Gaëtan is a founding partner of Three Crowns. He has over 20 years of experience serving as advocate or arbitrator in both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations.

Gaëtan’s experience includes:

  • Successfully defending the Sultanate of Oman against a US$200 million claim in connection with an investment treaty dispute relating to an oil and gas engineering and construction contract
  • Reducing a US$430 million claim against an Asian national oil company to $10 in nominal damages in an ICC arbitration arising from the client’s withdrawal from a production sharing contract in Central Asia
  • Securing a US$175 million damages award including interest for a Trafigura subsidiary in an UNCITRAL arbitration against the Government of Ghana arising from a power purchase agreement
  • Representing a European wind farm manufacturer in an ICC arbitration relating to a cross-licensing agreement for wind turbine patents
  • Securing a $150 million award for an Asian national oil company in an ICC arbitration arising from a production sharing agreement with another Asian national oil company, while defeating a $140 million counterclaim in the same proceeding
  • Representing an Asian national oil company in a US$490 million ICC arbitration arising from a gas transportation agreement
  • Securing a favourable award for a European renewable energy fund in an investment treaty arbitration against the Kingdom of Spain.

Gaëtan is a past Senior Co-Chair of the Arbitration Committee of the International Bar Association – a leading standard-setter for the practice of international arbitration. He is a member of the SIAC Court of Arbitration and was appointed to the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators by the Kingdom of Belgium. He teaches at King’s College School of Law in London and Columbia Law School in New York.

Before entering private practice, he served as a Legal Advisor at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, where he advised dispute settlement panels adjudicating disputes between sovereigns across a range of industry sectors.

Gaëtan has been ranked as a leading international arbitration practitioner in all major publications, including Chambers, The Legal 500, The Legal 500’s Arbitration Powerlist 2019, and Who’s Who Legal (legal thought leader).  Gaëtan has been described in Chambers as having “a phenomenal reputation” and is praised for “articulating his arguments well and being good at devising the right legal strategy while also convincing the tribunal during his submissions”. Who’s Who Legal has noted that Gaëtan is recognised by his clients, peers, and opponents as “the number-one person I have ever encountered on the other side”, “impressive and thorough oral advocate”, and that “he is liked by peers for his style and presence; he definitely deserves to be on any list of the best”.

Gaëtan is admitted to practice in England & Wales, France, and Spain. He was educated at Columbia Law School, the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and the Catholic University of Leuven.