Matei Purice is counsel in our international arbitration group and heads our Global Projects Disputes Practice in Continental Europe.
Recognised by GAR's, Who’s Who Legal since 2018 as an arbitration "Future Leader" (most highly regarded), Matei focuses on commercial and investment treaty arbitrations arising out of global projects, including infrastructure, energy, industrial and urban development projects. Matei has particular expertise in Europe and the Middle East. He has acted as counsel in matters under a variety of arbitration rules including ICSID, ICC, SCC, UNCITRAL, Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Court of International Commercial Arbitration of Bucharest (CICA) with seats in Paris, London, Geneva, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bucharest.
He also regularly sits as arbitrator predominantly in projects related disputes.
Since 2014, Matei has lectured at the International Arbitration LLM at the Faculty of Law of the Bucharest University (Romania) where he is responsible for the construction arbitration module.
Matei holds law degrees from both the University of Paris I Pantheon - Sorbonne and the University of Bucharest – Faculty of Law. He is a member of the Paris Bar and Bucharest Bar.
He is fluent in English, French and Romanian.
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- Representing a global energy company in an ICC arbitration relating to the construction of a power plant in Western Europe.
- Representing an international contractor in an ICC arbitration (including emergency arbitration proceedings) relating to a major urban development project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Representing a joint venture of contractors in a Geneva-seated ICC arbitration arising out of the construction of an onshore oil and gas facility in the UAE, including emergency arbitration and local court proceedings concerning bonds calls.
- Advising a Spanish contractor in relation to claims arising out of a major infrastructure project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Advising a Spanish contractor in relation to an oil and gas project in Qatar.
- Advising a global energy company in relation to the risks and strategies as well as claims and potential ICC arbitration against a contractor under an EPC agreement for the construction of the largest natural gas transportation system in Mexico.
- Advising an international engineering and construction consortium in an ICC dispute with a Geneva seat, relating to a US$multi-billion fertiliser complex in MENA.
- Advising a South Korean engineering and construction company in relation to their EPC contract for the development of a refinery project in Venezuela and related ICC emergency arbitration proceedings.
- Advising individual investors in an ICSID arbitration against the State of Kuwait under the Egypt-Kuwait bilateral investment protection treaty arising out of the development of a mixed-use iconic project in Kuwait.
- Advising Beijing Urban Construction Group in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Yemen under the China-Yemen bilateral investment treaty relating to the construction of an airport terminal in Yemen.
- Advising a government-owned master developer in a string of DIAC arbitration proceedings (Dubai seat) arising out of various developers’ failure to build a number of US$ multi-billion themed mixed-use real estate/leisure developments in Dubai, including one of DIAC’s largest (and longest) arbitrations to date
- Advising the Government of Romania in an ICSID arbitration initiated by an American investor in connection with the privatisation of an ammonia plant in Romania.
- Advising the Government of Romania in an ICSID arbitration initiated by two Turkish investors in connection with the privatization of an agricultural facility in Romania.
- Advising a Kuwaiti company in a DIAC arbitration regarding the termination of a long-term lease for commercial premises in Dubai.
- Advising a UAE investor in an ICC arbitration regarding the termination of a joint venture for the distribution of fast moving consumer goods in east Africa.
- Advising a Turkish contractor in a set of DIAC proceedings related to the execution of works of a high-rise residential building in Dubai.
- Advising a Romanian contractor in an ICC arbitration in Paris regarding the execution of works of a major residential complex located in Bucharest.
- Advising a Romanian developer in an arbitration before the Court of International Commercial Arbitration Bucharest arising out of a string of contracts regarding the development and management of a shopping mall located in Bucharest.
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Education
- University of Paris I Panteon - Sorbonne, France (law degree - licence en droit)
- University of Bucharest Faculty of Law, Romania (law degree - maitrise en droit)
- University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Institut du droit de la paix et du developpement, France (master's degree - international and European law (M2))
Professional memberships
- Bucharest International Arbitration Court (Member of the Governing Board 2024 - 2027)
- Bucharest Bar Association
- Romanian Lawyers' Assocation
- Paris Bar Association
- SCL France
- ICC YAF representative for MENA region (2017-2019)
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