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Lara Elborno

Senior Associate
About

Lara Elborno focuses on international investment and commercial arbitration. She has also acted as administrative secretary to arbitral tribunals. Lara has represented clients before the Paris Court of Appeal in proceedings challenging arbitral awards and before US federal courts in proceedings seeking enforcement of ICSID awards.

She has experience advising clients pre-disputes and post-awards on available legal remedies. She has also represented both States and companies in arbitral proceedings under the ICSID, ICC and UNCITRAL rules. Lara also has experience assisting arbitral tribunals in UNCITRAL/PCA, ICC, and SIAC cases.

Lara is also passionate about pro-bono, serving on the firm’s pro-bono committee. She represents asylum seekers before French asylum jurisdictions as part of a collaboration between DLA Piper and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). She is also involved in the firm’s strategic litigation efforts to represent asylum seekers in Samos, Greece in applications before the European Court of Human Rights in conjunction with Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF). She has also advised NGOs on issues like whistleblower rights as well as French prison reform arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professional QualificationsAttorney-at-law admitted with the Supreme Court of IllinoisAvocat admitted to the Paris Bar

EXPERIENCE

  • Member of a team representing a contractor in an ICC arbitration against its subcontractor in relation to claims related to the construction a solar power plant in North Africa
  • Member of a team representing a UAE investor in the oil sector in an investment arbitration under the OIC Treaty against a North African State in relation to claims arising out of a project for the upgrade and operation of a refinery in Libya.
  • Member of a team representing a Libyan-UAE joint venture in an ICC arbitration against its Libyan joint venture partner in relation to claims arising out of the interpretation of an agreement for the supply of crude oil.
  • Member of a team representing a Gulf State in a ICC arbitration brought by a Singaporean engineering firm in relation to claims arising out of the design and construction of a Waste to Energy Plant.
  • Member of a team representing an leading intergovernmental organization in a UNCITRAL arbitration brought by an African provider of logistics and transportation services in relation to claims for breach of contract.
  • Member of a team representing a Turkish investor in an investment arbitration against Oman under the Turkey-Oman BIT in relation to the expropriation of an investment comprising an Off Plot Delivery Contract.
  • Member of a team representing a Jordanian-Lebanese investor in the telecommunications sector in an ICSID arbitration against Sudan under the Jordan-Sudan BIT and the Lebanon-Sudan BIT in relation to alleged unfair treatment of an investment in the Sudanese telecom sector.
  • Member of a team representing a European state in annulment proceedings of an investment arbitration award rendered in favour of a Russian energy company before the Paris Court of Appeal.
  • Member of a team representing a European state before a U.S. Federal District Court to enforce a an ICSID costs award in its favour.
  • Member of a team representing a Swiss investor against Latvia in an investment arbitration under the Switzerland-Latvia BIT in relation to claims arising out of the takeover of a Latvian bank.
Languages
  • English
  • French
  • Arabic
Education
  • Université de Paris II - Panthéon, LL.M. in European law, 2013
  • Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D. with international law certificate, 2012
  • University of Iowa, B.S. in Psychology, B.A. in French and Arabic, 2009

Publications

  • GAR, Investment Treaty Know-How Section analysing the BITs of Jordan
  • Lexology GTDT, “Investment Treaty Arbitration France” 2021, with Michael Ostrove

Seminars

  • Lecturer on US and UK Constitutional law at Université de Paris II - Panthéon Assas, 2016-2017

Prior Experience

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Lara has worked at two global law firms in Paris and taught US and UK constitutional law at Université de Paris II - Panthéon Assas.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • ArbitralWomen
  • Paris Arab Arbitration Practitioners
  • International Bar Association
  • ICC Arab Arbitration Group

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