Mohamed Shelbaya is a founding partner of Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes and is widely recognized as a leading figure in international arbitration. Prior to founding the firm, he spent over twelve years as a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he focused on oil and gas disputes and matters relating to the Middle East.
Mohamed has represented companies, States, and State-owned entities in more than 80 commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, including numerous multibillion dollar disputes involving complex issues of international law and geopolitics. His recent successes include the summary dismissal of USD 30 billion claims against the Arab Republic of Egypt, a USD 100 million ICC award for Engie Energía Chile in an LNG dispute, and multiple precedent setting awards under the ICSID Convention and English law that dismissed claims exceeding USD 4 billion.
He regularly acts as President, sole arbitrator, or co arbitrator under ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, and CRCICA rules. Mohamed also advises energy companies and governments on dispute risk management and sector restructuring.
He teaches investment arbitration at Sciences Po Law School and serves on several arbitral institutions’ governing bodies. Chambers Global consistently ranks him among the world’s leading arbitration practitioners, and he was featured in Global Arbitration Review’s 2023 “45 Under 45” list.
