Biography
Professor Agrégée of Private Law
University Paris-Est Créteil
Avocat à la cour (Paris Bar)
Member of ICC International Court of Arbitration
Member of the Arbitration Commission of Membre of the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP)
Professor Agrégée of Private Law
University Paris-Est Créteil
Avocat à la cour (Paris Bar)
Member of ICC International Court of Arbitration
Member of the Arbitration Commission of Membre of the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP)
President of the Baku Arbitration Centre
President of Azerbaijan Arbitration Association
Association
Co-Chair of the Turkic Arbitration
Association
Kamalia Mehtiyeva, agrégée des Facultés de droit, is a Professor of Law at the University of Paris-Est Créteil (France) where she co-directs the LLM International Arbitration and International Economic Litigation. Her teaching and fields of research focus on international arbitration law, civil procedure, civil enforcement, international law of enforcement, mutual legal assistance in both civil and criminal matters (extradition, European arrest warrants, INTERPOL proceedings, freezing of assets) as well as the law of espionage and the legal regime of international sanctions.
Professor Mehtiyeva is widely published. Among her various publications, she is author of the annual commentary of decisions related to international mutual legal assistance in the Journal du Droit International (Clunet).
Professor Mehtiyeva is admitted to the Paris Bar. Prior to becoming a Professor of law, she practised in the Public International Law and Arbitration Group of Shearman & Sterling in Paris (2007-2014) and as co-founding partner of Barbier Mehtiyeva Law (2019-2024). She has represented clients in complex cases involving economic sanctions, commercial arbitrations relating to gas pricing, investment arbitrations arising from energy infrastructure construction projects, oil and mining exploration projects as well as in cases at the crossroads of international arbitration, white-collar crime, mutual legal assistance matters such as proceedings before INTERPOL, extradition proceedings as well as applications before the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Professor Mehtiyeva also regularly sits as arbitrator. She has acted as arbitrator (sole arbitrator, chair and co-arbitrator) in cases across various sectors, such as contractual disputes, franchise agreements, sales contracts, banking sector, cases involving sanctions, gas pricing disputes, investment disputes (expropriation, fair and equitable treatment) arising notably out of energy infrastructure construction projects as well as investment in oil exploration projects and uranium mining projects.
She is also a member of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce and member of the Commission of the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP).
Professor Mehtiyeva is the President of the Azerbaijan Arbitration Association and Co-President of the Turkic Arbitration Association.
She is also a member of the scientific-advisory council of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Professor Mehtiyeva works in French, English, Russian, Azerbaijani and Turkish.
Professor Clay has a leading practice as arbitrator in domestic and international arbitration. He has vast experience as chairman, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator, in a wide range of sectors, including energy, telecommunications, construction and distribution. He was appointed by the French Republic as arbitrator in the first ICSID arbitration brought against France, and presently sits on several ICSID tribunals. He has also been involved in arbitrations conducted under the aegis of other major arbitration centres, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the Arbitration Chamber of Milan (CAM), the OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration and the Mediation and Arbitration Centre of Paris (CMAP).
Professor Clay has also developed specific expertise in sports law. He is on the list of arbitrators for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
EXPERIENCE
Representative Cases
Acting as a Sole Arbitrator in ICC arbitration in a dispute regarding exclusive distribution agreement (Turkish Law applicable, arbitration in Turkish)
Acting as a Sole Arbitrator in ICC arbitration in a contractual dispute between a major airport and a service provider (Turkish Law applicable, arbitration in English)
Professor Clay has deep experience advising and representing States, multinational corporations and private clients in domestic and international arbitrations, with a specific focus on disputes involving energy, telecommunications, construction and distribution.
Professor Clay also has a leading sports practice. He has advised and represented motor sport companies and professional footballers, including the French captain Kylian Mbappé against the football club Paris Saint-Germain.
A leading authority on French arbitration law, Professor Clay is frequently instructed to advise and represent clients in relation to set-aside and enforcement proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal and the French Court of Cassation.
EXPERIENCE
Representative Cases
Representation of investors in a nephrite mining company against the Russian Federation in ad hoc investment arbitration (UNCITRAL) based on the 2006 Sino-Russian investment treaty.
Representing the majority shareholders of former Yukos Oil Company against the Russian Federation in investment arbitration proceedings (PCA)
Representing a State communications authority targeted by European Union restrictive measures against the Council of the European Union in the General Court of the European Union
Representing beneficiary of a discretionary offshore trust in a transnational money laundering case
Representation of a political opponent in investment arbitration and parallel criminal proceedings (extradition and INTERPOL).
Representing 73 cryptocurrency traders (crypto products: futures contracts and leveraged tokens) against a cryptocurrency exchange company in a HKIAC commercial arbitration
Acting as Chair of Arbitral Tribunal in the International Arbitration Court of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Law applicable, arbitration in Russian)
Representing investors engaged in investment arbitration against State in Interpol proceedings to obtain deletion of Red Notices issued against them by the Respondent State
Representing client in parallel criminal proceedings on allegations of fraud and international arbitration dispute over validity of the allegedly fraudulent contract
Professor Clay is a professor agrégé at the Sorbonne Law School (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), where he directs the International Arbitration Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution programme.
Professor Clay has played a leading role in shaping the arbitration landscape in France. He founded Sorbonne Arbitrage, an association which acts as a central hub for the Sorbonne’s arbitration law activities. Before that, he founded the University of Versailles’ Masters Programme Arbitration and Business Law, known as the “MACI”, a genuine talent incubator, which he also directed for twelve years. At the University of Versailles, he also served as Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Law.
Professor Clay has published a dozen books, approximately 180 articles and delivered over 150 lectures, many of them abroad.
For over twenty years, Professor Clay has written the Panorama of Arbitration Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution, published annually in the Recueil Dalloz.
A full list of Professor Clay's publications may be found here.
Professor Thomas Clay has been ranked in the category “Excellent Arbitrator” by Décideurs Magazine every year between 2010 and 2021, and subsequently in the category “Incontournable” (Top Tier) in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 (Rank 1).
He was also ranked “Excellent Lawyer in Arbitration Law” by Décideurs Magazine in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and “Incontournable” (Top Tier) from 2025 onwards. He received the 2011 Trophy for Best Arbitrator, awarded by Décideurs Magazine and the Paris Bar, and was distinguished among the Elite of the 30 Best Lawyers of the Paris Bar in 2020.
He was described by Who’s Who Legal in 2015 as a “high-qualified, reliable and efficient arbitrator”, in 2016 as a “skilful practitioner” with an “intimate understanding of French Arbitration Law”, and in 2021 as “a key figure in the market”, being referred to as “one of the most prominent sole practitioners in France” and “certainly among the very best”. He was ranked by Who’s Who Legal in 2022, 2023 and 2024 as an “Arbitration Thought Leader”.
Professor Clay was ranked by Chambers in 2023 in the category International Arbitration: Arbitrators – France, as well as in the category Most in Demand Arbitrators – Europe. He is described there as “excellent”, “very bright and talented”, “very fair, very proactive and knows the cases well”, and his extensive experience as an arbitrator in Africa is also highlighted.
Press articles
Le Monde
Other publications
Radio and television appearances
Interviews and portraits
Special Adviser to the President (Bâtonnier) and Vice-President (Vice-Bâtonnière) of the Paris Bar (2026–2027)
Member of the Board of Directors of the Paris Bar School (École de Formation du Barreau) (2026–2027)
Vice-President of "Paris, place d'arbitrage"
Member of "Paris, place de droit"
Head and founder of "Sorbonne Arbitrage" (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)
Associate member of the International Chamber of Commerce Institute
Member of the Board of Directors of the French Arbitration Association
Member of the Institute for International Arbitration
Member of the Orientation board of the Club de l'arbitrage
Co-chair of the Italian Arbitration Association in France
Member of the International Association of Procedural Law
Member of the American Association of Private International Law
Member of the academic board of the International Academy of Law and Economics
Expert of the French Institute of International Legal Experts
Member of the Association of Law Teachers
Member of the Institute for Expertise, Arbitration and Mediation
Member of the Advisory Board of the European Court of Arbitration of Versailles
Member of the Advisory Board of the European Court of Arbitration
Member of the Venezuelan Arbitration Committee
Member of the Board of the OHADAC Regional Arbitration Center
Member of the Editorial Board of the Paris Journal of International Arbitration
Member of the "Sorbonne Private and public economic law" research department
Co-director of the "Sorbonne Sport Law" research department
Honorary Director of the University Research Team in International Arbitration Law (University of Versailles)
Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of International Dispute Settlement
Member of the Editorial Board of the Revista brasileira de arbitragem
Member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Arab Arbitration
Member of the Scientific Board of ohada.com
Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Review of Law and Political Science (Cameroon)
Member of the Editorial Board of Arbitration and Mediation Magazine (Brazil)
Member of the Pedagogical Committee of the International School of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
EXPeRIENCE
Representative Cases
Representation of investors in a nephrite mining company against the Russian Federation in ad hoc investment arbitration (UNCITRAL) based on the 2006 Sino-Russian investment treaty.
Representing the majority shareholders of former Yukos Oil Company against the Russian Federation in investment arbitration proceedings (PCA)
Representing a State communications authority targeted by European Union restrictive measures against the Council of the European Union in the General Court of the European Union
Representing beneficiary of a discretionary offshore trust in a transnational money laundering case
Representation of a political opponent in investment arbitration and parallel criminal proceedings (extradition and INTERPOL).
Representing 73 cryptocurrency traders (crypto products: futures contracts and leveraged tokens) against a cryptocurrency exchange company in a HKIAC commercial arbitration
Acting as Chair of Arbitral Tribunal in the International Arbitration Court of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Law applicable, arbitration in Russian)
Representing investors engaged in investment arbitration against State in Interpol proceedings to obtain deletion of Red Notices issued against them by the Respondent State
Representing client in parallel criminal proceedings on allegations of fraud and international arbitration dispute over validity of the allegedly fraudulent contract
Acting as a Sole Arbitrator in ICC arbitration in a dispute regarding exclusive distribution agreement (Turkish Law applicable, arbitration in Turkish)
Acting as a Sole Arbitrator in ICC arbitration in a contractual dispute between a major airport and a service provider (Turkish Law applicable, arbitration in English)
Experience
Representation of investors in a nephrite mining company against the Russian Federation in ad hoc investment arbitration (UNCITRAL) based on the 2006 Sino-Russian investment treaty.
Representing the majority shareholders of former Yukos Oil Company against the Russian Federation in investment arbitration proceedings (PCA)
Representing a State communications authority targeted by European Union restrictive measures against the Council of the European Union in the General Court of the European Union
Representing beneficiary of a discretionary offshore trust in a transnational money laundering case
Representation of a political opponent in investment arbitration and parallel criminal proceedings (extradition and INTERPOL).
Representing 73 cryptocurrency traders (crypto products: futures contracts and leveraged tokens) against a cryptocurrency exchange company in a HKIAC commercial arbitration
Acting as Chair of Arbitral Tribunal in the International Arbitration Court of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Law applicable, arbitration in Russian)
Representing investors engaged in investment arbitration against State in Interpol proceedings to obtain deletion of Red Notices issued against them by the Respondent State
Representing client in parallel criminal proceedings on allegations of fraud and international arbitration dispute over validity of the allegedly fraudulent contract
Acting as a Sole Arbitrator in ICC arbitration in a dispute regarding exclusive distribution agreement (Turkish Law applicable, arbitration in Turkish)
Acting as a Sole Arbitrator in ICC arbitration in a contractual dispute between a major airport and a service provider (Turkish Law applicable, arbitration in English)