Avocat à la Cour Solicitor, England & Wales Attorney at Law, New York
Solving International Disputes
Christopher Chinn is a Franco-American attorney admitted in Paris, England & Wales, and New York.
He is an independent international disputes lawyer based in Paris, France, and acts on behalf of clients to successfully resolve a broad range of disputes, including construction and engineering matters under FIDIC forms of contract, disputes arising out of shareholder and partnership agreements, and investor-state claims.
Mr. Chinn has served as arbitrator under the Rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw (SAKIG), the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) in both French and English language proceedings. He has applied procedural and substantive governing laws from both Common Law and Civil Law legal systems.
Matters as arbitrator have included disputes in the construction, energy and commercial sectors involving States, individuals and international corporations.
Mr. Chinn is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), and has been admitted to numerous panels of arbitrators including the SIAC Panel of Arbitrators, the CRCICA Panel of Arbitrators, the JCAA Panel of Arbitrators, the CIETAC Panel of Arbitrators, the AIAC Panel of Arbitrators, the THAC Panel of Arbitrators, the HKIAC List of Arbitrators, the List of Recommended Arbitrators of SAKIG, the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the BVI IAC Panel of Arbitrators. He is registered on the eBRAM Panel of Arbitrators and in the Delos Arbitrator Network, and is an ADR ODR International Accredited Commercial/Civil Mediator.
Mr. Chinn has also represented clients before U.S. courts in antitrust, False Claims Act, white collar crime and general commercial litigation matters, and has participated in the defense of clients in the context of US, French, and international regulatory investigations.
He has experience in a variety of industries including hospitality, construction, transport, manufacturing, renewable energy, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and medical information technology.
Mr. Chinn has acted as counsel and legal advisor in international arbitrations administered by or under the rules of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
Mr. Chinn is available as both counsel and arbitrator, and provides pre- and post-contentious legal advice and opinions.
He has been involved in international arbitration since 1999-2001 when he trained at Coudert Brothers, a leading international arbitration law firm in Paris. He also trained at Shearman & Sterling in Paris. Mr. Chinn has worked as an attorney for over nineteen years at leading international litigation and arbitration firms including:
Covington & Burling (New York)
Baker & McKenzie (New York)
Hafez (Paris and Cairo)
Mayer Brown (Paris).
In addition to his native English, Mr. Chinn is fluent in French and speaks conversational Polish.
Mr. Chinn was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i, where he attended Punahou School. He studied history at Yale University and obtained his JD from the University of Minnesota.
He also studied French civil law and European Union law at the University of Lyon, Jean Moulin III.
Mr. Chinn's experience has included work on behalf of:
A Middle East technology company in its partnership dispute in a SIAC arbitration seated in Singapore against an Asian conglomerate.
A West African hospitality company in FIDIC dispute board proceedings against a South African contractor concerning a landmark government-owned project in West Africa.
A financial institution in its defense against the largest French tax fraud proceedings ever initiated.
A European alternative energy company in its investment dispute with a European State.
A West African state in LMAA arbitration proceedings against its joint-venture partner.
A Canadian contractor in an ICC arbitration against a North African state-owned company over the termination during construction of a FIDIC-based contract for the building of that company’s new corporate headquarters.
An Egyptian respondent in four related ICC and CRCICA arbitrations involving the unwinding of a share purchase agreement and the validity of various hotel resort development, sales and management agreements concerning land and a hotel in Egypt.
An ICSID/NAFTA arbitrator in a concurring opinion concerning the international law legal standing of private investors to make claims under investment treaties.
A Lebanese contractor in a CRCICA arbitration against a Middle East company in a large delay and disruption claim under a FIDIC-based contract involving a landmark project in the Middle East.
A US subcontractor in an Ad Hoc arbitration under AAA Construction Rules involving wrongful termination and breach of contract claims against a prime contractor to US military works in Afghanistan.
A Swiss owned claimant hotel management company in two ICC arbitrations involving alleged breaches of hotel management agreements in Egypt prior to opening of the hotels.
A Brazilian contractor in a large and complex ICC arbitration against a Libyan state owned entity concerning the construction of water wells in the Libyan desert.
A New Zealand publicly listed company in a New York state contract and securities law dispute arising out of the company’s purchase of a leading laminates producer based in the United States.
A German transport company in a US federal court action alleging bid rigging under the US False Claims Act.
A Chinese vitamin C manufacturer in a US federal court action involving class action antitrust claims.
Christopher Chinn
+ 33 6 49 63 61 47
Teamwork
Collaboration With Other Law Firms
Chinn Arbitration has worked with other leading international law firms, both large and small, on an as-needed basis for certain kinds of cases. We maintain strong ties with firms all around the world.