Practice Areas
Samantha Nataf focuses on international arbitration and related court proceedings.
Samantha has been acting as counsel and arbitrator before the major arbitration institutions worldwide (e.g., ICC, ICSID, LCIA, DIAC, PCA, etc.) for nearly 20 years.
She represents parties in complex disputes in a variety of sectors including aerospace, construction, defense, energy, infrastructure, mining or telecoms. The geographic focus of her work has been Africa, the Middle East, and more recently, Southeast Asia.
Her practice extends to enforcement proceedings of arbitral awards as well as complex litigation involving cross-border issues. Samantha also regularly advises clients on complex issues of private and public international law.
Samantha also acts as arbitrator. She is admitted to the list of arbitrators of ICC France, the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), the Israeli Institute of Commercial Arbitration, and the Shanghai Arbitration Commission (SHAC).
Samantha Nataf is a former Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration (2018-2024) and a current Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR and the ICC Institute of World Business Law. In her capacity of ICC Court Member, Samantha has scrutinized hundreds of arbitral awards issued by arbitral tribunals from different legal culture worldwide.
Samantha is listed in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration in the category Future Leaders and her practice is recognized by Legal 500 and Best Lawyers. She is praised by clients for her “ability to identify the strategic dimensions of files” as well as her “total mastery of international arbitration” (Legal 500 EMEA 2024).
Professional Memberships
Former Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, which reviews arbitral awards made by ICC arbitral tribunals (2018 – 2024)
In the panel of arbitrators of the ICC French National Committee
In the panel of arbitrators of the Shanghai Arbitration Commission (SHAC)
In the panel of arbitrators of the Israeli Institute of Commercial Arbitration
In the panel of arbitrators of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB)
Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the new ICC Task Force on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration, the Association Française d’Arbitrage (AFA) and the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA).
Publications
“Arbitration and Public Entities in France: Navigating the Unknown? Case note on SMAC v. Ryanair, Conseil d’Etat, 17 October 2023″, ASA Bulletin 1/2024, p. 529 (2024) (with V. Choulika)
“Israel: Adoption of International Commercial Arbitration Law, 5784-2024, based on the UNCITRAL Model Law”, ICC Bulletin 1/2024 (with A. Niemoj)
“Sanctions économiques et arbitrage international” Journal du Management Juridique, No. 96, November 2023 (with P. Le Goff)
“France: International Arbitration”, Legal 500 Guide to International Arbitration, 8th Edition, October 2023 (with P. Le Goff, C. du Pac de Marsoulies, V. Choulika & A. Malek)
“The French approach to enforcement of arbitral awards, international public policy and corruption”, Korean Journal of Arbitration Studies, Vol. 33 No. 3 (September 2023)
“Le financement des procès par les fonds d’investissement : un atout menacé ?”, La Tribune (14 February 2023)
“Payment of the Advance on Costs, Procedural Loyalty and Access to Justice. Note on French Cour de Cassation Decision of 9 February 2022”, ASA Bulletin, 4/2022, p. 855 (2022)
“Rappel de quelques principes et tentative (infructueuse) d’élargissement du recours en annulation fondé sur le grief d’incompétence de l’arbitre, Note sous Cour d’appel de Paris (Pôle 5 – Ch. 16), 1er décembre 2020”, Revue de l’arbitrage 2-2021 (2021)
“Resolving mining disputes in East Africa by international arbitration”, Uganda Chinese Community Journal, February 2021 (2021)
“L’obligation de contribuer au paiement de la provision pour frais de l’arbitrage et l’accès à la justice (arbitrale ou étatique), Note sous Cour d’appel de Paris (Pôle 1 – Ch. 1), 23 juin 2020”, Revue de l’arbitrage 4-2020 (2020)
“Jurisdiction over Non-signatories, the Irreconcilable Approaches of French and English Courts, Case Note on: (i) English Court of Appeal Decision of 20 January 2020 and (ii) Paris Court of Appeal Decision of 23 June 2020”, ASA Bulletin 4/2020, p. 145 (2020)
“La détermination sommaire des demandes ou défenses manifestement infondées”, Revue de l’arbitrage 2-2019, p. 363 (2019)
Education
Admitted to the Paris Bar
2007
Admitted to the New York State Ba
2008
Admitted to the Israel Bar
2016
Master of Laws, University of California, Berkeley
2007
Master 2 Litigation, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas
2006
Postgraduate degree (DESS) in International Business Law, Université Paris V René Descartes
2004
DEA Private International Law and International Trade, Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas
2003
Master 1 Private Law, Université Paris II Panthéon Assas
2002
