Benjamin Siino

Partner at Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes (France)

Speaker

Benjamin Siino is a founding partner of Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes with a dual practice in international arbitration and enforcement. He has been repeatedly praised as one of the finest enforcement specialists. He previously was a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he practiced for more than ten years.

Benjamin acts as counsel in energy, investment and general commercial arbitrations, with a strong focus on arbitrations related to Africa. He has acted in international ad hoc and institutional arbitrations, conducted under the UNCITRAL, ICC and ICSID arbitration rules.

With respect to enforcement, Benjamin appears before French and other courts in proceedings to seek or resist the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards and foreign judgments. He notably coordinates global enforcement efforts of the majority shareholders of the former Yukos Oil Company across multiple jurisdictions in relation to the USD 50 billion landmark award (now valued at USD 60 billion) secured against the Russian Federation. He also develops and implements asset tracing strategies to identify and locate recoverable assets worldwide, through the most complex money laundering schemes and corporate structures. He has extensive experience in cross-border cases and has traced assets in all shapes and sizes.

Benjamin has conducted extensive research, authored numerous publications, and regularly lectures and speaks on enforcement and the 1958 New York Convention. He also served as Co-Team Leader of the New York Convention Guide Project (www.newyorkconvention1958.org), a project developed in cooperation with UNCITRAL and Columbia University on the implementation of the Convention with a view to promoting its uniform application around the world.

Benjamin is ranked in Chambers Global and featured as a Thought leader in the field of international arbitration in Lexology Index (successor to Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration). Described by clients and peers as a “brilliant advocate“, “extremely hard working and sharp”, and “clearly a leader in the field”, he has also been referred to as “one of the top few to perfectly master judicial and arbitral questions”, and “a true expert in the field of recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards”.