International Arbitration

Ms. Chedid heads the firm's West Coast international arbitration practice, and is also a member of the firm's appellate practice group.

Ms. Chedid has represented arbitration clients in a variety of arbitral institutions, including the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and its International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), JAMS, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal (IUSCT), and the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC).

Her arbitrations have involved investment disputes, international licensing disputes, intellectual property disputes, political risk insurance claims, breach of government contracts, shareholder disputes, and other private commercial contract disputes. In the international project finance context, Ms. Chedid has advised regarding international political risk coverage and dispute resolution issues. Her practice is geographically diverse, extending to matters in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

Recognizing her expertise and diverse practice in international arbitration, Chambers USA has reported praise for Ms. Chedid's "highly-effective advocacy," "capabilities in intellectual property disputes," and "dedication to the needs of the client."

Ms. Chedid also has represented clients in US courts in cases involving a variety of multijurisdictional and cross-border litigation issues, including Alien Tort Statute matters, enforcement of foreign judgments, 28 U.S.C. 1782 applications, the Hague Service Convention and Hague Evidence Convention, and forum non conveniens matters.

Ms. Chedid is a frequent speaker and writer on arbitration and political risk insurance topics, and has lectured about international arbitration at the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law.

She graduated from New York University School of Law in 1993, where she was elected a fellow of the New York University School of Law Center for International Studies and completed a one-year fellowship in public international law.

Pro Bono Achievements
In 2008, Ms. Chedid successfully briefed and argued a case seeking permanent injunction against the United States Navy in Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) v. Gutierrez, Secretary of the US Department of Commerce.  NRDC and its co-plaintiffs sought the injunction to protect endangered marine species and other marine life from the dangers of low-frequency sonar testing in ocean waters.

International Arbitration Representative Matters

International Arbitration

• Represents Iraqi construction company in breach of contract claims against California construction management company (AAA).
• Represents German equipment manufacturer in breach of contract and intellectual property claims against California solar panel producer (ICC).
• Represented the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in an arbitration concerning a mining development project (ICSID).
• Represented Korean ATM manufacturer in breach of contract and intellectual property dispute with California distributor (ICDR).
• Represented executor of billion dollar estate of Saipan resident against claims of investor valued at US$300 million (ICC).
• Represented political risk insurer in arbitration of investor's claim of regulatory expropriation and governmental violation of international law arising from power plant project in the Republic of Colombia (ICDR).
• Represented US investor in shareholder dispute involving Mauritian and Indian companies (LCIA).
• Represented US biometrics company in licensing and intellectual property ownership dispute with affiliated Korean company (ICDR).
• Represented political risk insurer against investor's regulatory expropriation claim arising from investment in the Argentine Republic (LCIA).
• Represented the Arab Republic of Egypt in asserting the claims of Egyptian workers against the Republic of Iraq for US$84 million in unpaid wages (UNCC).
• Represented US company in arbitration of military construction contract claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran (IUSCT).
• Advised political risk insurer on amendment to arbitral award default and denial of justice coverage for investment in the Republic of Ecuador.
• Advised various political risk insurers on international arbitration and political risk coverage issues for projects in the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Iraq, and the Republic of Turkey.

US Appeals and Federal Preemption

• Represented California municipality in appeal of US$33 million jury verdict in land use development dispute.
• Represented pharmaceutical companies in precedential and unanimous California Supreme Court decision finding federal preemption of state law.
• Represented meat industry in precedential appellate decision finding federal preemption of state law.
• Represented international air carrier in successful federal preemption challenge to state law regulations. 
• Represented California building industry in successful federal preemption challenge to state law restrictions on arbitration clauses in construction contracts.
• Represented US company in Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals writ proceedings regarding First Amendment anonymity rights of internet bloggers.
• Represented UK mining company in Ninth Circuit appeal of a US Alien Tort Statute case arising from mining project in Papua New Guinea.
• Represented Japanese company in Ninth Circuit appeal seeking enforcement of expanded judicial review clause for arbitration award in excess of US$300 million.