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 focuses his practice on international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration across a range of industries arising from nearly every corner of the globe. He also handles related litigation matters in the trial and appellate courts of the United States. He has been recognized as a leading international arbitration lawyer in publications such as Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration, The Best Lawyers in America, and Benchmark Litigation.

Clients and peers have consistently praised Alex for his trial and advocacy skills and substantive experience. He is described as “an outstanding trial advocate whose oral advocacy skills are very, very good” (Chambers USA 2019). He “is a great cross-examiner and has a superb legal mind” (Chambers USA 2022). He is “characterized as ‘a great debater and a very good writer’ by clients” (Chambers USA 2020). He “is considered to be a ‘very good speaker who can create a very forceful argument,” and “garners considerable praise for his investor-State expertise” (Chambers Global 2013).

Clients and peers have also commended his broad experience, case management skills, and dedication to matters. “He’s an excellent strategist in complex dispute resolution” (Chambers USA 2022). “He is an example of how to best serve a client” (Chambers USA 2021). He “is regarded as ‘really smart, sensible and experienced’ by market commentators” (Chambers USA 2020). He has been “lauded as 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).

Alex’s industry experience includes energy, mining, life sciences, hospitality, financial services, and internet governance. He has extensive experience in disputes arising from investments and transactions in multiple jurisdictions, including Africa, Asia, Europe, Central, North, and South America.

He has handled cases in many of the world’s leading arbitration institutions and under its leading rules, including the AAA, ICC, ICDR, ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, PCA, SCC, CPR, and JAMS. In addition to handling disputes under international and domestic contracts, Alex has extensive experience with disputes arising 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. He has also successfully represented clients in top-level domain disputes against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

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 frequently lectures on such matters and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught investor-state arbitration. He has also taught courses sponsored by the United Nations on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Law Institute (ILI) in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

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