About

Gisèle Stephens-Chu, Founder

Gisèle is a dual-qualified French Avocat and English Solicitor-Advocate with over seventeen years’ experience in international dispute resolution. Before founding the firm, Gisèle practised in the international arbitration group at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, a leading international law firm, in London and in Paris.

Skilled in resolving the most complex disputes, Gisèle is recognised for her strong commercial and client focus. She has acted for corporations and States or State-owned entities in approximately fifty disputes, often involving high value claims, in many jurisdictions in Africa, Europe and elsewhere. She has handled significant matters and arbitrations under English law, French law and other common law and civil law systems. She argues cases in English and French and speaks fluent Spanish and some German. 

While her experience spans a range of industry sectors, she has significant expertise in oil and gas, power and infrastructure disputes. She was previously a Board member for the Paris Chapter of Young Professionals in Energy.

An advocate for diversity in the field of dispute resolution, Gisèle has been on the Board of ArbitralWomen since 2020 and is a member of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge Steering Committee.

Gisèle is recognised as a Global Leader by Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration and by the Legal 500 (Private Practice Powerlist, Arbitration, France). She regularly publishes and speaks on international arbitration and international law and teaches at Université Paris II Panthéon Assas.

In addition to her counsel work, Gisèle serves as arbitrator and mediator.

Education

  • University of Cambridge, UK (MA (Hons) in Law
  • Université de Poitiers, France (Licence de droit)

Professional qualifications

  • Avocate à la Cour (Paris Bar)
  • Solicitor-Advocate (civil) (England & Wales)
  • CEDR Accredited Mediator
Photo de Gisèle Stephens Chu
Gisèle "has outstanding knowledge of English and French law”
Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2023
"A brilliant advocate"
"She is definitely a name to know in arbitration"
Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2022
“a rising star” with a “strong commercial and client-focused approach”
Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2021
"... one of the very best practitioners of the next generation... In addition to brilliant and incisive legal analysis, Gisèle has a keen eye for both minute detail and the big commercial picture" 
Client quote, Global Arbitration Review
Stephens-Chu “poetically conveys the complicated legal regime in her persuasive writings, and excels in oral advocacy, confidently knowing the key to advocacy : how and when to make the point”
Client quote, Global Arbitration Review
222 boulevard Saint Germain
75007 Paris
France
contact@stephenschu.com
Stephens Chu © 2021
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