Hervé Le Lay
“Strategic mind”
“He is very pragmatic and understands well the needs of his clients”,
“He adapts to different cultures very easily, he would be go to lawyer for multidisciplinary disputes”,
“His advice is always comprehensive and easy to understand”
WWL- Arbitration 2022
“Strategic mind”,
“Excellent expertise in sports arbitration”.
WWL- Arbitration 2021
“Hervé Le Lay stands out among peers for his rapid grasp of both legal issues and commercial priorities of a case.”
WWL- Arbitration 2019
“Peers ‘would definitely recommend’ Hervé Le Lay for his outstanding expertise when it comes to energy and infrastructure disputes”
WWL- Arbitration 2018
“A pleasure to work with, always available, credible, knowledgeable”
Legal 500 -Arbitration 2021
“Hervé Le Lay is a very sharp lawyer and a strategic thinker who understands the differences and complexities in different jurisdictions and can easily adapt himself and the case strategy to any hurdles”
Legal 500 -Arbitration 2018
Hervé Le Lay est associé de MCL Arbitration.
Avocat au barreau de Paris, sa pratique se concentre sur le règlement de litiges internationaux, comme conseil et comme arbitre.
Praticien reconnu et expérimenté en matière de litiges commerciaux, Hervé est intervenu dans de très nombreux arbitrages institutionnels (CCI, SCC, LMAA, LCIA, OMC, etc.) et ad hoc (y compris CNUDCI), dans des litiges relatifs dans un large spectre de secteurs et opérations (construction, post-M&A, litiges entre actionnaires et de joint ventures, media, énergies, ventes internationales, responsabilité du fait des produits et risques industriels, contrats d’agents, assurance-réassurance, projets miniers, infrastructures, etc.).
Il siège régulièrement comme arbitre et est notamment membre de la liste d’arbitres du Comité français de la CCI et des panels d’arbitres de KCAB International, de l’AIAC du BVI IAC et du TAS.
Hervé intervient également devant les tribunaux français, dans le cadre de litiges civils et commerciaux, de procédures d’expertise judiciaire, et de procédures d’exécution et de recours contre des sentences arbitrales ou jugements étrangers.
Il intervient fréquemment à un stade pré-contentieux, y compris dans le cadre de médiations/conciliations.
Hervé possède une vaste expérience des règlements de litiges liés au sport. Il est arbitre du Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (liste générale et liste football). Son expérience en la matière couvre tant les sujets commerciaux (M&A, droits TV, sponsoring, transferts, etc.) que règlementaires et disciplinaires (dopage, match fixing, gouvernance, règlementations propres au football, etc.) devant les instances spécialisées du sport (TAS, CNOSF, etc.) comme devant des forums non spécialisés tels que la CCI et les tribunaux nationaux.
La langue maternelle d’Hervé est le français. Il parle couramment l’anglais et l’espagnol et a une bonne compréhension du portugais. Il a vécu en Amérique Latine (Brésil et Panama), Turquie, Canada, Suisse et Belgique.
Diplômé de l’IEP de Paris (Sciences Po) et des universités Paris Ouest Nanterre et Panthéon-Sorbonne, il enseigne l’arbitrage à l’université d’Aix-Marseille (DESU Droit économique).
Avant de rejoindre MCL Arbitration, Hervé était associé du cabinet américain Brown Rudnick LLP.
Hervé Le Lay’s notable experience includes:
Sole arbitrator in an ICC in relation to a franchising dispute in the hospitality sector between Greek and Lebanese investors and companies
Applicable Law: Greek Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Counsel in an ICC arbitration in relation to a construction dispute in the Middle East between a Turkish company and French/ Iraqi companies
Applicable Law: French Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Counsel in an ICC arbitration in relation to a post M&A dispute in the TV broadcasting sector between a Dutch company and an English company
Applicable Law: English Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Counsel in a CAM arbitration in the energy sector between a US company and Canadian/Spanish insurers
Applicable Law: Spanish Law
Seat: Madrid, Spain
Language: English/Spanish
Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration relating to the reinsurance industry
Applicable Law: OHADA Law
Seat: Paris France
Language: French
Counsel in 4 parallel ICC arbitrations in relation to a shareholder dispute in the energy sector between a French company and German companies
Applicable Law: French Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English/French
Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a Chinese and a Spanish company over the international sale of agrifood products
Applicable Law: Spanish Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration over the construction of a steel plant custom made furnace between a Czech company and a Romanian company
Applicable Law: French
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Sole arbitrator in a dispute over the construction, installation startup and training of two manufacturing lines between an Italian company and a Saudi company
Applicable Law: Italian Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Counsel in Judicial expert proceedings in a dispute over the construction of a power plant in France
Applicable Law: French Law
Seat: French commercial court
Language: French
Counsel in an ICC arbitration relating to a M&A and licensing dispute over 22 TV channels and broadcasting rights of sporting major events
Applicable Law: French Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Counsel in an industrial risk dispute before French courts over a fire in a petrochemical complex
Applicable Law: French Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Counsel in an ICC arbitration relating to the termination of a mining concession between a West African State and a Indian/French company
Applicable Law: Local West African State Law and OHADA Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: French
Counsel in 8 LMAA arbitration relating to Chartering contracts for a fleet of bulk carriers between Jordanian/Saudi companies and an Algerian company
Applicable Law: English Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: French
Counsel in an ICC arbitration relating to a post M&A and licensing dispute over 22 TV channels and broadcasting rights of sporting major events
Applicable Law: French Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: English
Counsel in enforcement proceedings relating to a Russian judgement relating to a takeover scheme and fraud in the banking sector
Applicable law: French and Russian Law
Seat: France courts (first instance, appeal and cassation)
Language: French
Counsel in an ICC arbitration relating to mining, railroad and mining concessions between a West African State and UK company
Applicable Law: Local West African State Law and OHADA Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: French
Counsel in French Court proceedings regarding a dispute over sponsorship agreement between Dutch companies and a French football club
Applicable law: French Law
Seat: French courts (first instance and appeal)
Language: French
Counsel in an ICC Arbitration in relation civil fraud and a management agreement in the banking sector between a Saudi bank and a French bank
Applicable Law: Saudi Law Law
Seat: Geneva, Switzerland
Language: English
Counsel in an ad hoc arbitration in relation a reinsurance dispute between a Danish company and a Turkish company
Applicable Law: English Law
Seat: London, UK
Language: English
Counsel in an ICC arbitration in relation a shareholder dispute between Jordanian/Saudi companies and an Algerian company
Applicable Law: Algerian Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: French
Counsel in an ICC arbitration relating to a Shareholder dispute over the operation and the financing of the extension of a cement plant between a Saudi company and an Algerian company
Applicable Law: Algerian Law
Seat: Paris, France
Language: French
Counsel in an ICC arbitration relating to the termination of a mining concession in Tunisia
Applicable Law: Tunisian Law
Seat: Geneva, Switzerland
Language: English and French
Counsel in an ICC arbitration relating to the termination of a mining concession in Bolivia between the Bolivian State and an Indian company
Applicable Law: Bolivian Law
Seat: Bolivia
Language: Spanish
Counsel in various annulment and enforcement proceedings of arbitral awards before French Courts
Sole Arbitrator, presiding arbitrator, co-arbitrator or ad hoc clerck in multiple (+40) CAS arbitrations relating to commercial disputes (agent contracts, transfer agreements, employment agreements, etc.) and regulatory disputes (doping, match fixing, FIFA RSTP, UEFA Financial Fair play, elections, etc.)
Arbitration Guide -France, International Bar Association, March 2024 https://www.ibanet.org/document?id=France-country-guides-arbitration
Kraydon: La naturaleza del rol de la CCI en el proceso arbitral, (w/ Y. Concha Takeshita) Iurgium (Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje), N.°50/2024
Schooner: Una ampliación indeseable del control de la competencia arbitral, (avec A. Mourre), Spain Arbitration Review/Revista del Club Español del Arbitraje, N.°47/2023
Interview de Maitre Hervé Le Lay, Jurisportiva.fr, (mars 2021)
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Rappels et précisions sur le contradictoire, le mécanisme de la déduction défavorable et sur le recours à l’équité en matière d’évaluation du préjudice (note sous Cour d’Appel de Paris, Pôle 5/Ch. 16, 1er déc. 2020), Revue de l’Arbitrage – Comité Français de l’Arbitrage,2021- N° 1
Interview sur les règles UEFA relatives au fair play financier et sur le Tribunal arbitral du sport, So Foot, Nov. 2018
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Contributeur, Investing Across Borders Guide, The World Bank, éditions 2010 et 2012
Co-auteur, Arbitrages ordinaires pouvant être soumis au Tribunal Arbitral du Sport, (avec W. Sternheimer), TAS/CAS Bulletin, No. 1, 2012
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“Le projet inclusif porté par les Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de Paris”, IDEF/Fondation pour le Droit Continental and CAS conference on “Sport et Responsabilité Sociétale – Les leçons des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de Paris”, Sénat français, novembre 2024.
“Le système International de règlement des litiges sportif”, Conférences d’actualité du CEDIN, Université Paris Nanterre, novembre 2024.
“Old and new territories for arbitration: Energy, construction, Fintech – How does arbitration fit with different industries?”, Queen Mary University CCLS Alumni Conference, Paris, octobre 2024.
« Accompagner la coopération juridique et des affaires dans la zone Amérique Latine, la place de l’avocat”, Semaine de l’Amérique Latine et des Caraïbes, Ordre des Avocats de Paris, mai 2024.
“The protection of Athlete’s rights in antidoping proceedings”, SAM Conference, Madrid, May 2024
“Sports, Arbitration and the Olympics”, Comité Français de l’Arbitrage (CFA), Paris, mars 2024.
“From contracts to arbitration: new challenges of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the International Business Environment”, Paris Session of the China Arbitration Week 2023, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), septembre 2023.
“Sports Arbitration”, Thought leadership session, BVI IAC / Paris Arbitration Week, Paris, mars 2022.
“Player’s Contracts: Topical Litigious Issues in View of CAS Case Law”, BİLGİ University Sports Law Disputes in Turkey and Europe Webinar, Istanbul, novembre 2021.
» Fight Club: Concurrent delays in construction projects », AIJA Construction Disputes Conference, Vienne, octobre 2021.
“Execution of Monetary Decisions”, The Morgan Sports Law Football Conference, juin 2021.
Moderator, « Dealing with cultural and practice differences between counsels », Paris Arbitration Week, avril 2019.
“Is Sports Arbitration in Turmoil Following the Seraing, Mutu & Peichtein Rulings?”, AIJA Sports Law Conference, Paris, décembre 2018.
“Is There a Viable Alternative to Arbitration to Improve Justice in Sport?”, AIJA Sports Law Conference, Paris, décembre 2018.
“Gender equality in international dispute resolution”, ICC Istanbul Arbitration Day, février 2018.
“Res Judicata – Parallel Proceedings and Contradictory Awards”, AIJA Conference, Stockholm, juin 2017.
“Third party financing in international arbitration”, ICC YAF Conference, Istanbul, mai 2017.
“The future of sport arbitration and on the intervention by state courts in different countries into sport”, AIJA Conference, Lausanne, avril 2017.
Chair, Roundtable on International Arbitration, The Law Firm Network Global Meeting, Singapour, juin 2016.
“Arbitration of commercial sports-related disputes at the CAS”, The Law Firm Network Regional Meeting, Zurich, octobre 2014.
“Legal review of federation’s decisions through the Court of Arbitration for Sports – Jurisprudence and latest development”, AIJA Sports Law Seminar, Dublin, octobre 2014.
