Nadia Darwazeh
Counsel
Nadia Darwazeh is a counsel in the Shanghai office of O'Melveny and a member of the Firm's Adversarial Department. Her practice focuses on international arbitration and multi-jurisdictional litigation. She has significant experience in large construction claims, M&A disputes, bankruptcy-related disputes and general commercial cases.
Prior to joining O'Melveny, Nadia worked in the Litigation/Arbitration Group of leading international law firms in Frankfurt, Paris and London. Nadia had also worked as an Analyst at New York, London and Frankfurt offices of a leading investment bank for a short period.
Nadia is the author of numerous articles on international arbitration and speaks on the topic to foreign and Chinese business organizations.
Illustrative Professional Experience
- Represented a European corporation in a dispute relating to a large real-estate project in China. The laws of the People’s Republic of China applied and the seat of arbitration was in Hong Kong. The client successfully settled the case.
- Represented a US corporation in a dispute involving a pharmaceutical licensing and distribution agreement. German law applied and the seat of arbitration was in Zurich. The client successfully settled the case.
- Represented a US corporation in a dispute involving a distribution and franchise arrangement. The laws of the People’s Republic of China applied and the seat of arbitration was in Singapore. The client successfully achieved a dismissal of the proceedings on the basis of lack of jurisdiction.
- Represented a South-Asian sovereign entity in a construction dispute against a European construction consortium. The dispute concerned construction claims relating to a hydroelectric project. The law of the South-Asian state governed and the seat of arbitration was also in that state. The client successfully achieved dismissal of the proceedings on the basis of lack of jurisdiction.
- Represented a Canadian contractor in a dispute relating to a claim arising out of a mining consulting agreement. Indian law applied and the seat of arbitration was in Geneva. The client successfully achieved dismissal on the basis of time-bar under the governing law.
- Represented the seller, a leading German car manufacturer, in a post-acquisition dispute. The dispute concerned the alleged breach of obligations under the relevant sale and purchase agreement. German law applied and the seat of arbitration was in Zurich. The client successfully settled the case.
- Represented a major US chemical manufacturer in a multi-jurisdictional construction dispute against an international construction company. The dispute concerned construction claims arising out of the construction of four plants on three different continents. The laws of various European countries, Argentina and one of the US states governed. The seat of arbitration was in New York City. The client successfully settled the case.
- Represented the seller, a major US corporation, in a dispute concerning the post-merger purchase price adjustment and tax adjustment arising out of the relevant sale and purchase agreement. German law governed. The client successfully settled the case.
Professional Activities
Member, International Bar Association; Solicitors' Association of Higher Court Advocates; China Arbitration Forum; LCIA Young International Arbitration Group; DIS 40; ASA Below 40
Author, Commentary on the New York Convention: Article V(1) (e), (Book forthcoming), Kluwer; “Arbitration in the Arab World: An Interview with Professor Ahmed Sadek El-Kosheri,”
Journal of International Arbitration, Vol. 25, No. 2 (April 2008); "IBA Rules on Evidence in Practice: Document Discovery,"
IBA Committee D Newsletter, Vol. 3, No.1 (February 2003); "Document Discovery and the IBA Rules on Evidence: A Practitioner's View," 2002
Int. ALR, Vol. 5, No. 4 (October 2002)
Co-Author, "Recognition and Enforcement of Awards under the New York Convention: The China and Hong Kong Perspectives," with Friven Yeoh,
Journal of International Arbitration, (forthcoming);
"China: developments and trends,"
Asia Pacific Arbitration Review 2007, with Friven Yeoh; "Arbitration Inside China," Chapter 4,
Duelling Dragons: Managing Business Disputes in Today's China, Kluwer Law International 2007 M.J. Moser (ed.), with Michael J. Moser; "Boilerplate Clauses for Chinese Contracts? Think Again"
Global Arbitration Review, Vol. 1, Issue 3 (June 2006), with Lian Chin Chiang,; "Error of Law as a Valid Basis for Setting Aside Awards in India?"
TDM Asia Special Feature (2006), with Rita Linnane; "Set-Aside and Enforcement Proceedings: The 1996 Indian Arbitration Act Under Threat?"
Int. ALR, Vol. 7, No. 3 (June 2004), with Rita Linnane; "The SAW Pipes Decision: Two Steps Back for Indian Arbitration?"
Mealey's International Arbitration Report, Vol. 19, No. 3 (March 2004), with Rita Linnane
Editor, “Arbitration in the Arab World,”
Journal of International Arbitration 2008, April Special Edition, Kluwer
Recognition, The International Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration 2008; Who's Who in the World 2008
Languages, English, German, French, Mandarin Chinese and Dutch