Ramy Bassily

Ramy Bassily specialises in international investment and commercial arbitration, with experience in handling cases under a wide range of institutional rules, including ICSID, ICC, LCIA, AAA, CRCICA, DIAC, and ADCCAC, as well as ad hoc proceedings. His work spans various substantive laws, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa. Ramy’s practice covers diverse sectors such as banking, construction, infrastructure, energy, distribution, defence, and telecommunications. He also represents clients in negotiations and mediations.

Ramy is regularly appointed as an arbitrator and is also listed as a qualified arbitrator with different international arbitral institutions across the MENA region.

Before joining Lead up, Ramy practised law for more than 15 years at major international law firms in France and Egypt, and independently.

He is currently working on his Ph.D. on Investment Arbitration and Judicial Expropriation at the University of Burgundy in France.

Selected Experience in Investment Arbitration:

• Counsel for a Turkish investor against a Middle Eastern state in an arbitration arising out of the termination of two large-scale infrastructure projects and, more generally, losses caused by the Arab Spring, in breach of a Bilateral Investment Treaty
• Counsel for a Middle Eastern State in an ICSID arbitration against a French investor in the telecommunications sector, on the basis of a Bilateral Investment Treaty
• Counsel for a Middle Eastern State in an ICSID arbitration against a Spanish investor in relation to an investment in a cement manufacturing plant, on the basis of a Bilateral Investment Treaty
• Counsel for a Middle Eastern State in an ICC arbitration against an investor in the telecommunications sector
• Counsel for a Middle Eastern State in an ICSID arbitration against a British investor in the textile sector, on the basis of a Bilateral Investment Treaty
• Counsel for a Middle Eastern State in a UNCITRAL arbitration against a Finnish investor in the iron ore sector, on the basis of a Bilateral Investment Treaty
• Counsel for a European State in an ICSID arbitration against a Dutch investor in the postal sector, on the basis of a Bilateral Investment Treaty

Selected Experience in Commercial Arbitration:

• Counsel for a Middle Eastern construction company in an ICC arbitration relating to infrastructure projects
• Counsel for a State-owned gas seller in an ICC arbitration relating to the price of gas under a long-term supply contract
• Counsel for a State-owned natural gas company in an ICC arbitration relating to the price of bitumen-based fuel under a long-term supply contract
• Counsel for a consortium of companies of a major French construction group in an ICC arbitration concerning the construction of a carbon fibre plant
• Counsel for a German company in a UNCITRAL arbitration concerning the construction of an energy plant in a Middle Eastern country
• Counsel for a conglomerate of Middle Eastern construction companies in a UNCITRAL arbitration concerning infrastructure projects
• Counsel for a businessman in an ICC arbitration concerning commercial agreements concluded under Sharia law

Selected Experience as Arbitrator:

• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC Case relating to a construction dispute. Applicable law: United Arab Emirates
• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC Case concerning the breach of a construction subcontract. Applicable law: English
• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC Case relating to the breach of a construction subcontract. Applicable law: United Arab Emirates
• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC Case relating to the breach of a service contract. Applicable law: United Arab Emirates
• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC Case relating to the breach of a sale and purchase agreement. Applicable law: United Arab Emirates
• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC Case relating to a real estate dispute. Applicable law: United Arab Emirates
• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC Case relating to the breach of a real estate investment and operational management contract. Applicable law: United Arab Emirates

• Ph.D., Public Law, University of Burgundy, France — in progress
• Master 2, Litigation, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Paris II – Panthéon-Assas, France
• Master 2, International Trade Law, Paris X – Paris-Nanterre, France
• LL.M., International and Comparative Law (Highest Honour for outstanding graduate academic achievement), The American University, Egypt
• Harvard-modeled International Negotiation Program, Harvard University & The American University, Egypt
• University Diploma in French Legal Studies, University Lyon III, France
• LL.B. (Hons), Ain Shams University , Egypt
• Certificate of Legal Methodology, University Lyon III, France

Recent Speaking Engagements:

• “Legal issues and opportunities in Egypt in the context of investment arbitration”, The American University in Cairo, November 2021
• “Hardship and Force Majeure in International Commercial Contracts”, The 38th ICC Institute Annual Conference, Paris, November 2018

Academic involvements:

• Research assistant, The University of Paris X Paris-Nanterre (France), October 2014 – January 2015, and at
• Research and teaching assistant, The American University in Cairo (Egypt), September 2011 – May 2013