The Paris Chapter of Arbitration Ireland is a collection of Irish and international professionals with a shared interest in promoting Ireland as a seat.

Paris Chapter of Arbitration Ireland

The purpose of the Paris Chapter is to create a forum where like-minded practitioners can meet and engage with the wider Irish legal community in the Paris alongside the international arbitration community generally in order to deepen existing connections and to make new ones and to build awareness of Dublin as a seat in a jurisdiction they can trust.

Benjamin Ross is admitted to the Paris and New York bars and works for independent international arbitrator Annet van Hooft, in Paris. He acts as counsel in international arbitration matters, and has extensive experience as secretary to the arbitral tribunal in proceedings conducted under the rules of arbitration of several institutions (AFA, CEPANI, DIA, HKIAC, ICC, ICSID, LCIA, NAI, SCC, SIAC, Swiss Chambers, VIAC, WIPO). Benjamin also takes part in arbitration-related proceedings before the French courts such as requests for interim measures and enforcement or annulment proceedings. He is a former co-chair of Paris Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (PVYAP) and a current board member of the Paris bar’s sport association

Philippe is the Global co-head of Simmons & Simmons LLP’s international arbitration practice.
A prolific author on international arbitration, Philippe also regularly lectures in Trinity College, Dublin and the Hague Academy of International Law. He also serves as Vice-Chair to the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR, the premier think-tank for international commercial arbitration, comprising more than 1300 arbitration practitioners worldwide.
As an aside, Philippe acts as Judicial Officer for World Rugby, EPCR, and LNR Professional rugby as well as Anti-corruption Hearing Officer for the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
Philippe has been an Avocat at the Paris bar since 2004 and received an LL.M from Trinity College Dublin. He also holds a Master in European Business Law from the University Paris 2 Panthéon Assas.

David Coyne is a reputable, independent construction delay expert witness in international Arbitration. Mr Coyne is the Regional Head of Diales Expert Witness Services France and is recommended in Who’s Who Legal as a global leader in construction quantum and delay services in 2022 and a global leader in International Arbitration in 2023. Before working as an expert witness, David worked globally as a Civil Engineer and Project Manager for significant clients. As a result, he has gained experience across all stages of a project’s lifecycle. He applies his project experience and technical knowledge to support clients as a delay expert witness in all dispute resolution forums. David is a Chartered Engineer in Europe (EUR ING), and the UK (CEng), as well as being a Marine Engineer (CMarEng). He holds an MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution from Kings College London, UK, an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering from Imperial College London, UK,. and an MEng in Civil Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland.

Emmanuel is a partner at Derains & Gharavi specialised in international arbitration. He has regularly acted as counsel (for high net-worth individuals, major international private companies, foreign investors and Sovereign States) and on tribunals, in proceedings conducted under the Arbitration Rules of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce Centre (ICC), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI), the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the Swiss Arbitration Centre (formerly the Swiss Chamber Arbitration Institution, or SCAI), and the UNCITRAL Rules.

Shane is a partner at CMS Francis Lefebvre in Paris. He advises individual clients, corporations, and sovereign states in commercial and investor-state arbitrations (ISDS) under various rules (ICC, LCIA, PCA, ICSID, UNCITRAL) as well as in ad-hoc proceedings and in litigation related to arbitration proceedings.
He has acted in disputes across a wide range of sectors, including energy, telecommunications, mining, textiles, construction, banking, oil and gas, media, as well as in post-merger/acquisition, joint-venture, and post-privatization disputes.
Shane also sits as an arbitrator. 

Shane is listed by Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) as a “Future Leader” in Arbitration in France, 2019 – 2026.