Ramy Bassily appointed ICC YAAF Representative for the Middle East (2026-2028)
Ramy Bassily, partner at Lead up in Paris, is appointed Representative of the International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration and ADR Forum (ICC YAAF) for the Middle East, for the 2026-2028 mandate. In this capacity, he will speak for the Middle East arbitration community within the global network of the International Chamber of Commerce, and support young practitioners in the region. The appointment draws the firm still closer to the Middle East and North Africa jurisdictions in which it acts.
Lead up, a Paris firm dedicated to litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, welcomes this appointment. It reflects the firm’s commitment to the international arbitration community and its institutions.
What ICC YAAF is
ICC YAAF (International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitration and ADR Forum) is the forum of the International Chamber of Commerce dedicated to dispute resolution practitioners. According to the International Chamber of Commerce, the network connects over forty-five thousand practitioners across seven Regional Chapters: Africa, Middle East, North Asia, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and North America. Its purpose is to support dispute resolution practitioners aged forty and under.
The mandate and its timing
ICC YAAF regional representatives carry the forum’s mission: to connect lawyers and in-house counsel, and to strengthen ties within the international arbitration community. According to the International Chamber of Commerce announcement, new representatives begin a two-year mandate. The official handover will take place on 16 October 2026, at the ICC YAAF Global Conference, in the United Kingdom.
What it means for Lead up and the region
The Middle East is one of the seven Regional Chapters of ICC YAAF. Ramy Bassily is admitted to the Egyptian Bar, and works in Arabic, English and French. He acts as counsel in commercial and investor-State disputes, and sits as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and tribunal chair in commercial disputes. His matters, both as counsel and as arbitrator, concern in particular cases governed by Egyptian, Emirati, Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti, Jordanian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Libyan and Sudanese law, and by the principles of Sharia. The appointment consolidates the presence of Lead up among the region’s practitioners and their arbitral institutions.
What the appointment changes in practice
For young practitioners in the region, the appointment opens a direct point of contact with the global ICC YAAF network. It supports the organisation of regional events, the sharing of knowledge and connection within the arbitration community. It extends the experience the firm has gained in proceedings conducted under the principal arbitral institutions, including the International Chamber of Commerce.
The appointment continues the engagement of Lead up’s partners within international bodies dedicated to supporting young practitioners. It echoes the election of Baptiste Rigaudeau as Global Vice Chair of the Global Board of Young Mining Professionals, announced in April 2026.
To discuss international arbitration in the Middle East and North Africa, or to get involved in an ICC YAAF initiative in the region, you may contact Ramy Bassily.