Paris‑based scholar Arnaud de Nanteuil began serving as of counsel at the boutique law firm Mada on 1 September, adding a well‑known voice in international investment and African regional law to the practice.
Founded in June, the firm emerged from a team of eight lawyers who left Trinity International to create a specialised platform for natural resources, energy and infrastructure work across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia and Latin America. Its offices sit in Paris and Dubai, giving it a foothold in two major business hubs.
Beyond arbitration, the practice covers corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, financing, tax, regulatory matters, ESG considerations, as well as business and human‑rights issues. This breadth aims to meet the complex needs of clients operating in volatile markets.
For more than a decade, the professor at University of Paris‑Est Créteil has balanced teaching with a consulting practice, handling investor‑state disputes as an arbitrator. He appears on panels for the Organization for the Harmonization in Africa of Business Law (OHADA) and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), among other bodies.
He will keep his academic post, allowing research to continue feeding practical advice. The firm says his arrival strengthens its ability to guide clients through investment protection, international tax questions, and the legal frameworks of regional African bodies such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa and the Economic Community of West African States.
He will also advise on exchange‑control rules, land and maritime boundary issues, government recognition and transboundary environmental concerns. The combination of scholarly depth and hands‑on arbitration experience is expected to raise the boutique’s profile in high‑stakes disputes.
For companies seeking to manage Africa’s shifting regulatory environment, having a practitioner who can both draft treaty language and steer a complex arbitration could translate into smoother project financing. Clients may find that the added expertise reduces the time needed to resolve cross‑border disagreements, which in turn can keep projects on schedule.
The new counsel will work closely with senior partner Stéphane Brabant, global managing partner Lucien Bou Chaaya, and partner Rayan Keyrouz on international litigation.
Jérôme Le Berre will oversee international tax matters.
In a statement, Bou Chaaya praised de Nanteuil’s “rare mastery of international law, underpinned by top‑tier research into the most complex issues surrounding international investment.” He added that the arbitrator’s skill in drafting and revising legal instruments governing state‑investor relations aligns perfectly with the practice’s versatility.
Brabant highlighted a “unique distinction” that the newcomer brings, noting a “new dimension to alternative dispute resolution, including amicable settlement and mediation, as well as to relations with sub‑regional and financial institutions in Africa.”
Commenting on his move, de Nanteuil said, “I have worked extensively with lawyers over the past few years and have always been struck by the complementary nature of our approaches. What I bring to cases is a broader perspective – a full view informed by research – without ever losing sight of the details. Joining Mada formalises a role I have played for about a decade within a team I know well.”
They anticipate that the hire will open new avenues for managing relations between states, an area that often proves critical for large‑scale infrastructure projects. As the boutique continues to expand its client base, the added arbitration capacity may prove decisive in securing cross‑border investments.