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Carole Sportes
Partner
Carole Sportes is the managing partner of the firm’s Paris office. She leads the International Dispute Resolution Practice Group. Carole acts for states and state entities in numerous high-profile investment treaty claims, as well as corporations in international commercial arbitrations with a focus on the aviation, insurance and M&A industries.
She has broad expertise in handling complex multijurisdictional disputes and representing parties in commercial and investment arbitration, as well as recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.
Recent highlights include a victory in a multimillion-euro commercial arbitration for a global food products giant and a landmark decision obtained from the Cour de cassation (the French Supreme Court) in a related international arbitration matter.
Her practice encompasses the areas of commercial and corporate disputes, aviation, insurance, reinsurance and product liability disputes, including pharmaceutical products.
Clients working with Carole are sensitive to her tenacity and extensive experience in dealing with high-value cases; dealing with technical and complex matters; and in handling mass tort litigation and the correlative ability to craft and ensure a coherent defence strategy in multidistrict litigation.
Carole began her career in 1995 as a corporate lawyer in Paris at a multinational professional services group. She then decided to turn to a litigation practice and joined the Litigation and Insurance department of a global law firm in 1998.
Before joining the firm in January 2015, Carole co-founded and contributed for 10 years to the development of a French boutique law firm in Paris, specialised in cross-border and domestic litigation.
Carole actively contributes to debates on product liability. She is co-author of the French chapter for the ICGL publications Class & Group Actions Guide and Product Liability Guide.
International Arbitration
- Representing a foreign state in a pending US$1.4 billion investment arbitration regarding compensation for the expropriation of the claimant's predecessors' company in the 1970s.
- Representing a foreign state in a pending €193 million investment arbitration conducted pursuant to ICC Rules relating to several construction projects interrupted by a civil war.
- Representing a foreign state in an ongoing US$69 million investment arbitration conducted pursuant to ICC Rules relating to a settlement agreement and several construction projects interrupted by a civil war.
- Representing a foreign state in a pending US$52 million investment arbitration conducted pursuant to ICC Rules relating to several construction projects interrupted by a civil war.
- Defending a foreign State National Oil Corporation in a highly sensitive dispute against Marine Services Company relating to the impact of acts of war/insurrection on the performance of a charter party.
- Representing a worldwide food and beverage company in an international commercial arbitration relating to the valuation of the minority shareholders' capital share.
Litigation Before French Courts
- Representing a foreign central bank in a recourse against a French exequatur order of an arbitral award of US$1 billion.
- Representing a foreign central bank in relation to various seizure proceedings on its assets.
- Representing a foreign state in a setting aside proceedings before the Court of appeal of Paris relating to an arbitration award where US$70 million is at issue.
- Representing a foreign state in a setting aside proceedings before the Court of appeal of Paris relating to an arbitration award where US$51 million is at issue.
- Representing a foreign state in relation to an Exequatur judgment of a Serbian judgment ordering the foreign state to pay to the claimant €10 million.
- Representing a major International pharmaceutical company in a massive litigation representing a global risk of €200 million concerning a drug marketed in most of the occidental countries during the 70s.
- Representing one of the most preeminent industrial companies in a large litigation concerning the Lyme syndrome.
- Advising and representing a US manufacturer of diesel engines on an exclusive basis for its French product liability cases.
- Representing a foreign state to protect its ownership right on a governmental A340 aircraft.
Aviation
- Sharm El Sheikh accident of January 2004 – Representing Flash Airlines, its insurers and reinsurers (148 fatalities, 650 claims) before the French courts.
- The Airbus A 320 crash in Perpignan of November 2008 – Representing Air New Zealand in the criminal proceedings.
- Representing worldwide and European airlines in their cargo and passengers’ claims.
Product Liability
- Representing a major international pharmaceutical company in the massive French litigation concerning the drug DES.
- Representing one of the most preeminent industrial companies in a large litigation concerning the Lyme syndrome.
- Advising and representing a US manufacturer of medical devices in multidistrict product liability litigation.
Insurance
- Advising and representing a major international insurer in a large litigation against a European insurer relating to a coverage issue applicable to an entire portfolio.
- Advising and representing a European middle-size insurer in handling the run-off of a property and casualty insurance French portfolio.
Education
- CAPA, 1995
- Université de Montpellier, Business Law School/DEA, Droit privé, 1994
- Université de Montpellier, Maîtrise en Droit privé, 1993
Admissions
- Paris, 1995
Memberships & Affiliations
- IAWA – International Aviation Women’s Association
- SFDAS – Société Française de Droit Aérien et Spatial
- AIDA – Association Internationale de Droit des Assurances
Languages
- French
- English
- Recognised in Product Liability Defence 2023
- Recommended in Who's Who Legal Thought Leaders Global Elite – Insurance & Reinsurance 2023
- Recommended in Who's Who Legal Thought Leaders – France – Insurance & Reinsurance 2023
- Best Lawyers 2023 in Aviation Law, Product Liability Litigation, Transportation Law
- Nominated Lawyer of the Year 2019 in transportation by Best Lawyers.
- Among the few recommended lawyers in France by Legal 500 EMEA 2018 for insurance and aviation
- Recommended in the Who’s Who Legal Product Transport Aviation 2022, Liability Defence 2019 – 2022, Who’s Who Legal Insurance and Reinsurance 2014 – 2022 and Who’s Who Legal Product Liability Defense 2022
- Listed in the Guide to the World’s Leading Litigation and Product Liability Lawyers 2016 – 2021
- Listed in the Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law 2016 – 2021
- Ranked by Chambers Europe 2018 in France Transportation – Aviation Band 3