Contact Information

Admissions

District of Columbia

Credentials

  • J.D., New York University School of Law, 1990
  • B.A., Wesleyan University, 1986
    • high honors

Alexandre (“Alex”) de Gramont is a Partner in the Business Litigation Group, where he leads the firm’s International Disputes Practice.  Alex has represented clients in complex cross-border disputes before many of the world’s leading arbitration bodies.  He also handles related litigation in the trial and appellate courts of the United States.

Alex has been recognized as a leading international arbitration lawyer in publications such as Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, The Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation, Who’s Who Legal:  Arbitration (Global Leader), and Law Dragon (500 Leading Global Litigators). He is Chambers-ranked in two categories:  international arbitration and enforcement litigation.

Alex serves clients in cross-border disputes with his strategic acumen honed over three decades of practice; his ability to find creative solutions to resolve the most complex disputes; and his excellent trial skills when amicable resolution is not possible.  Clients and peers describe him as:

  • “an excellent strategist who can bring to a successful conclusion even the most complex and long-running disputes” (Chambers USA 2024);
  • “an outstanding trial advocate” (Chambers USA 2019);
  • “a great cross-examiner [with] a superb legal mind” (Chambers USA 2022); and 
  • “a great debater and a very good writer” (Chambers USA 2020). 

He is also known for his dedication to clients, his “smart, sensible and experienced” approach to cross-border disputes, his excellent case management skills, and his expertise in investor-State disputes.  According to client and peers, Alex is:

  • “an example of how to best serve a client” (Chambers USA 2021);
  • “regarded as ‘really smart, sensible and experienced’ by market commentators” (Chambers USA 2020); 
  • a “‘terrific practitioner,’ whose clients appreciate his varied experience of arbitrations in different jurisdictions, in addition to his ‘ability to maintain good time management’” (Chambers USA 2015); and
  • a lawyer who “garners considerable praise for his investor-State expertise” (Chambers Global 2013). 

Alex’s industry experience includes energy, mining, life sciences, hospitality, and financial services, in disputes arising throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.  Alex has also successfully represented clients in top-level domain disputes against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).  Many of his cases involve complex issues under public international and criminal law. 

Alex has arbitrated cases in many of the world’s leading arbitration institutions and under its leading rules, including the ICC, ICDR, ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, PCA, SCC, CPR, and JAMS. In addition to international commercial disputes between private parties, he has extensive experience in investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), including arbitration against foreign States and State-owned enterprises.  His experience includes claims under bilateral investment treaties (BITs), multi-lateral treaties and free-trade agreements (such as the Energy Charter Treaty, NAFTA, and CAFTA-DR), and foreign investment laws. 

Alex is a co-author of The International Arbitration Rulebook: A Guide to Arbitral Regimes (Kluwer 2019), as well as numerous articles and book chapters on international arbitration topics. He has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown Law School and has taught courses sponsored by the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Law Institute (ILI).

In addition to his published work on legal topics, Alex is the editor and translator of a volume of Albert Camus’s war- time journalism (“Between Hell and Reason: Essays from the French Resistance Newspaper,” Combat, 1944-1947, University Press of New England).

Representative Experience

Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.

  • Represented MOL Oil and Gas Plc against the Republic of Croatia in an arbitration brought at ICSID under the Energy Charter Treaty, as well as a related arbitration brought by Croatia under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
  • Represented Hungary in an arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules brought by one of the world’s largest energy companies under the Energy Charter Treaty.
  • Represented a Canadian gold mining company in an ICSID arbitration against El Salvador in one of the first cases brought under CAFTA-DR and El Salvador’s Foreign Investment Law.
  • Represented a Canadian uranium mining company against Mongolia in a UNCITRAL arbitration brought under the Energy Charter Treaty, Mongolia’s Foreign Investment Law, and an Investment Agreement.
  • Represented an international mining company in an investment dispute with a government in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Represented Republic of Bolivia in an ICSID arbitration with a subsidiary of an international consortium involving a water concession under the Netherlands-Bolivia bilateral investment treaty.
  • Represented a California import-export business in an ad hoc arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules brought against the Republic of Georgia under the US-Georgia bilateral investment treaty.
  • Represented ICM Registry in an ICDR arbitration against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers arising from ICM’s application for a registry agreement for the .XXX top level domain.
  • Represented Employ Media in an ICC arbitration against ICANN arising from Employ Media’s registry agreement for the JOBS top level domain.
  • Represented a Russian airline in an ICC arbitration against a US supplier.
  • Represented a Russian airline in an LCIA arbitration arising from an aircraft leasing agreement.
  • Represented a U.S. hotel management company in an ICC arbitration involving a hotel in Beirut.
  • Represented a US oil and gas supply company in an ICC arbitration against its former distributor in South America.
  • Represented a Swiss pharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration concerning a dispute over a patent licensing agreement.
  • Represented a US pharmaceutical company in a CPR arbitration against its contract manufacturing organization (CMO).
  • Represented a US trustee in a JAMS arbitration arising out of net profit interests in oil and gas fields in the southeastern United States.

Honors & Awards

  • Ranked in Chambers USA, International Arbitration: Counsel, USA – Nationwide (2007, 2012-Present) 
  • Ranked in Chambers USA, International Arbitration: Enforcement, USA – Nationwide (2021-Present)
  • Ranked, Chambers Global, International Arbitration: Counsel (2013-Present)
  • Recommended in Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration (2016-Present)
  • Recommended in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration (2017-Present), Global Leader (2023)
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Alternative Dispute Resolution and International Arbitration, Washington, DC (2017-Present)
  • Named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators List (2024)

Presentations

  • “Navigating Legal Disputes With Russian Entities Under EU, UK, and US Sanctions Regimes,” Webinar, (October 12, 2022)
  • “Demystifying Privilege Part Three: Selecting the Law of Privilege in International Arbitration,” Webinar (April 28, 2021)
  • “New Rules for a New World: Will COVID-19 Make International Arbitration Better, Faster and Cheaper?” Webinar (September 30, 2020)
  • “Investment Arbitration and Environmental Protection: Who Will Blink First?” African Arbitration Experience: Expectations for the Future, 2nd Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA) & Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Conference, Mombasa, Kenya (March 6, 2020) 
  • “Evidence in International Arbitration,” Africa Legal Network Academy, Mombasa, Kenya (March 4, 2020)
  • “The Indelible Stain of Corruption in the International Legal Landscape: Views From Litigation, Arbitration, and Transactions,” iLaw2020 The ILS Global Forum on International Law, Miami, FL (February 28, 2020)
  • “Achmea’s Aftermath: Jurisdictional Objections, Enforcement Actions, and the Fate of Intra-EU BITs,” Washington, DC (February 18, 2020)
  • “Radical Proposals for Dispute Resolution: An Efficiency Revolution,” 14th International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) New York Conference, New York, NY (October 4, 2019)
  • “Recent Developments in International Arbitration,” Moscow (October 5, 2018)
  • “Recent Developments in Emerging Markets Arbitrations,” EMTA Special Seminar (September 26, 2018)
  • “Confronting Corruption Claims in International Business Disputes,” Association of Corporate Counsel, New York, NY (June 20, 2018)
  • “Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) Prevention and Management,” APEC Workshop, Washington, DC (October 3, 2017)
  • “Choosing Arbitration and International Arbitration for the Resolution of Business Disputes,” Business Skills Institute / Corporate Counsel University, CLE Presented by the Greater Philadelphia ACC, Philadelphia, PA (September 19, 2017)
  • “Game Theory: How Do the Incentives, Processes, and Psychology of ISDS Affect Damages Outcomes?” 5th Annual Damages in International Arbitration Conference, Washington, DC (September 16, 2016)
  • “Arbitration in the Emerging Markets,” EMTA Special Seminar, London (January 29, 2016)
  • “Strategies for Faster and Cheaper Cross-Border Dispute Resolution,” Webinar (January 14, 2016)

Publications

  • “Five-Year Long Consultations on Modernization of the Energy Charter Treaty Conclude with Agreement in Principle,” Co-Author, Client Alert (June 30, 2022)
  • “COVID-19 Economic Crisis: Ensuring Protection for International Banking and Finance Investors and their Investments,” Client Alert (June 08, 2020)
  • “Dispute Boards: A Novel Dispute-Resolution Technique for Life Sciences Companies Fighting COVID-19,” Co-Author, Client Alert (June 02, 2020)
  • “COVID-19 Economic Crisis: Impending Sovereign Bond Disputes and the International Investment Protection System,” Client Alert (May 15, 2020)
  • “COVID-19 Economic Crisis: Protecting International Banking and Finance Investors and their Investments,” Client Alert (April 30, 2020)
  • “COVID-19 Coronavirus: Preparing for and Managing Disputes in the Hospitality Sector,” Client Alert (April 16, 2020)
  • “The USMCA Nears Entry into Force with Significant Consequences for Cross-Border North American Investors,” Co-Author, Client Alert (January 31, 2020)
  • The International Arbitration Rulebook: A Guide to Arbitral Regimes, Co-Author, (Kluwer 2019)
  • The International Arbitration Rule Book: A Practitioner's Guide, Co-Author (Kluwer 2019)
  • “Intra-EU Arbitral Award Enforced in the U.S. – Achmea Objection Dismissed by D.C. District Court for the First Time,” Co-Author, Client Alert (September 18, 2019)
  • “The Supreme Court of the United States Unanimously Reaffirms the Court’s Jurisprudence Enforcing Contractual Arbitration Agreements As-Written,” Co-Author, Client Alert (January 11, 2019)
  • “Updated HKIAC Arbitration Rules Seek to Save Time and Costs,” Client Alert (November 28, 2018)
  • “USMCA Scales Back on Investor-State Arbitration but Preserves Trade Dispute Resolution in North America,” Client Alert (October 11, 2018) 
  • “Recent Developments in International Arbitration,” Client Alert (October 05, 2018)
  • “Recent Developments in Emerging Markets Arbitrations,” Client Alert (May 14, 2018)
  • “Swiss Court affirms parties’ right to waive set-aside of arbitration award,” Client Alert (November 30, 2017)
  • “Helping Hungary’s MOL counter state misbehavior in Croatia,” Client Alert (October 20, 2017)

Media Mentions

Languages

  • French

Profile insights