Stephens Chu, partner of Paris Arbitration Week 2026, hosted an event on "The fracture of the rules-based international order and international arbitration" on 24 March 2026. Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a panel of speakers that included Gaurav Sharma, Sylvie Bebohi-Ebongo, Myriam Seers and Ben Love.
The event was the subject of coverage in Global Arbitration Review (Unpaid awards and political arbitrators – disputes in a “fractured” world - Global Arbitration Review).
Gisèle Stephens Chu moderated a panel at the International Arbitration Institute's annual conference in Paris on 11 March 2026. The topic of this year's conference was: "Does international arbitration still serve the needs of international business?"Gisèle moderated a panel discussing whether international arbitration promotes solutions consistent with commercial expectations of business users, which included Merwan Lomri, Alison Pearsall and Benjamin Roux.
Gisèle Stephens Chu was a panelist at the Sovereign & States Disputes and Enforcement Summit 2026 organised by Thought Leaders 4 Disputes in London on 5-6 February 2026. Gisèle's panel discussed topical issues on enforcing against sovereign assets and judgments, and included Neil Newing, Tim Otty KC and Jamie Maples, with Jon Felce moderating.
Stephens Chu, partner of Paris Arbitration Week 2025, hosted an event on 10 April 2025 on the topic of "Arbitration and the Public Interest: Bridging the Public-Private Divide", with the following speakers: Emilia Onyema, Professor of International Commercial Law at SOAS University of London; Grégory Travaini, Head of Legal Transversal Team, Engie; Robert Kirkness, barrister, Thorndon Chambers; and Kirsten Young, partner, Boies Schiller Flexner.
Details and registration here: https://parisarbitrationweek.com/event/arbitration-and-the-public-interest-bridging-the-public-private-divide/
Gisèle Stephens-Chu was a panelist at an event hosted by Compass Lexecon on 8 April 2025 on the topic of "Investor-State disputes in an era of uncertainty". Other speakers included Julian Delamer, Noah Rubins and Coralie Darrigade, with Fabien Roques and Benjamin Roux moderating.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu gave a seminar for practitioners on provisional and protective measures, hosted by the Centre for Mediation and Arbitration of the GECAM in Douala (Cameroon).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on a panel hosted by Sciences Po TADS in Paris, examining the interpretation of international commercial contracts in international arbitration. The discussion was one in a series of workshops organized in Oslo, Rome, Paris, London, Vienna, Sao Paolo and Singapore as part of an empirical research project led by Professor Giuditta Cordero-Moss of the University of Oslo. Other speakers included Guillaume Briant, Prof. Fabien Gélinas, Pierrick Le Goff and Francisco Trebuq.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on a panel as part of a three-part series hosted by CPR Dispute Resolution on mediation. Other speakers included Kate Gonzalez (Airbus), William Wood KC (Brick Court) and Jason Klingensmith (GM).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on the group of companies doctrine during a panel discussion on French and German arbitration law, organised by DIS40 and hosted by the Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit in Bonn.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu delivered arbitration skills training programmes for counsel in international arbitrations hosted by the CIMAC in Casablanca and the CACI in Abidjan.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu gave a seminar reviewing and contrasting English and French caselaw on the law governing the arbitration agreement, as part of a seminar series organised by the Cambridge University Arbitration Society and the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a panel discussion on natural gas disputes during the 11th annual ITA-IEL-ICC joint conference on energy sector disputes in Houston.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at an event on States' defences in investment arbitration as part of the Public International Law Series hosted by Fietta, Rajah & Tann, Duxton Hill Chambers and the Sydney Centre for International Law.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu led an arbitration skills training program for counsel in international arbitration hosted by the CMAG in Douala, Cameroon.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on a panel discussing the future of investment arbitration in Europe and beyond during the Who's Who Legal Future Leaders annual conference in London.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at an event on the assessment of damages and disputes in times of economic "stagflation", organised by Boies Schiller Flexner during Paris Arbitration Week 2022.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a discussion on standing of shareholder indirect claims during the Vienna Arbitration Days 2022.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a panel alongside Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo on investment arbitration in Francophone Africa, featuring Aïcha Brahma, Donia Hedda Ellouze and Aissatou Ndong. The event is the second in a webinar series featuring women practitioners from the region. Recording available here.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a panel alongside Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo on the resolution of ENR and infrastructure disputes in Francophone Africa, featuring Audrey Alevina, Sabrina Aïnouz, Sally El Sawah and Salimatou Diallo. The event is the second in a webinar series featuring women practitioners from the region. Recording available here.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at the 7th edition of the SOAS Arbitration in Africa Conference, co-organised by SOAS and CIMAC, on "Navigating the Interests of African States in International Arbitration & Mediation". Gisèle's panel discussed International Investment Agreements and Development of African States, and she addressed the tools available in IIAs to preserve regulatory space and avoid exposure to discrimination claims in particular. The panel, moderated by Thierry Ngoga, also included Bobby Banson, Clara Brillembourg and Walid Ben Hamida.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a panel alongside Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo on the topic of Arbitration and ADR in the OHADA region, with speakers including Aminatou Akobe, Bintou Boli Djibo and Marie-Andrée Ngwe. The event was the first in a webinar series organised by the ERA Pledge African Sub Committee featuring women practititioners from Francophone Africa.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on a panel discussing "Paris' Enduring Status as Arbitration Mecca" at a virtual event organised by Laborde Law during Paris Arbitration Week. Other speakers included Nadia Darwazeh, Marc Henry, Gustavo Laborde and Michael Polkinghorne.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu gave a seminar on "The Diversity Deficit in Investment Arbitration" during the Summer Law School on International Investment Law 2021 co-hosted by ELSA Athens and the Athens Public International Law Centre.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at a virtual seminar on Independence and Impartiality in International and Investment Treaty Arbitration, hosted by Queen Mary University School of International Arbitration. Other speakers included Gabriel Bottini and Monty Taylor, with moderation from Professor Stavros Brekoulakis and Dr Anna Howard. (A recording of the event is available here.)
Gisèle Stephens-Chu attended the 73rd Session of UNCITRAL Working Group II (Arbitration and Conciliation/Dispute Settlement) as an observer on behalf of ArbitralWomen.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at a virtual event hosted by Queen Mary University of London to launch Anna Howard’s book on mediation, published by Kluwer. Other speakers included Anna Howard, Charlie Irvine, Michael Leathes, Frauke Nitschke and John Sturrock QC.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at a virtual event hosted by the Arbitration Commission of the Paris Bar on best practices with respect to arbitrator selection. Other speakers included Maria-Beatriz Burghetto, Caroline Duclercq, Laurence Kiffer, Alison Pearsall and Mirèze Philippe, with Valence Borgia moderating. (See event report.)
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at a virtual event hosted by the American Bar Association’s International Law Section on the future of COVID-19 investor-state claims in different regions of the world. Other speakers included Catherine Amirfar, Mélida Hodgson, Professor George Bermann and Barry Appleton, with Maria-Camila Hoyos moderating. (View recording.)
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on a panel about the future of investor-state and trade dispute settlement in Europe at the 5th Annual Conference of the Belgian Chapter of the Club Español del Arbitraje in Brussels. Other speakers included Colin Brown, Prof. Dr. Nikos Lavranos, Urquiola De Palacio and Isabelle Van Damme, with Erica Stein moderating.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at the launch event of the book edited by Dr Catharine Titi and published by Bruylant, held at the University of Paris II Panthéon Assas. Other speakers included Professor Ludovica Chiussi, Dr Daniel Müller, Professor Arnaud de Nanteuil, Dr Ioannis Prezas, Professor Andreas R. Ziegler and Dr Catherine Titi.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu gave a seminar on annulment and enforcement of arbitral awards (with Maxence Rivoire) during the 1st Africa Arbitration Academy at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated an event with leading African practitioners Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Ndanga Kamau, Marie-Andrée Ngwe and Hamid Abdulkareem, at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer during Paris Arbitration Week, with Ben Juratowitch co-moderating.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at a panel discussion organized by Freshfields and the Georgetown University Club of France in Paris. Other speakers included Karl Hennessee and Anthony Charlton, with Noah Rubins moderating.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on a panel discussing trends in energy disputes in Africa at the CIArb Kenya Branch conference in Diani, Kenya. Other speakers included Brian Muriuki, Nikhil Desai, Willy Mutubwa, with Wairimu Karanja moderating.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke on a panel on mediation within arbitration during the 13th CEA Congress in Madrid. Other speakers included Axel Reeg, Sue Hyun Lim and Giulio Palermo, with Begoña Castro Jover moderating.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a panel discussion on diversity in arbitration during Paris Arbitration Week, hosted by the Paris Bar. Speakers included Valence Borgia, Gillian Carmichael Lemaire, Eliseo Castineira, Caroline Duclercq, Ian Kayanakis and Mirèze Philippe.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at an event hosted by FTI Consulting during Paris Arbitration Week, discussing hot topics in damages. Other speakers included Thomas Kendra, Mike Pilgrem and James Nicholson, with Matthias Cazier-Darmois and Juliette Fortin co-moderating.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at the 3rd Annual GAR Live Energy conference in London, taking part in a debate on the motion "This House believes that there is no law in gas pricing arbitration". Other speakers included Mark Levy, Ben Holland, Paul Griffin, James Spigelman AC, QC, Sophie Nappert and Baiju Vasani, with Shai Wade as moderator.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu moderated a panel discussion hosted jointly by the ICC Young Arbitrator Forum and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris on the role of arbitral tribunals, with speakers including Professor Mathias Audit, Ana Serra e Moura and Greg Falkof.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu spoke at an event hosted by the SCC Arbitration Institute, providing an outsider’s perspective on arbitration in Sweden, as part of an international panel including Erica Stein, Tatyana Slipachuk and Fredrik Ringquist, with Patricia Shaughnessy moderating the discussion. (See event report .)
Casenote published by LexisNexis, available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis, available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis, available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis, available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis, available here.
Article co-authored with Jacob Grierson and Peter Rosher, published by the Revue de l'arbitrage (issue no. 3, 2024).
Casenote published by LexisNexis. Available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis. Available here.
Contribution to a book edited by Dr Y. Levashova and Dr P. Accaoui-Lorfing, Balancing the Protection of Foreign Investors and States' Responses in the Post-Pandemic World, published by Kluwer Law International. Available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis. Available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis. Available here.
Article published by AfronomicsLaw. Available here.
Casenote published by LexisNexis. Available here.
Article (with Camille Teynier) published in THĒMIS-Revista de Derecho 77 Arbitraje.
Chapter (with Dr Daniel Müller) published in a book edited by C. Titi, Droit de l’homme et droit international économique, Bruylant
Article (with Nora Bellec) published by International Law Office, Arbitration & ADR (accessible here)
Article (with Maxence Rivoire) published by International Law Office Arbitration & ADR (accessible here)
Article (with Joshua Kelly) published by Indian Journal of Arbitration Law, Vol. 7, Issue 1, 2018 – the article was cited by the Indian Supreme Court in Vedanta v. Shenzhen Shandong Nuclear Power Construction Co. Ltd (11 October 2018) (accessible here)
Article (with Yann Dehaudt-Delville) published by Dispute Resolution International, Vol 11, Issue No 1, May 2017 (accessible here)
Article (with Brian Duong) published in IBA Arbitration Newsletter, Vol. 20, Issue No 2, p. 34, 2015 (accessible here)
Article published in Arbitration International, Vol. 30, Issue No. 4, p. 661, 2014 (accessible here)
Article (with Julie Spinelli) published in Dispute Resolution International, Vol. 8, Issue No. 1, 2014 (accessible here)
Article (with Noah Rubins) published in International Legal Materials (52 ILM 1157) (accessible here)
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has been recommended in Lexology Index's Arbitration guide for 2025 (see directory).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has been recognised as a Global Leader in international arbitration by Who's Who Legal: Arbitration 2024 and a National Leader by Who's Who Legal France - Arbitration 2024 (see directory).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has been listed by the Legal 500 in its Private Practice Powerlist 2023 for Arbitration in France (see directory).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has been recognised as a Global Leader in international arbitration by Who's Who Legal: Arbitration 2023 and a National Leader by Who's Who Legal France - Arbitration 2023 (see directory).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has been reelected as member of the ArbitralWomen Board for the 2022-2024 term (see press release here).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has been recognised as a Future Leader in Who's Who Legal: Arbitration 2022 (see publication here).
Gisèle Stephens-Chu's comments on recent challenges to arbitrators were reported in Global Arbitration Review (see article here).
The firm's launch has been reported in Global Arbitration Review: see GAR report.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has again been recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader in international arbitration, reporting that she “exhibits a “tremendous grasp of theoretical aspects arising from complex quantum claims” and is highlighted as a “rising star” with a “strong commercial and client-focused approach”.
Gisèle Stephens-Chu has been elected to the Board of ArbitralWomen, an international non- governmental organisation bringing together women international dispute resolution practitioners, for the 2020-2022 term. (See press release.)
Gisèle Stephens-Chu was appointed to the Steering Committee of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge
