Mohannad A. El Murtadi Suleiman

Partner, International Arbitration

Mohannad A. El-Murtadi Suleiman is a Partner at the New York, Dubai, and Riyadh offices of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, where he focuses on international commercial arbitration, international investment arbitration, and public international law. He has acted as counsel for commercial and state-owned entities, states, national oil companies, and sovereign wealth funds in arbitrations under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in a wide range of sectors, including construction and infrastructure, natural resources, oil and gas, technology & telecommunication, and transportation.

In addition to his arbitration background, Mr. El-Murtadi has represented clients in corporate disputes, joint ventures, and transactions related to the oil and gas industry, involving leading international oil companies (IOCs). Furthermore, he has advised clients in various enforcement actions and local proceedings arising from international arbitrations, as well as advised governments and state entities on enforcement proceedings. He has also advised on matters related to corporate governance, criminal and civil investigations, and asset search and recovery.

His international experience spans jurisdictions such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Venezuela, Norway, Switzerland, France, Italy, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The total value of arbitrations in which he has been involved exceeds US$30 billion.

Professional Experience

Partner, International Arbitration, Jan. 2025-Present
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, Dubai. 

Counsel, International Arbitration, Jan. 2020-Dec. 2024
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, NY. 

Associate, International Arbitration, Oct. 2011-Dec. 2019
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, NY. 

Teaching Assistant, Department of Public Law, 2010
University of Tripoli, Faculty of Law.  

Representative Matters

A. Arbitration Investment Arbitrations

• Advising and assisting the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in a multi-million ICSID arbitration brought by Barbadian investors (Tidewater et al. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, ICSID Case No. ARB/10/5). 
  
  
• Advising and assisting the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in a US$16 billion ICSID arbitration brought by several subsidiaries of Mobil Corporation following a series of actions affecting major oil projects in Venezuela (Mobil et al. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, ICSID Case No. ARB/07/27). 
  
  
• Representing the State of Libya in a multi-million ICSID arbitration brought by Austrian company Strabag SE under the Austria-Libya bilateral investment treaty following disruption of several infrastructure projects as a result of the Libyan revolution (Strabag SE v. Libya, ICSIC Case No. ARB(AF)/15/1). 
  
  
• Representing the State of Libya in multi-million ICC Arbitrations brought by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht SA over the suspension of projects to build new passenger terminals. 
  
  
• Advising and assisting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in an investment arbitration administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration initiated by an Indian company under the India-Saudi Arabia bilateral investment treaty (Khadamat Integrated Solutions Private Limited (India) v. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, PCA Case No. 2019-24).

Commercial Arbitrations

• Representing a Middle Eastern company in a US$4 billion ICC arbitration concerning a feedstock supply agreement with the operator of a major oil refinery. 
  
  
• Representing a Middle Eastern company in a multi-million arbitration under the ICC Rules concerning a joint venture dispute over the management and operation of a major oil refinery. 
  
  
•  Representing a Middle Eastern company in an ICC arbitration involving a shareholders’ dispute over the  management and operation of a joint venture company (Trasta Energy Limited v. National Oil Corporation of Libya, ICC Case No. 24722/AYZ). 
  
  
• Representing a Middle Eastern company in an ICC arbitration involving the supply of crude oil to a major petrochemical complex. 
  
  
• representing an oil company in a multi-million ICC arbitration brought by an Indian company in connection with the construction of gas transmission pipelines and compression facilities for the operation of power plants (Punji Lloyd Limited v. Sirte Oil Company, ICC Case No. 23046/DDA). 
  
  
• Representing a Libyan/Italian joint venture company in a multi-million arbitration under the ICC Rules concerning the construction and installation of a floating, storage and offloading unit in the Mediterranean Sea. 
  
  
• Representing a Middle Eastern company in an ICC arbitration concerning the management and operation of an oil refinery where the amount in dispute is in excess of US$250 million.

B. Other Representative Matters

• Representing a Middle Eastern company in settlement negotiations concerning a transfer of interest under several oil concessions and oil participation and production sharing agreements with major international oil companies (IOCs).
   
• Representing a Middle Eastern company in several pricing and invoicing disputes arising under several related contracts for the provision of maritime and other services and utilities in a petrochemical complex.
  
  
• Advising and assisting in set-aside proceedings before the Court of Appeal of Paris relating to an over US$100-million award issued in an ICC arbitration, including in connection with a suspension request filed before the same Court.
   
• Advising and assisting in set-aside proceedings before the Court of Appeal of Paris relating to an award issued in an ICC arbitration regarding the management and operation of a major petrochemical complex, including in connection with a suspension request filed before the same Court.
  
  
• Representing a major oil company in mediation and conciliation proceedings regarding a shareholders’ dispute over the management and operation of a joint venture company.
  
  
• Representing a Middle Eastern company in several joint venture and corporate governance disputes arising under a number of interconnected agreements relating to the management and operation of a major oil refinery.
  
  
• Representing a Houston-based procurement office in breach of contract claims before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
  
  
• Representing an oil company in connection with claims against a debtor in a chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
  
  
• Advising and assisting in criminal and civil investigations and proceedings relating to corruption allegations before the Swiss courts.
  
  
• Representing on oil company before the High Court in London in connection with contractual breach claims and settlement of such claims.

C. Pro Bono

• Advising and assisting in connection with an application for a U Visa, which is a U.S. non-immigrant visa especially offered to victims of crime. 
• Advising and assisting in connection with an immigration petition and a related guardianship petition before New York City Family Court.

Education

2023 - Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, FCIArb. 

2011 - Fordham University School of Law

LL.M in international Business and Trade Law. 

2010 - University of Tripoli, Faculty of Law

Licentiate Degree in Law (J.D. equivalent)

Graduated First in Class (2010). 

2009 - City University of New York, Hunter College

Legal Studies Program.

Admissions and Qualifications 

Libya.

New York.

Washington, D.C.

England and Wales (Registered Foreign Lawyer).

U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. District Court for the Easter District of New York.

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, full rights.

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts.

Publications

• Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General of the Unites Nations-The Current Status and the Libyan Position (Tripoli International Scientific Bookshop, 2009). 
  
  
• Force Majeure and Hardship in the MENA Region, JURIS (co-author). This book is expected to be published in 2025 and is the third series of books to be published by JURIS on the topic, with the first on the Asia Pacific Region and the second on the Central Asia region. 
  
  
• Is the “Africanization” of International Investment Law Needed?, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (Jan. 2024). 
  
  
• Interim Measures in International Arbitration: The Case for Applying High Standards, THE AMERICAN REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION (ARIA) (Feb. 2024). 
  
  
• The Investment Protocol to the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area: An Innovative Instrument that Fits Africa’s Needs, Transnational Dispute Management (May 2024). 
  
  
• AI and Deepfakes in International Arbitration: Is Seeing Really No Longer Believing?, ALTERNATIVES TO THE HIGH COST OF LITIGATION, Vol. 42, No. 10 (Nov. 2024). 
  
  
• Interim Measures of Protection: “Maintaining the Status Quo”, THE AMERICAN REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION (ARIA), Vol.35, No.1 (Nov. 2024). 
  
  
• Preliminary Injunctions in International Proceedings: How “Irreparable” Should the Harm Be?, ALTERNATIVES TO THE HIGH COST OF LITIGATION, Vol. 43, No. 10 (Jan. 2025). 
  
  
• CPR’s Africa Arbitration Day-New York, Panel on Africa Natural Resources Management (Jan. 2025).

Conferences and Teaching Experience

• Speaker, Arbitration under the Investment Legislation, the Libyan General Authority of Ownership and Investment & the Libyan Center of Conciliation and Arbitration (Nov. 2009).
  
  
• Speaker, Improving the Participation of Minorities in International Arbitration, Young ICCA (NY) (Sept. 26, 2019). 
  
  
• Speaker, Preparing and Defending Against Applications for Interim Measures in International Arbitration, Curtis webinar, Apr. 2022. 
  
  
• Supervised and managed a year-long training program for the international arbitration associates at Curtis, 2021-2022. 
  
  
• Assistant-lecturer, Fordham Law School (2022). 
  
  
• Moderator, The State of Arbitration in Africa and the Prospects for “Africanization,” 2023 CPR Global Conference: Africa Arbitration Day—NY (Dec. 2023). 
  
  
• Speaker, Interim Measures of Protection by International Arbitral Tribunals, the International Arbitration Club of New York (Oct. 2024). 
  
  
• Moderator, Arbitrating Natural Resources Disputes in Africa, 2nd CPR Africa Arbitration Day—NY (Nov. 2024). 

Affiliations and Memberships 

American Bar Association. 

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

-          Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. 

International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR).

-          Arbitration Committee.

-          Dispute Prevention Committee.

-          Energy, Oil, and Gas Alliance. 

New York State Bar Association. 

The Association of the Bar of the City of New York. 

Libyan Bar Association. 

Languages

Arabic (Native), English (Fluent), and French (intermediate).