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