Adil Sahban

OTHER CURRENT APPOINTMENTS – DOOR TENANT AT GOLDSMITH CHAMBERS, LONDON

Adil is a partner at LIONS SHIELD LEGAL. He is an attorney admitted to the New York Bar since 2015. He was registered as a Paris Bar attorney from 2016 to 2023 (currently inactive). His practice focuses on high-profile disputes, both before state courts and arbitral tribunals. He also intervenes as an advisor, with a focus on the cryptocurrency sector.

Adil is experienced in handling high profile disputes in France, the UK, Africa, and the MENA region, and advises individuals and businesses on criminal law, white-collar crime, and corporate law issues. He acted as one of the leading litigators in the 2018 post-electoral crisis in Cameroon, and contributed to securing the liberation of numerous political figures including the former President of the International Law Commission and presidential candidate Maurice Kamto. He also regularly advises sovereign entities on public international law matters, and is regarded as a highly effective litigator in international arbitration and in sports law disputes. Familiar with both the common law and the civil law system, Adil is also trained in public affairs and in financial economics, which enables him to grasp very quickly the issues at stake and deliver an unparalleled level of service. Adil is fluent in French and English and is proficient in Spanish.

Sample of representative experience*

Dispute resolution work

Public international law and human rights

• Assistance of Mr Maurice Kamto and of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement – advocacy before the African Commission of Human Rights and the European Parliament
• Assistance of the Republic of EQUATORIAL GUINEA in the dispute against FRANCE regarding the 42 Avenue Foch Embassy
• Assistance of a foreign State in asset seizure proceedings subsequent to an unfavourable arbitral award
• Assistance of the Republic of IVORY COAST in the proceedings before the International Criminal Court against Mr Laurent Gbagbo and Mr Cha Blé-Goudé

Whistleblower protection

• Assistance of a former employee of a US corporation subsequent to violations by the employer of the Sarbanes Oxley act and the Dodd Frank act

General criminal law and white-collar defense

• Assistance of a former executive of an international bank, targeted by an investigation before the Paris judicial tribunal in a 40 million euros embezzlement case
• Assistance of Mr Giscard Samba, track and field trainer of several international champions, in a rape case and in disciplinary proceedings before the French Athletics Federation
• Assistance of the family of a victim in a domestic abuse and assassination case before the criminal court of Bastia and the appellate criminal court of Ajaccio
• Assistance of a foreign political leader targeted in France by an arrest warrant
• Assistance of an auditor targeted by an investigation before the Paris judicial tribunal for publication of untrue or inaccurate financial statements
• Assistance of a non governmental international organization in a procedure initiated by it before the Paris judicial tribunal for corruption, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit financial crimes
• Assistance of a multinational company targeted by an investigation before the Paris judicial tribunal for tax fraud and money laundering

Stock exchange litigation

• Assistance of a listed company in an investigation opened by the French financial regulator ("Autorité des Marchés Financiers") for manipulation of share prices and publication of untrue or inaccurate financial statements

Art law

• Assistance of a State in damages proceedings initiated by an artist for violation of her moral right ("droit moral")

Advisory work

• Advised a group of cryptocurrency companies – international stucturation of their activities in France, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands
• Advised a trading company selling pharmaceutical equipments
• Advised VIGEO, a leading ESG rating agency, in the acquisition of EIRIS
• Advised a lebanese skincare company seeking to establish a subsidiary in France

* Includes work performed in other law firms

Other experience

Clerkships

Cour de cassation, Criminal division and First Presidency, Paris, France - June to September 2010

Drafting of memoranda on the regulation of the legal profession and on questions of criminal procedure, of reports for the Review Board in charge of re-examining criminal convictions, and of projects of rulings - Participation to the drafting of the speech of the First President of the Cour de cassation before the Commission of the National Assembly in charge of legislative proposals

Ministry of the Economy, Inspection of Finance, Paris, France - February to May 2010

Participation to the drafting of a policy report requested by Mrs Minister of the Economy Christine Lagarde (accessible via "https://www.vie-publique.fr/rapport/31468-les-missions-locales-pour-linsertion-professionnelle-et-sociale-des-jeu")

Teaching experience

Sciences Po, Paris, France - September to December 2015

Visiting lecturer in white collar crime - Courses on comparative white collar crime delivered jointly with Mr Jean-Pierre Mignard, attorney of the Paris Bar

University Paris Ouest Nanterre, Nanterre, France - February to June 2012

Visiting lecturer in criminal procedure

Publications

Hague Yearbook of International Law, Martinus Nijhoff Publishing, May 2014, « (T)he applicability of international law standards to the sanctions of the Security Council »

Founder and Editor in Chief of the Business and Law Review, published by the University Paris II Panthéon Assas and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, fifth edition on « (E)nvironment & business law » (may 2008), sixth edition on « (I)nternational arbitration: the choice of the appropriate arbitration rules » (september 2008).

LL.M. thesis in financial law, selected for publication, « (T)he leading principles applicable to public offers, in the light of the European directive 2004/25/CE and the 2006-387 act on public offers » (accessible via http://mja-paris2.webs.com/memoires.html).

Bar admissions

Admission to the New York Bar - March 2015 (active)

Admission to the Paris Bar - May 2016 (currently inactive)

Education

Harvard Law School - Master of Laws (LL.M.) - 2012-2013

Distinctions: Arthur Sachs scholar, Harvard Law School scholarship, Harvard French Scholarship Fund scholar

Sciences Po - Master of Public Affairs (M.A.) - 2009 – 2012

Distinctions: Cum Laude

HEC / Hautes Études Commerciales - Master of Science (M. Sc.) in Financial Economics - 2008-2011

Distinctions: HEC PARIS full scholarship

University Paris-II Panthéon Assas - Magistère juriste d'affaires – DJCE / Advanced Masters in Business Law - 2007-2008

Distinctions: Cum laude, University Paris-II scholarship for academic excellence

University Paris-II Panthéon Assas - Masters in Business Law - 2006-2007

Distinctions: Magna cum Laude

University Paris-II Panthéon Assas - Bachelors in Law (LL.B.) - 2003-2006

Distinctions: Magna cum laude, Francis Lefebvre law firm award