pwolrich@curtis.com
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Paris Office
Practice
Mr. Wolrich, the managing partner of the Paris office, has over twenty-five years of experience in international arbitration and business law matters. As a recognized leader in the field of international arbitration, he is currently serving as Chairman of the Commission on Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. His arbitration activities include acting as Chairman of Arbitral Tribunals, Sole Arbitrator, Co-Arbitrator, and Counsel for claimants and respondents in connection with ICC, ICSID, LCIA, NAI, Stockholm and ad hoc arbitrations. These arbitrations have involved applicable laws of jurisdictions such as Algeria, Canada, Congo, England, France, Gabon, Hong Kong, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, New York and Switzerland, and disputed amounts ranging from US$10 million to over US$2 billion. Mr. Wolrich is also a CEDR Accredited Mediator and has acted as Dispute Board Chairman. Mr. Wolrich regularly publishes articles and speaks at universities and international conferences concerning arbitration matters. He has been a recurring name in Euromoney’s Expert Guides: Commercial Arbitration Lawyers. He is admitted to the Bar of the State of New York and is an Avocat à la Cour de Paris in France.
Education
- J.D., Georgetown University, 1973
- Editor, The Georgetown Law Journal
- A.M., Brown University, 1969
- Woodrow Wilson Fellow
- A.B., magna cum laude, Temple University, 1968
- University of London (University College), 1966-67
Description of selected arbitrations in which Mr. Wolrich has acted as arbitrator:
- Chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal in an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules between two European companies concerning the construction of roads.
- Chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal in connection with a dispute between a government ministry of a Middle Eastern country and a European corporation, arbitrated in Geneva under the ICC Rules and involving the termination of a turnkey contract for the supply of a factory.
- Chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal in an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules concerning a dispute between American companies involving breach of warranty, indemnification and fraud claims.
- Sole Arbitrator in an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules concerning the breach of a distributorship agreement.
- Sole Arbitrator in an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules between a Canadian company and its sales representative company in Asia.
- Sole Arbitrator in an Ad Hoc arbitration in Paris between two European companies concerning the termination of an agency agreement.
- Co-Arbitrator in an arbitration in London under the LCIA Rules involving a dispute between an Asian telecommunications service provider and a U.S. company.
- Co-Arbitrator in an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules involving a dispute between a European bank and an Asian guarantor.
- Co-Arbitrator in an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules involving a dispute between a U.S. company and companies from Asia and North Africa concerning a management agreement.
Description of selected arbitrations in which Mr. Wolrich has acted as counsel:
- Representation of a state-owned oil company in connection with claims against a private oil company arising under an exploration and production sharing agreement, conducted in Paris under the ICC Rules.
- Representation of a stock purchaser in connection with an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules involving a breach of warranty claim under a stock purchase agreement.
- Representation of a state company in connection with an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules arising out of the construction of an airport facility.
- Representation of a state company in connection with an arbitration in Paris under the ICC Rules arising out of a contract for the supply of a computer monitoring system for the oil industry.
- Representation of a claimant in an arbitration in Zurich under the ICC Rules involving the breach of a civil engineering subcontract.
- Representation of a state agricultural ministry in connection with an arbitration with a private consortium conducted in Paris under the ICC Rules concerning large-scale irrigation projects.
- Representation of a West African state in connection with an arbitration in Geneva involving a major construction contract, conducted under the ICSID Rules.
- Representation of a claimant in an arbitration in connection with a claim for the annulment of a stock purchase agreement, arbitrated in Paris under the ICC Rules.
- Representation of an African state in connection with an arbitration with a European company in Paris under the ICC Rules concerning the management of a project in the African state.
- Representation of a U.S. company with respect to an arbitration under the ICC Rules concerning claims under an asset purchase agreement.
Publications
- “ADR Under the ICC ADR Rules” in ADR in Business Practice and Issues Across Countries and Cultures (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, December 2006)
Select Speaking Engagements
- "Reducing Time and Costs in Complex Arbitration" in London on Tuesday, March 27, 2007
- Mr. Wolrich has acted as chairman and speaker at various conferences (ICC, UIA, IBA, etc).
- “The ICC ADR Rules and the ICC Dispute Board Rules”, Annual Kenneth McQuillan Lecture at Trinity College Dublin, May 8, 2006
His activities in connection with the ICC and other arbitration-related professional activities include the following:
- Chair
- ICC Commission on Arbitration, January 1, 2002-Present
- ICC Task force on ICC ADR Rules, March 1999-December 2001
- ICC Steering Board on Dispute Resolution Services
- Principal Draftsman
- ICC ADR Rules (in force from July 1, 2001)
- ICC Rules for Expertise (in force from January 1, 2003)
- ICC Dispute Board Rules (in force from September 1, 2004)
- Guidelines for Arbitrating Small Claims
Other Distinctions
- Listed in Who’s Who in the World
- Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (decoration awarded by the French government for distinguished service)
For more information on the ICC, please click here.
Languages
English, French
