Sana Belaid
Arbitrator & Mediator
Membership Category
Individual
Membership No.
0430
Commission
Arbitration and ADR
Profile Details
Sana Belaid
Arbitrator & Mediator
Sana is an international arbitrator and mediator, with a proven track record in managing complex disputes and transactions across various legal systems and cultures. Sana has a robust academic foundation in Comparative Law and Public International Law from Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris, and a distinguished Master's in Law from Tunis. Her expertise is further recognised through her accreditation as a CEDR Mediator and various certifications in privacy and coaching.
Professionally, Sana has led significant arbitration proceedings and negotiations, particularly in the ICT and oil & gas sectors, during her tenure as Senior Associate with two American law firms, Coudert Brothers and White & Case in Paris, and as Senior Corporate Counsel at Cisco in Dubai. Her arbitration experience spans the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe, where she has handled high-stakes disputes and represented governments and multinational companies in numerous arbitrations and ADR proceedings, both institutional (mainly ICC) and ad-hoc. Additionally, she has advised major multinational oil & gas companies, particularly in Africa, on research, exploration, and exploitation transactions.
As a thought leader in arbitration, Sana regularly participates at international conferences and seminars. Her engagements include panels on leveraging technology for effective arbitration, confidentiality, and trade secrets, and she has contributed to significant reports and training programs led by the International Chamber of Commerce. Her involvement in these forums underscores her commitment to advancing arbitration practices and sharing insights on efficient dispute-resolution mechanisms in a global context.
Sector Expertise:
- Information and Communication Technology (“ICT”)
- Energy, Oil & Gas
- Commercial Dispute Resolution
Information and Communication Technology:
Sana’s practice focuses specifically on ICT. She has first-hand experience in disputes relating specifically to software development and enterprise implementation; turnkey projects, services, hardware resale and sourcing, outsourcing; various business disputes involving governments, telecommunication private and public sector companies including development and building of technology including fibre optic facilities; matters relating to liabilities, privacy, confidentiality, trade secrets, licensing and commercialization of IP.
Energy, Oil & Gas:
Sana has first-hand experience in oil & gas disputes relating specifically to gas procurement; cross border joint ventures; infrastructure projects; natural resources; gas and LNG sales agreements; and farm-out agreements, and represented both private and public sector parties.
Commercial Dispute Resolution:
Sana’s commercial dispute experience relates to the international sales of goods and services; breach of the contract and legal obligations; cross-border transactions and joint-venture agreements; and share and/or asset purchases.
Career History
Experience:
- - Represented a Japanese company in negotiations with Yemeni public entities: led negotiation meetings in Sana’a and led efforts to settle amicably a construction dispute; negotiated and drafted a settlement agreement under Yemeni law
- - Represented clients in major petroleum arbitrations in Russia, involving, amongst other questions, obstruction of an acquisition using pre-emption rights under Russian law (value US$ 600 million)
- - Worked on a construction arbitration related to a major project in Algeria (involving the liability of sub-contractors under Algerian law)
- - Represented a South African company in a construction dispute in Libya (value US$ 1 billion)
- - Represented an Asian government on a major arbitration related to suspected payment of commissions in two Asian countries and Europe. The arbitration involved court proceedings in France and Switzerland (value US$ 600 million)
- - Regularly represented a UK Oil & Gas company in disputes with African governments and state-owned companies
- - Regularly advised major multinational oil & gas companies operating in Africa, and more particularly in the North African region (research, exploration, exploitation contracts)
Academic & Professional Qualifications
Academic
1996: Comparative Law (Cum Laude), Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France
1995: Public International Law (First in class), Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France
Master’s in law, 1991-1995: Graduated with distinction, Faculté des Sciences Juridiques, Politiques et Sociales, Tunis, Tunisia
Baccalauréat (Literature), 1991: Presidential Prize, First prize nationwide, Tunisia
Professional:
2024: Admitted to a “Member” membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
2024: Elected “Delegate” of the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR (for the 2024-2027 Term)
2021-2024: Member of the User Council of the Swiss Arbitration Association (« ASA »)
2018-2024: Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration
2006 - 2024 Senior Legal Counsel in regional and global roles - Cisco (Dubai, UAE)
2004 - 2006 Senior Associate, International Arbitration Department White & Case LLP (Paris, France)
2001 – 2004 Senior Associate, International Arbitration Department, Coudert Brothers (Paris, France)
Professional Associations & Recognitions:
Certifications:
2024: Associate Certified Coach (“ACC”) Credentials, International Coach Federation (“ICF”)
2023: A Certified Privacy Professional. IAPP Certification (International Association of Privacy Professionals): Information Privacy Professional /Europe (CIPP/E)
2022: An Accredited Mediator. CEDR Accredited Mediator (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution)
2022: Co-founder Ifriqya Arbitration Forum
2015-2019: A Qualified & Certified Coach. CTI (“Coaching Training Institute”): Qualification & / ORSC (“Organization & Relationship Systems Coaching Institute”) Qualification in Team Coaching Certification in co-facilitation: “Alchemy, the Art & Science of Co-Facilitation”. A Cisco TMBC certified coach: Strength Coaching & Standout Debriefing. Hogan Certification|
Bar Admissions:
2012: Paris Court of Appeals
2001: Tunis Court of Appeals
Publications, Articles & Thought Leadership:
Speaker, panelist, member of force tasks and of organising committees at conferences on International Arbitration:
“Practical considerations around the clauses applicable in the event of non-performance of the contract and the power of intervention of the judge/arbitrator”, panelist at the Civil Law Conference, Abu Dhabi, April 25, 2024
“ICC Arbitration and ADR Commission Report on Leveraging Technology for Fair, Effective and Efficient International Arbitration Proceedings”, was a speaker at the webinar organized by the ICC on February 18, 2022 and a have been a member of the ICC Working Group on the Report: *The Report is available here: https://iccwbo.org/media-wall/news-speeches/icc-launches-new-report-reflecting-how-tech-is-changing-the-face-of-arbitration
“Resilient, Flexible, Agile: Our 4.0 approach to Dispute Resolution”, 12th World Chambers Congress, Dubai, November 23, 2021
“Confidentiality during arbitration”, a webinar organized by the WIPO, November 9th, 2021
“Arbitration & trade secrets”, a webinar organized by the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (SVAMC) during the Paris Arbitration Week, September 23, 2021
“Valedictory Session with Sami Houerbi”, interviewed Mr. Houerbi at the 9th ICC-MENA (Middle East & Africa), February 24, 2021, the video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kie6wjYbK4k&t=1313s
“International arbitration in a post-COVID world”, a webinar organized by Kings Chambers & Freshfields, June 18, 2020
“La virtualisation accélérée de l’arbitrage internationale: une chance pour l’Afrique”, webinar organized by the ICC and Lexis Nexus, June 16, 2020
“Avocats & juristes d’entreprise: principaux défis et quelques clés de réussite”, Sole speaker invited to a webinar organized by Legal Doctrine, May 31, 2020
“Regards croisés sur le métier de juriste d'entreprise".Panel Moderator on a webinar organized by the Association of Corporate Counsel – Middle East Chapter, September 20, 2020
Panel Moderator of a session on “Artificial intelligence in international arbitration”, 5th Annual GAR Live Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, January 28, 2021
“Emergency proceedings in international arbitration”, Dubai & MENA – 7th International Arbitration & Corporate Crime Summit, Dubai, January 22, 2020 – Speaker and member of the Organizing Committee
Delivered a training on “Drafting Enforceable Awards” with the ICC Advanced Training Institute, Abu Dhabi, October 24, 2019
“The Arbitrator as a Facilitator?”, the ICC Conference “Journée Maghrébine de l’Arbitrage”, Tunis, June 14, 2019 - Speaker and member of the Organizing Committee,
“The future of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms”, 2nd International Litigation Legal Conference by The International Legal Council, Dubai, March 26, 2019
Member of the Organizing Committee of the 7th ICC MENA Conference, Abu Dhabi, March 3-5, 2019
“Arbitrators’ role as settlement facilitators”, ICC Institute of World Business Law, Abu Dhabi, March 3, 2019
“Conflicts of interest and disclosures in international arbitration”, Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Live Conference, Abu Dhabi, February 5, 2019
“Tips & Tricks on how to run an ICC arbitration”, ICC Conference, Amman, January 16, 2019
“Challenges for Arab legal counsel in arbitration proceedings”, ICC Conference, Beirut, September 21, 2018
“Bonds and guarantees”, Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Live Conference, Abu Dhabi, February 7, 2018
“Corporate in-house ODR policies and practices”, ICC Conference on Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Equal Access to Information and Justice Online Dispute Resolution, Paris, June 12-13, 2017
“Practicing Contracts in the Gulf States”, training delivered with the ICC Institute (Training level 1 on International Contracts), June 2, 2016, Paris
Speaker at the Conference for Saudi Lawyers organized by the Saudi Training Institute, and sponsored by, amongst others, the DIFC Courts and the ICC, Dubai, September 2014
Role of in-house counsel in international arbitration”, 4th ICC MENA Conference, Dubai, April 2014
Organizer, Moderator and Panelist of several ICC Young Arbitrators’ Forum (YAF) seminars in Dubai (UAE): 2009; Beirut (Lebanon): 2009; Manama (Bahrain): 2010
“The Relevance of international arbitration to in-house counsel”, Dubai Lawyers’ Conference, October 2009
“Arbitration, a contract?”, ICC Conference, Tunis, May 2007
Speaker at conferences on Compliance and Commercial Negotiation skills:
“Expectations and demands from the stakeholders: Are you meeting your stakeholder’s expectations”, a panelist on the Asian Legal Business (ALB” In-House Legal Summit 2019, Dubai, October 22, 2019
“Why is risk assessment getting so much attention?”, GOAL’s Global Legal ConfEx Dubai, October 2015
“Privilege – Understanding your position in an International Business Environment”, Legal Week Forum, Dubai, May 2015
“Anti-bribery Regulatory Developments” matters in the Middle East, organized by TRACE, Dubai, June 12, 2013
The Dubai Summit on “Minimizing bribery risks in the Middle East and implementing an effective and risk-based global compliance program”, organized by the American Conference Institute, Dubai, February 2013
The Dubai IBA Conference 2011 –invited by the Telecom Commission
“Identifying who is a Government Official”, the Abu Dhabi Anti-Corruption Summit, organized by the American Conference Institute (“ACI”), Abu Dhabi, December 2010
“Assessing the regulatory enforcement action towards bribery and corruption: Middle East perspective”, Dubai, November 2010
“Building anti-bribery and ethics awareness: devising and implementing effective training programs”, The Dubai Summit on Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Compliance, organized by the American Conference Institute (ACI), Dubai, October 2009