Louis Degos

Before joining K&L Gates LLP in 2009, Louis was a partner since 2001t in a French law firm with a significant pleading practice in commercial litigation and international arbitration. In 2005, he joined an international law firm of British origin as a partner in charge of the litigation practice in France.

INTERNATIONALLY

• Recognised in The Best Lawyers in France^™ for over 11 consecutive years 
  • Arbitration and Mediation
  • International Arbitration
  • Litigation
• Recognised by The Legal 500 EMEA as a Recommended Lawyer in France, 2022-2025
  • Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation
  • Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration
• Recognised by Chambers France for International Arbitration in France, 2025
• Recognised by Chambers Global for International Arbitration in France, 2021-2025
• Recognised by Chambers Europe for International Arbitration in France, 2021-2025
• Listed in Lexology Index (formally Who's Who Legal)
  • Arbitration – France, 2025
  • Global Leader - Commercial Litigation, 2022
  • National Leader (France) - Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Mediation, 2022
• Listed by the GAR, 2025
  • Arbitration as one of the top 55 best lawyers in France, 2021
  • Arbitration - Future Leaders amongst the top 33 Best Partners in France, 2021
• Quoted in Global Arbitration Review as the "first international arbitration specialist for decades to be elected to the Paris Bar Council."

IN FRANCE

• Ranked by Décideurs - Leaders League, 2022-2025
  • Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration International Arbitration
  • Dispute Resolution: Mediation
  • Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation
  • “Africa Desk – International Arbitration & Litigation”
  • Industrial risks & liability litigation – Product liability
• Recognised by Option Droit & Affaires amongst leading France Arbitration lawyers
• Ranked in the Best Law Firms List by Le Point, 2025

Professional Institutions

• Member of CASDA (Collège des Avocats Spécialistes en Droit de l'Arbitrage)
• Member of the Board of Directors of the French Arbitration Committee, former Secretary General
• Former Secretary General of the association "Paris, Place de l'Arbitrage/Paris, the Home of International Arbitration"
• Member of the Institute for International Arbitration (IAI), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the French Arbitration Association (AFA), and the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
• Member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL)

University - Lecturer or Visiting Professor

• University of Versailles Saint Quentin (UVSQ, 2013-2020)

• Business Schools (HEC, Jouy-en-Josas, 2001-2013)

• Independent Faculty of Law, Economics and Management (FACO, Paris, 2001-2012)

• École Polytechnique (Palaiseau, 2012-2013)

• University of Paris-Sud – Jean Monnet Faculty (Paris XI, 2010-2011)

Associations and Societies

• Member of the Arbitration Committee of CAMED (National Chamber of Arbitration for Physicians)
• Member of the Scientific Council of CAIP (Paris International Chamber of Arbitration)
• Member of the Rules Review Committee of CMAP - CCIP (Paris Mediation and Arbitration Center at the International Chamber of Commerce)

• Conferences at the 69th UIA Congress in Guadalajara “The role of bar associations in protecting the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary,” 30 October 2025
• Participation in the panel discussion organized by the Consulate General of France in New York "International Commercial Arbitration: Challenges and Reform," 7 October 2025
• Participation in the Tuesdays of the Master's Degree in Law and CSR – "Louis Degos" Promotion – Paris Dauphine University – PSL, 6 October 2025
• Participation in the ACE Congress – Dijon, September 25-26, 2025
• Participation in the Legal Club Sandwich podcast episode “Bâtonnier: Shield for Lawyers or Spoke in the Wheel?” 10 June 2025
• Speaker at the XIXth International Arbitration Conference of Rio, 13 May 2025
• Speaker at the conference, “Conflicts Between Lawyers: The Bâtonnier or the Arbitrator?” Paris Arbitration Week, 10 April 2025
• Speaker at the conference, “Towards a New French Law on Arbitration,” Paris Arbitration Week, 8 April 2025
• Speaker at the conference, “Clearing Houses and Dispute Resolution: A Discussion with FIFA, Clearing House and LME Clear,” Paris Arbitration Week, 8 April 2025
• Speaker at the ACE Congress in Saint-Malo, 17-18 October 2024
• Speaker at the roundtable, “Arbitration Facing the Emergence of New ‘Human Rights’,” French Arbitration Committee, 27 June 2024
• Speaker at the “Grenelle du droit” (Legal Summit), “Human Rights and Societal Justice,” AFJE/Cercle Montesquieu, 12 June 2024
• Speaker at the conference, “Violence in Sports: Cross-Perspectives Between France and Canada on Safe Sport,” Paris Arbitration Week, 21 March 2024
• Speaker at the conference, “Discussion with the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada,” Paris Arbitration Week, 19 March 2024
• Speaker at the conference, “Arbitration and the Olympic Games,” 29 February 2024
• Speaker at the roundtable, “The Challenge of the Rise in Climate-Related Litigation,” Arbitration and Litigation Meetings organized by Option Finance, 1 February 2024
• Speaker at the roundtable, “International Arbitration: French-Luxembourg Law Crossroads,” during the European Union Law Sessions, Luxembourg, 15 December 2023
• “Law at the Heart of the Economy,” ACE Congress, Toulouse, 19-20 October 2023
• Mapping Investment Dispute Resolution Strategies, “Where Is Investment Litigation Headed?” African Business Lawyers’ Congress (COJA – 4-6 July 2023), Casablanca, Morocco, 6 July 2023
• “Arbitration and the Geopolitics of French Law,” Discussion with Carine Doganis, member of the Arbitration Club, Paris Bar lawyer and Senior Advisor to the United Nations, on her book For a Public Law of Arbitration, 24 May 2023
• Interview with Florence Duprat on amicable settlement policy, BSMART, 22 May 2023
• “The Practice of Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation and Arbitration) and Trade Secrets,” Litigation Practices and Trade Secrets conference organized by Université Dauphine, 19 April 2023
• Speaker at the France–Brazil seminar on “The Challenges of Law in the Face of Globalization,” 6 April 2023
• CMAP Conference, “Blockchain, Crypto, Smart Contracts, and the Metaverse: An Opportunity for International Arbitration,” 30 March 2023
• Conference, “Safe Sport and Arbitration,” Paris Arbitration Week, March 29, 2023
• Guest of Honour (Grand Témoin) on “Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence: What Balance for Tomorrow’s Justice?” for the CADEJ class, 16 March 2023
• “Challenges and Pitfalls of Mediation: EU-US Comparative Perspectives,” AD Augusta (Harvard in Paris), 14 March 2023
• Speaker at the roundtable, “Third-Party Litigation Funding: A Booming Practice in Times of Crisis,” Arbitration and Litigation Meetings organized by Option Finance, 31 January 2023
• “Does Collaboration Still Have a Future?” ACE Paris, 21 June 2022
• “Certificate of Custom: Practices in International Business Law,” Higher Council of Notaries, 13 April 2022
• “Franco-Brazilian Perspectives on Arbitration,” Panthéon-Assas University, 12 April 2022
• “Esports and Arbitration,” Paris Arbitration Week, 29 March 2022
• Interview: “The Rise of Commercial Mediation and the Creation of the CNM,” Le Monde du Droit, 16 March 2022
• Talk on Artificial Intelligence, 1st Edition of Paris Legal Makers, 6 December 2021
• Talk on “The Lawyer of the Future,” 6th Edition of the General Assembly on Foresight and Innovation, 2 December 2021
• “Legal Technology: It’s Not Just About Lawyers Anymore,” Science and Law, 10–11 September 2021
• Talk in Module 6 of ENM’s CADEJ, “Issues in the Use and Dissemination of Judicial Digital Data”, 17 June 2021
• Legal Intelligence Conference, 14 June 2021
• Conference on Arbitration and Security Interests in OHADA Law, 10–11 June 2021
• Talk at the Colloquium, “Twenty Years of OHADA Arbitration: Assessment and Outlook”, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 2019
• Participation in CNB Working Groups on Arbitration, 2019
• Participation in OHADA Day organized by the CNB, Lyon, 22–23 June 2018
• Contributions to Working Groups on OHADA Arbitration and ADR, 2018
• Talk, “Vendôme Tech: The Challenges of the Digital Transformation of Public Justice Services,” Hôtel de Bourvallais, Paris, 8 December 2017
• Talk at the Colloquium, “OHADA Law and Investment Security: Challenges and Limits of Legal Harmonization,” Maison de l’Avocat, Grenoble, 30 November 2017
• Panel, “Smart Contracts and Their Legal Issues,” Florida Blockchain Public Conference, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida (USA), 30 October 2017
• Talk at the General Assembly on Legal Aid, “Future Trends: New Lawyer Intervention Models – The Impact of the Sharing Economy, Platforms, and Legaltech,” National Lawyers Convention, Bordeaux, 20 October 2017
• Talk at the 3rd General Assembly on Foresight and Innovation, “What Business Model for 2030?" and "The Impact of Lawyer Mobility in 2030,” National Lawyers Convention, Bordeaux, 20 October 2017
• Workshop Lead, “OHADA–OHADAC: The Role of Arbitration and ADR in Regional Organizations” National Lawyers Convention, Bordeaux, 20 October 2017
• Participation in the General Assembly on Arbitration, “Arbitration on Stage: Be Actors of Arbitration” National Lawyers Convention, Bordeaux, 19 October 2017
• Talk at the Conference, “Third Party Funding in US and Europe – Ethics of the Funder/Professional Ethics and Third Party Funding” Paris Dauphine University, 21 September 2017
• Talk for the CNB – Bar Opening Ceremony, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 9-14 July 2017
• Participation in the 6th OHADA Days, “OHADA Facing Africa’s New Economic Challenges,” Bordeaux, 22-23 June 2017
• Member of the “Open Data Mission” Working Group – Ministry of Justice, Paris, June 2017 to January 2018
• Conference, “Keep Control of Contracts! Renegotiation, Unforeseeability, Price Revision, Abusive Clauses: What Dispute Resolution Method?” CASDA, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rennes, 27 April 2017
• General Assembly on Foresight and Innovation 2, “Robes and Robots,” Hôtel de l’Industrie, Paris, 30 March 2017
• Talk at CPR European Congress on Business Dispute Management (with CEDR) – Mastercard, London, UK, 28 March 2017
• Conference, “Litigating in the US,” Maison du Barreau, Paris, 20 January 2017
• Talk for CNB – Bar Opening Ceremony, Senegalese Bar, Dakar, Senegal, 14-15 February 2017
• Conference, “The New Arbitration Agreement after the ‘Justice of the 21st Century’ Law,” Paris Place d’Arbitrage, Hôtel des Arts et Métiers, Paris, 30 November 2016
• Colloquium, “Adapting Contracts to the New Requirements of Business Life,” CASDA, Lyon, 25 November 2016
• Conference, “The Rise of Arbitration,” OHADA Days, Lyon, 7-8 November 2016
• Annual Conference of the Paris Bar Incubator, “The Challenges of Digital Legal Information Access: Comparative and Forward-Looking Views from France, Europe, and the US,” Palais Brongniart, Paris, 3 November 2016
• Talk at the Colloquium “Doing Business in the Mediterranean Area,” Milan, Italy, 11 October 2016
• Conference, “Intangible Aspects in Judicial Conflict Management: Can Dispute Resolution Be Virtualized?” ACE Congress, Ajaccio, 29 September 2016
• Conference, “The Impact of OHADA Law on the African Business Environment,” AFRICA 2016 Meetings, Paris, 23 September 2016
• Talk, “Artificial Intelligence and Big Data: New Challenges for the Legal Profession,” Bar Opening Ceremony, Kinshasa, Congo, 8–11 July 2016
• OECD Meeting, “Disruptive Innovation in the Legal Professions,” OECD Conference Centre, Paris, 13 June 2016
• General Assembly on Foresight and Innovation, “Seeing Tomorrow to Act Today,” Salons de l’Aveyron, Paris, 2 June 2016
• ACE–AFJE–CMAP Colloquium, “Mediation as a Performance Lever for Legal Departments,” Salons France Amériques, Paris, 23 May 2016
• The Arbitrators’ Café, “Decision-Making in Commercial and Investment Arbitration: Perceptions and Realities,” Paris Bar Library, 18 May 2016
• Conference: “Money in Arbitration,” Maison du Barreau, Grand Auditorium, 27 June 2013
• 24th Annual ITA Workshop: “The Final Curtain: Post-Hearing Submissions, Deliberations and Enforcement,” Westin Galleria Hotel, Dallas, Texas, USA, 21 June 2012
• PIDA Training, “International Contracts – Negotiating and Drafting Key Clauses, Dispute Resolution, Cultural and Legal Approaches,” International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, 14–17 February 2011
• Conference: “Arbitration in Question – Answers from AFA and CMAP,” CCIP, 18 May 2010
• Conference: “Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in OHADA,” Norton Rose Law Firm, 18 March 2009
• Member, Arbitration Working Group – National Bar Council (CNB), 2007
• Member, Arbitration Agreement Working Group – French Arbitration Committee, Arbitration Law Reform, 2001–2010

• “The Collective Imagination Surrounding Lawyers Is Outdated,” Décideurs Juridiques, 9 June 2025
• “Lawyers Are Increasingly ‘Augmented’, But That Doesn’t Mean the Profession Requires Less Humanity,” Lexbase, December 2024
• “The OECD Aims to Foster Competition in the Legal Services Market,” La Lettre des Juristes d’Affaires, 16 June 2024
• “The Challenge of Increasing Climate-Related Litigation,” Option Finance, 13 March 2024
• “Handling Certificates of Custom and Their Value for Arbitrators,” in Certificat de coutume…, SLC, Vol. 56, 2023, p.131 et seq.
• “Precedent in Annulment Proceedings: Reflections in French and Comparative Law,” French Arbitration Committee, No.1 2023, p.115 et seq.
• “The Amicable Policy Launched by Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti,” Interview with Florence Duprat, BSMART, 22 May 2023
• “The International Olympic Committee’s Perspective on Esports and Its Implications for Dispute Resolution,” March 2023
• “Balance Within the Arbitral Tribunal and the Right Measure in Disclosure,” Revista Brasileira de Arbitragem, No. 77, Jan–Mar 2023
• Interview, “The Rise of Commercial Mediation and the Creation of the CNM,” Le Monde du Droit, 16 March 2022
• “2023 Digital Code”, Lexis Nexis – November 2022 – Louis Degos led the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Digital Code, with Fabrice Mattatia and Denis Berthault
• “Paris Confident in Its Role as Arbitration’s Safe Seat,” Interview with Andrew Mizner – Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR), 21 April 2022
• “Digital Code 2050,” Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, 12 November 2021
• “Creation of the National Mediation Council: A Good Idea for the Public Justice Service?” L’Opinion, 8 November 2021
• “Virtual Sports – Esports: From Console to the Olympics,” Study by Louis Degos and Sarra Saïdi – La Semaine Juridique, 25 October 2021
• “Legal Technology: It’s Not Just About Lawyers Anymore,” Science and Law, 10-11 September 2021
• “Creation of the Legal Services and Law Industry Association,” Affiches Parisiennes, 1 April 2021
• “Could a ‘Legal Sector’ Become Reality in France?” Village de la Justice, 1 April 2021
• “Let’s Not Miss the Shift to In-House Counsel,” Le Point, 3 March 2021
• “In-House Lawyers: A Matter of Status,” Agefi Hebdo, 15 February 2021
• “The (Employee) Lawyer in Business: Totems and Taboos,” La Semaine Juridique, p.377, No. 239, 22 February 2021
• “Ratings, Rankings, Online Reviews: Star Lawyers,” Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, October 2019
• “Communications, Decisions, and Ratings,” Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, October 2019
• “Arbitration in CETA Is the Rule of Law,” Interview with Louis Degos in Euractiv, 24 July 2019
• “Arbitration in the Tapie Case Considered ‘Fraudulent…’,” Interview with Louis Degos on BFM Business, 10 July 2019
• “The Empire of Empiricism,” Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, May 2019
• “Digital and Judicial Justice: Contradiction and Uncertainty,” La Semaine Juridique, 17 December 2018
• “Beyond Borders,” Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, October 2018
• “Mandatory Mediation as a Precondition: A False Good Idea,” Proceedings of the Conference ‘Mediation – Experiences, Evaluations and Perspectives’ (Droit and Justice Research Mission), 5 July 2018
• “The Impact of Arbitration on Third Parties Is a Specialist’s Question,” Interview with Arnaud Dumourier, Le Monde du Droit, 4 May 2018
• “Roboethics v2,” Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, April 2018
• “Reform of OHADA Arbitration Law,” La Semaine Juridique, 18 April 2018
• “3 Questions: Legal Departments in the Era of Great Upheaval,” La Semaine Juridique, 25 January 2018
• “Breaking the Codes!” Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, October 2017
• Editor-in-Chief, Review of Foresight and Innovation Practice, Lexis Nexis, No. 2, October 2017
• “Mediation: A Different Kind of Litigation – Mediation Techniques in Business Contexts,” La Semaine Juridique, 26 June 2017
• “Roboethics,” Practical Review of Foresight and Innovation, Lexis Nexis, March 2017
• “A New Decalogue for the Future Practice of Legal Professionals?” Practical Review of Foresight and Innovation, Lexis Nexis, October 2016
• “It’s 2030 That Dictates What We Do in 2016,” Practical Review of Foresight and Innovation, Lexis Nexis, October 2016
• Editor-in-Chief of the Practical Review of Foresight and Innovation, Lexis Nexis, No. 1, October 2016
• “Arbitrator’s Immunity Reaffirmed,” note on Cass. 1st civ., 15 Jan. 2014, Arbitration Law Chronicle, Part II, Petites Affiches, No. 215, p.14 et seq., 28 October 2014
• “Tapie Arbitration: What Are We Really Talking About?” Le Figaro Op-Ed with Geneviève Augendre,Yves Derains, Elie Kleiman, Alexis Mourre, and Philippe Pinsolle, 6 June 2013
• “The Delicate Art of Jurisdiction Clauses,” co-authored with D. Akchoti, La Semaine Juridique, Ed. G, No. 5, p.183 et seq., 28 January 2013
• “The Story of the New Decree, Ten Years in the Making,” in Th. Clay (ed.): The New French Arbitration Law, Proceedings of the 28 February 2011 Conference, Lextenso Editions, 8 November 2011
• “Arbitrator’s Contract: From Contractual to Tort Liability,” Petites Affiches, No. 225-226, p.10 et seq., 11-14 November 2011
• “The Lack of Injunctive Power of State Courts Over Arbitrators,” Cahiers de l’arbitrage, 2010/3
• “Disclosure Revisited,” Cahiers de l’arbitrage, 2009/4
• Also published in: Gazette du Palais, p.6 et seq., 13-15 December 2009
• “Arbitrators’ Liability Regarding the Length of Proceedings,” Petites Affiches, No. 53, p.18 et seq., 16 March 2009
• “Inappropriate Application of Brussels I Regulation to International Arbitration,” Le Barreau autour du Monde, No. 21, p.12 et seq., February 2009
• “The Recognition of Arbitration as an Autonomous International Justice,” regarding the “Putrabali” rulings, Le Dalloz, No. 21, p.1429 et seq., 29 May 2008
• “The Evolution of Law in Business – Legal Frameworks Facing Economic Challenges,” La Tribune, p.24 et seq., 16 April 2008
• “International Arbitration – Is France’s Leadership at Risk?” Option Finance, p.11, December 2007
• “What About Success Fees in Arbitration?” Petites Affiches, No. 192, p.15 et seq., 25 September 2007
• “UNCITRAL Abandons the Writing Requirement for Arbitration Agreements,” Gazette du Palais, Doctrine, p.5 et seq., 22-24 April 2007
• “Challenge Based on Arbitrator’s Prior Opinions: Have We Opened Pandora’s Box?” Arbitraje Internacional, Current Tensions, Legis, p.273 et seq., 2007
• “Civil Liability of Arbitrators: New Inroads on the Arbitrator’s Immunity from Suit,” Stockholm International Arbitration Report, p.149 et seq., 2006/1
• “Towards a Uniform International Arbitration Law?” Juris Publishing, IAI Series, co-edited with A.V. Schlaepfer and Ph. Pinsolle, 2005
• “Litigation Strategy: Is Arbitration a Good Solution?” Option Finance, pp. 39–41, May 2005
• “The Rise of Arbitration in Administrative Justice: PPP Contract Disputes,” Décideurs Stratégie Finance & Droit, pp. 94–95, 15 March–15 April 2005
• “Repeal of Article 1487 Paragraph 2 of the French Civil Procedure Code by Decree of 23 December 2004,” Revue de l’arbitrage, p.226 et seq., 2005/1
• “The European Context of Arbitration,” Revista Brasileira de Arbitragem, p.36 et seq., July–August 2003
• “French Supreme Court Affirms the Autonomy of the Arbitration Clause,” Le Dalloz, No. 17, p.1117 et seq., 24 April 2003
• “New French Provisions on Arbitration Clauses,” RDAI/International Business Law Journal, 2001.653
• “The Reinstatement of Arbitration Clauses – Chronicle of a Reform Foretold,” Gazette du Palais, Doctrine, p.6, 13-14 June 2001
• “Mediation and Fairness,” with B. Moreau, lecture given 4 December 2000 at the Paris Commercial Court, Revue Juridique Commerciale, p.147, 2001/6
• “Domestic and International Arbitration: Unifying Conditions for Emergency Judge Jurisdiction,” Revue de l’arbitrage, p.673 et seq.
• French Case Law Chronicle, Revue de l’arbitrage, p.608 et seq., 1997/3
• French Case Law Chronicle, Revue de l’arbitrage, p.611 et seq., 1997/3
• “The Person and the Body, From Medicine to Law,” Université Paris II - Panthéon Assas, 1996
• “On the Death Penalty – Response to Stamatios Tzitzis’ Article ‘The Law of the Dead (dikè Thanontôn) and Human Rights’,” International Review of Penal Philosophy and the Criminology of Action, 1995