regularly advises on structuring and restructuring of investments and complex issues such as: the consequences of civil war on a State’s rights and obligations towards foreign investors and legal issues arising from the existence of competing governments, and on specific issues such as pipeline transit and transportation regimes and related international law issues arising from state dislocation.

In 2021, Ahmed published his first book entitled “International Arbitration and Resolving Disputes Arising from Investments in Times of Crisis”.  Ahmed’s book and other chapter contributions are available in the world’s most prestigious law faculties and libraries, such as: the Peace Palace in the Hague, the US Congress Library, Harvard Law, School, Yale Law School, The US State Department, McGill University, Georgetown University, Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Bucerius Law School, Cornell Law School, US Department of Justice, National University of Singapore, Columbia Law School and Stanford Law School.  Ahmed’s book also received the following endorsement from Ms Meg Kinnear, the Secretary-General of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID):

This text takes a unique perspective, looking at the intersection of investment law and the circumstances arising when States are in crisis, transition, or conflict. It is a fascinating read and will be a wonderful resource for the practitioner advising investors and States in these very difficult circumstances.”

In 2019, Ahmed was selected as a Young Leader by the Franco-British Council which, each year, nominates a select group of young French and British individuals under 40, with distinguished careers across a variety of sectors from sciences to arts, politics, law, the military and finance.

Ahmed is regularly listed in the leading legal directories which described him as “a future star – very impressive knowledge of public international law and very easy to work with” (Legal 500, United Kingdom 2023), and as having “a thorough grounding in international law. His ability to operate in French and Arabic, as well as English, also sets him apart as a truly international practitioner.” (Legal 500, United Kingdom, 2022).

Education

LL.M., in Public Administration, France’s Ecole nationale d’administration

LL.M., in Public International Law, University Panthéon-Assas

Licence en Droit (LLB equivalent), Université Panthéon-Assas

Languages

English, French and Arabic

Bar admissions

England and Wales, Paris