Zuzana is a French-educated international arbitration lawyer with more than a half a decade of experience in investment, commercial and construction arbitration.
Zuzana holds an LLM in International Economic Law from the Sorbonne University in Paris and an LLM in Litigation, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Modes from the University of Paris 2 – Panthéon-Assas.
She is a former graduate trainee from a top-tier international arbitration law firm, Shearman & Sterling, in Paris, where she was involved in a number of ICSID, UNCITRAL and ICC cases. She also assisted in the Project directed by the UNCITRAL Secretariat related to the www.newyorkconvention1958.org website and the Guide on the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.
Zuzana speaks English, French, Slovak and Czech fluently and has basic knowledge of Russian.
She is admitted to the Paris Bar.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Aceris Law LLC – Associate
Zuzana represents the clients of Aceris Law under the direction and supervision of the founding partner, William Kirtley. She has worked on various cases under the ICC, UNCITRAL, SCC, LCIA, PCA and other arbitration rules. She has represented companies and States in disputes across a broad range of industries (real estate, construction, energy, civil aviation, cryptocurrency, etc.) under French, Swiss, English, Georgian, Kazakh, Texas, Saudi, OHADA and other laws. She has also advised clients on international economic sanctions imposed by the USA, the EU or the UN, as well as on third-party funding options. Zuzana has represented an Eastern European State-owned company in Dispute Adjudication Board proceedings against an Indian construction company concerning a USD 15 million dispute over the construction of an OHL transmission line. She has also served as counsel for a publicly-listed Malaysian company in an SCC arbitration under English law against a Dubai based company in a dispute regarding a logistic contract concluded for a gas construction project in Uzbekistan, that involves, inter alia, issues of application of the U.S. economic sanctions through the prism of a force majeure clause. Zuzana has also served as counsel for a Singapore-based company in a successful ICC arbitration over a civil-aviation dispute; for an Austrian company in a successful ICC arbitration against a Mauritanian company in a construction dispute; a Kazakh company in an ICC arbitration against a Joint Venture composed of Italian and Kazakh companies concerning a road construction dispute, settled on favourable terms for the client; and for a Saudi company in an ICC arbitration against another Saudi company over a construction dispute in relation to a refinery project in Saudi Arabia, also settled on favourable terms for the client. She has also contributed to diverse publications on international commercial, construction and investment arbitration.
Rasseck Bourgi’s office, Intern
Zuzana worked on an UNCITRAL investment arbitration concerning a real-estate project; on an enforcement of an ICSID award rendered in the aviation industry; and on an ICC arbitration relating to a construction dispute. She provided in-depth legal research on public international law, investment arbitration, French law and OHADA law issues.
Shearman & Sterling LLP, Intern
During her twelve-month internship in international arbitration department, Zuzana intervened in multiple ICSID, UNCITRAL and ICC cases including, inter alia, mining arbitrations and construction disputes. She was also involved in enforcement of foreign awards proceedings in France. She assisted in the Project directed by the UNCITRAL Secretariat related to www.newyorkconvention1958.org website and the Guide on the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. She also helped with the translations of documents and evidence to and from French, English, Slovak and Czech.
Guyot & De Campos, Intern
Zuzana focused on several branches of French law, such as inheritance law, criminal law, corporate law and family law cases.
RECENT INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION LEGAL EXPERIENCE
- Counsel in dispute adjudication proceedings under Georgian Law on behalf of an Eastern European state-owned entity against an Indian construction company in a dispute related to the construction of an OHL transmission line.
- Counsel in an SCC arbitration under English law on behalf of a Malaysian company against a Dubai based company in a dispute regarding a logistic contract concluded for a gas construction project in Uzbekistan.
- Counsel in an investment treaty arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules on behalf of American investors against an Eastern European State.
- Counsel in an ICC arbitration under French law on behalf of a Singaporean client against a French company in a civil aviation related dispute; concluded with full recovery for the client.
- Counsel in ICC arbitration under Swiss law on behalf of Austrian client against Mauritanian company; concluded with successful outcome for the client.
- Counsel in ICC arbitration under Saudi law on behalf of Saudi client against Saudi company; settled on favourable terms for client.
- Counsel in ICC arbitration under Kazakh law on behalf of Kazakh client against Joint Venture composed of Italian and Kazakh companies; settled on favourable terms for the client.
EDUCATION
Paris Bar School
- Paris International Arbitration Moot organised by Sciences Po, 12th edition, finalist
University Paris 2, Panthéon-Assas (2014 – 2015)
Master 2 in Litigation, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Master thesis: Anti-suit injunctions in ICSID Arbitration (written in French, Le pouvoir du tribunal arbitral de suspendre les procédures étatiques: pratique des anti-suit injonctions dans l’arbitrage C.I.R.D.I.); Mentor : Prof. Charles Jarrosson
- Courses: ICC Arbitration; Investment Arbitration; Sport Arbitration; Expedited Procedures; Mediation and Conciliation; French Arbitration Law (International and Domestic); Enforcement Proceedings; French Civil Procedure; French Criminal Procedure
University Paris 1, Sorbonne-Panthéon (2013 – 2014)
Master 2 in International Economic Law
- Master thesis: Procedural Treaty Shopping in Investor-State Arbitration (written in French: La recherche de l’accès au tribunal arbitral par l’investisseur appartenant aux groupes de sociétés : phénomène de treaty shopping procédural) ; Mentor : Prof. Geneviève Bastid-Burdeau
- Courses: International Trade Law; Investment Arbitration; International Environmental Law; International Monetary Law; International Project Finance
University Paris 1, Sorbonne-Panthéon (2012 – 2013)
Master 1 in International Law
- Courses: International Public Law; International Private Law; International and European Tax Law; International Arbitration (Commercial and Investor-State); International Criminal Law; WTO Dispute Resolution
University of Reims, Champagne-Ardenne (2009 – 2013)
Bachelor of Laws and Master 1 in French Private Law
- Courses: French Civil, Criminal, Corporate, Administrative and Family Law; French Civil, Criminal and Administrative Procedure
LANGUAGES
English – Bilingual
French – Bilingual
Slovak – Mother tongue
Czech – Professional working proficiency
Russian – Basic
BAR ADMISSION
Paris
MEMBERSHIPS
Getting the Deal Through Author
Jus Mundi Contributor
Young Practitioners Group under the auspices of AIAC
ICC Young Arbitrators Forum