Contact
Dr. Zeina Obeid
Partner
Arbitrator
Languages
Mother tongue: Arabic and French
Working languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish
Nationality
France, Lebanon
Gender
Female
Specialisation
Commercial Disputes & Transactions, Construction, Contract Law, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure
Legal system
Civil Law,Common Law
Main jurisdiction
Lebanon, United Arab Emirates
Details
Position
Partner
Year of birth
1987
Education
MIT Sloan Executive Education
2019; Implications for Business Strategy
Degree: Artificial Intelligence
UNIVERSITY PANTHÉON-ASSAS, Paris, France
2010-2016; “Setting-aside arbitral awards in the Arab Countries”, Highest Honors (mention très honorable avec les félicitations du jury);
Degree: PhD in Law, Thesis (French)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, New York, United States
2015-2016
Degree: Masters of Law LLM
LEBANESE UNIVERSITY, Beirut, Lebanon
2009-2010
Degree: Lebanese law degree equivalency program
UNIVERSITY PANTHÉON-ASSAS, Paris, France
2009-2010
Degree: Masters in Litigation, Arbitration and Alternative Modes of Dispute Resolution, Honors.
UNIVERSITY PANTHÉON-ASSAS, Paris, France
2009-2010
Degree: LLM in Business Law in the Arab Countries
UNIVERSITY PANTHÉON-ASSAS, Paris, France
2006-2009
Degree: Bachelor in law and Masters in Private Law
Practiced Experience in Arbitration
How many arbitrations have you participated in (domestic/international); under which Rules?
12
How often have you acted as Chairperson?
4
How often have you acted as Sole Arbitrator?
7
How often have you acted as Co-Arbitrator?
1
How often have you acted as Counsel?
11
How often have you acted in a different function (e.g. Administrative Secretary)?
6
Publications and Other Activities in Arbitration
e.g. training sessions, seminars, conferences, articles and others
Book: “Setting-Aside Arbitral Awards in the Arab Countries” (Le recours en annulation des sentences arbitrales dans les pays arabes), Pedone Publisher (December 2017).
Article: India-United Arab Emirates Bilateral Investment Treaty (2024): Towards Stronger Economic Ties, published on Lexology.
Dates: 2024-10-24
Article: Investor -State Arbitration (2024) - Saudi Chapter, published by International Comparative legal Guides, six edition, 2024.
Article: Force Majeure and Unforeseen Events in the Middle East and North Africa, published in « MENA Leading Arbitrators‘ Guide to International Arbitration”, 2023, co-Author.
Article: Due process in arbitration in the Middle East, published in the book “Due Process as a Limit to Discretion in International Commercial Arbitration”, co-Author, Kluwer Law Arbitration, 2020.
Article: Covid-19, contractual obligations and force majeure, International Bar Association Newsletter, co-author .
Dates: 2020-08-21
Article: Covid-19: impact on contractual obligations, International Law Office, co-author .
Dates: 2020-06-01
Article: Anti-corruption in light of economic crisis & Covid-19 pandemic in Lebanon, IBA Anti-Corruption Newsletter,
Dates: 2020-05-18
Article: Public-Private Partnerships: Lebanon, International Law Office, co-author
Dates: 2020-02-15
Article: One Belt One Road China Investment Jurisdiction: Lebanon, LexisNexis® Mergers & Acquisitions Law Guide 2020, co-author.
Article: Chambers Global Law and Practice Guide: Litigation – Lebanon, co-author.
Dates: 2019-12-05
Article: Lebanon Chapter, Practitioner’s Guidebook to Arbitration in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Al-Tamimi &Co publication, 2019, co-author.
Article: An Alternative Solution: Judicial Mediation, International Law Office.
Dates: 2019-01-10
Article: Arbitration in Lebanon in times of crisis recovery, Young Arbitration Review, co-author.
Dates: 2018-07-30
Article: Delos Guide to Arbitration Places (GAP) Chapter on Lebanon, 1st edition GAP 2018, co-author.
Article: Arbitration in commercial representation disputes: walking the line between tradition and modernism), International Law Office, co-author.
Dates: 2018-07-19
Article: “Surgical Nullity” and other steps to preserve the validity of arbitration agreements, International Law Office.
Dates: 2014-11-06
Article: Arbitration and immunity from execution: a bold court decision, International Law Office.
Dates: 2014-04-10
Article: Recognition and enforcement of international arbitration awards: plain sailing? International Law Office, co-author.
Dates: 2013-06-13
Membership in arbitral institutions / functions in arbitral institutions/organisations
Beirut Bar, Lebanon (admitted in 2011)
Paris Bar, France (admitted in 2018)
Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR (since 2021)
ICC YAAF representative for Dubai and Lebanon (2024-2026)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb - UAE Branch) - Committee Member (since October 2021) and Vice-Chair for Dubai since 2025
International Bar Association (IBA) - Co- Chair of the IBA Young Lawyers Committee (2025-2026) and Previous Middle Eastern Representative of the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee
Mother Tongue
Arabic and French
Working Languages
i.e. languages in which you have both a spoken and written command so that you may conduct arbitral proceedings in this language
Arabic
English
French
Spanish
In which legal systems have you trained?
Civil Law,Common Law
What is your main jurisdiction of practice?
Lebanon, United Arab Emirates
In which jurisdictions are you admitted to the bar?
Lebanon
United Arab Emirates
Special expertise or specialisations
Commercial Disputes & Transactions
Construction
Contract Law
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Infrastructure
