Anaïs Harlé
Biography
Overview
Anaïs Harlé is Counsel in the International Arbitration Group in Paris. She also worked in the New York office during a secondment.
Anaïs has a decade of experience representing States and corporations in investment and commercial arbitrations under the arbitration rules of various institutions (ICSID, ICC, SCC, LCIA, UNCITRAL).
Her practice focuses on complex construction and energy disputes, where she has advised and defended clients in different regions of the world, including Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Anaïs has a keen interest in offshore and coastal projects and marine renewable energy.
Anaïs has also worked on disputes in the mining, hospitality, aviation and M&A sectors. She has experience with matters involving money laundering and corruption issues, and arbitration-related proceedings before French courts (including interim measures relating to performance guarantees under FIDIC contracts).
Prior to joining White & Case, Anaïs studied in England, the United States, Canada and France. She acquired experience in the field of international arbitration and litigation at several international law firms, in Paris and in London, as well as within the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.
Anaïs teaches an international arbitration course at Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (Paris 13) and an introduction to investment arbitration seminar at Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2).
First Class
Experience
Her recent experience includes:
Construction disputes
- Advising a construction consortium regarding claims arising out of the rehabilitation of an airport in Kenya and representing it in parallel court proceedings in France and in Kenya relating to the call of a performance security.
- Representing the main contractor on one of the world's largest infrastructure projects located in Central America in DAB and ICC arbitration proceedings.
- Representing a sub-contractor in a dispute against the main EPC contractor in relation to a refinery project.
Investor-State arbitration
- Representing an Eastern European State in an ICSID arbitration regarding the termination of a mining concession.
- Representing Georgia in coordinated SCC and ICSID arbitrations concerning the regulation of electricity tariffs and related enforcement and annulment proceedings.
- Represented the Claimants in Engie and others v. Hungary, an ICSID case under the Energy Charter Treaty and the France-Hungary BIT relating to the regulation of gas tariffs.
Commercial Arbitration
- Representing an international group of hotels in a LCIA arbitration in relation to a dispute arising out of the performance of a hotel management agreement.
- Acted as secretary of the arbitral tribunal in an ICC arbitration seated in Paris.
- Represented a French company in an ICC arbitration arising out of a long-term supply contract in the aviation industry.
- Represented a group of Indian companies in annulment proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal brought by the State of Yemen against an international award.
- Represented a group of companies in an ICC arbitration regarding tax disputes arising out of a M&A transaction in Central Europe.
"General International Law in International Investment Law - A Commentary", Book Launch Event (panelist), Sciences Po Law School, Paris, March 2025
"This house believes that the current treatment of shareholders' claims for reflective loss in ISDS is appropriate" (Oxford-style panel), IBA Arb40 Symposium: The continuous pursuit of legitimisation and optimisation of international arbitration, London, April 2025
"The Modernised ECT: Climate Change, Arbitration, and Energy Transition", 10th Cambridge Arbitration Day, Cambridge University, April 2025
"Arbitration in France", Thomson Reuters Practical Law, note w-030-3576, January 2025 (with Nicolas Bouchardie, Lucas De Ferrari and Léa Gouwy)
"Arbitration in France" Thomson Reuters Practical Law, April 2021 (with N. Bouchardie, L. De Ferrari and M. Guyonnet)
"Enforcement of awards in France—a dual system (Ryanair v Syndicate of Charente Airports)", Lexis PSL Arbitration, May 2017, (with E. Oger-Gross)
"Arbitration procedures and practice in France: overview", PLC, March 2016, (with Elizabeth Oger-Gross)
"Litigation and enforcement in France: overview", PLC Global Guide to Dispute Resolution, January 2016, (with E. Oger-Gross, A. Pitchouguina and E. Valette)
Recognized in the 2022-2025 editions of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in France for International Arbitration
Kate Bertram Prize for Distinguished Performance in non-Tripos Examination (LLM), University of Cambridge, Lucy Cavendish College, 2013
