Ileana Smeureanu concentrates her practice on international commercial and investor-State arbitration. She represents clients from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East throughout the whole arbitral process, covering a wide range of disputes and a variety of jurisdictions.
Ileana is currently representing a major telecoms operator in several international arbitrations across multiple jurisdictions, including against a sovereign State, in complex disputes following the creation of a joint venture, involving claims for breach of contract and fiduciary duties, corruption, fraud and violation of international standards of protection against illegal expropriation, fair and equitable treatment, national treatment, and full protection and security.
Ileana also worked on matters that include securing wins for a North African state in two bilateral investment treaty disputes in the aviation and hotel management sectors. In addition, she has experience handling disputes in the oil and gas and private equity sectors.
Ileana is author of the book Confidentiality in International Commercial Arbitration (Kluwer Law International, 2011) and of multiple book chapters and articles dedicated to arbitration in Eastern Europe. She coauthored the English translation of Romanian arbitration law (ICCA International Handbook on Commercial Arbitration, 74th Suppl., May 2013). Ileana lectures at the International Law Institute (ILI, Washington, D.C.) and speaks regularly at international conferences.
She is a member of the New York State and Bucharest Bar Associations and is registered as an European lawyer with the Paris Bar. Ileana is a long-standing member of ArbitralWomen and of ArbCEE, an organization aimed at uniting, promoting, and serving the arbitration and ADR community of Central and Eastern Europe.
Experience
Additional Publications
- December 31, 2019
Around the world of arbitration: recent decisions of the French Court (II), 2 Romanian Arbitration Review (2019)2019 - 2019
Around the world of arbitration: recent decisions of the French Court (I), 1 Romanian Arbitration Review (2019) December 2016 - 2017
Cross-border Litigation in Romania, co-author, P. Beaumont et al. (eds),Cross-border Litigation in Europe, Hart Publishing - 2016
Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Awards in Romania, Leaua & Baias (eds), Arbitration in Romania, Kluwer Law International - April 2015
Conference report on Wendy Miles’ keynote speech at the YAF/YAPP conference in Vienna (28 March 2015): "The Role of Young Arbitrators inthe Rule of Law", Kluwer Arbitration Blog - June 2014
Five Facts about Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Awards in Central and Eastern Europe, Kluwer Arbitration Blog - January 2014
Lists, Checklists, Guidelines, Principles, Techniques, Protocols, Best Practices: Are They Useful?, coauthor, Kluwer Arbitration Blog - May 2013
Romanian Arbitration Law, Book No. IV of the New Civil Procedure Code, ICCA 74th Suppl., English translation, coauthor, Handbook Romania - 2011
Case summary: SGS Société Générale de Surveillance S.A. v. Pakistan (ICSID case No. Arb/01/13, English), International Arbitration Case Law (IACL) - 2011
Case summary: Alpha Projektholding GMBH v. Ukraine (ICSID case No. Arb/07/16, English), International Arbitration Case Law (IACL) - 2011
Case summary: Eureko B.V. v. The Slovak Republic (PCA case No. 2008-13, English), International Arbitration Case Law (IACL) - 2011
Case summary: Universal Compression International Holdings v. Venezuela (ICSID case No. Arb/10/9, English), International Arbitration Case Law (IACL) - 2011
Case summary: Sedelmeyer v. The Russian Federation (Swedish Supreme Court case No. Ö 170-10, English), International Arbitration Case Law (IACL) - 2011
Confidentiality in International Commercial Arbitration, Kluwer Law International - 2011
Confidentiality in Arbitration Revisited: Protective Orders in the Philippines, Kluwer Arbitration Blog - 2011
Case summary: GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft v. Ukraine (ICSID case No. Arb/08/16, English), International Arbitration Case Law (IACL) - 2009
Contract Enforcement in Romania, Stefan Messmann & Tibor Tajti eds, The Case Law of Central and Eastern Europe, coauthor, European University Press - 2009
Itinerarul procesului de recunoaştere şi executare a hotărârilor arbitrale străine în România, coauthor, 2 Revista Română de Arbitraj, 22 - 2008
A Procedural Roadmap for the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards in Romania, coauthor, 25(1) Journal of International Arbitration, 181 - 2008
Resolution of Disputes through International Commercial Arbitration: A Pleading for Confidentiality / Soluţionarea disputelor prin intermediul arbitrajului internaţional comercial: O pledoarie pentru confidenţialitate, 5 Revista Română de Arbitraj, 41 - 2007
Good News from Romania: The Leasing Market is Expanding in Stefan Messmann & Tibor Tajti eds, The Case Law of Central and Eastern Europe, European University Press - 2006
The Application of the Current EC Procurement Framework to Public-Private Partnerships: Reality or Wishful Thinking?, 3 London Law Review, 435
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Additional Speaking Engagements
- 11 March 2025
California Arbitration Week: Bridging Legal Traditions: Advocacy and Strategy in Multijurisdictional Arbitrations - 18 November 2024
Eighteenth Annual Investment Treaty Arbitration, True or false: The recent decision of the Paris Court of Appeal, in DIT v. Port Autonome de Douala, calls into question the continuing relevance of the IBA Rules on Conflict of Interest? - 26 September 2024
Participate as moderator at the Second Annual South Eastern Arbitration Conference on Current Trends in International Arbitration in South Eastern Europe. Speaker at 4th panel: Monetizing Awards: Valuation of Damages, Asset Tracing and Case Funding in today's legal landscape. - 18 April 2024
Speaker on the panel “Intelligence Gathering: latest trends for asset tracing and enforcement”, Asset Recovery CEE - 21 March 2024
Paris Arbitration Week (PAW): The paradox of legal AI: Capabilities and controversies in international arbitration construction disputes - 5 December 2023
ArbCEE: Does Arbitration #Seat in the CEE? - 27 October 2023
The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Evidence and the taking of evidence - 12 October 2023
South Eastern Europe Arbitration Conference (SEEA) inaugural event: Ask the Institutions - 28 March 2023
Paris Arbitration Week (PAW): Resource Nationalism in Investor-State Arbitration (moderator) - 7 December 2022
CFA-RAI: National courts’ stance to public policy in international arbitration: Perspectives from Eastern Europe - 22 September 2021
Partnering with External Counsel: Mitigating Risk & Creating Value in Arbitration Disputes (moderator) - 14 September 2021
ILI’s International Commercial & Investor−State Mediation seminar: International Mediation, lessons learnt and still learning - 4 June 2021
Hit the Ground Running! How to Start Your Arbitration: The Case Management Conference, Webinar organized by Young Romanian Arbitration Practitioners (YRAP) - 11 December 2020
Beyond the Midnight Clause: What Do Transactional Lawyers Make of Arbitration? (BIAC) - 9 September 2019
Words of Welcome at the Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Berlin & Presentation of ArbitralWomenMirage or Reality? The CJEU and the International Investment Court as Foreseen in CETA - 2 April 2019
Gearing Up for Arbitration in the 21st Century, Jones Day Paris event - 1 March 2019
6th Bucharest Pre-Moot - The Law Applicable to Arbitration Agreements: Determination and Effects - 24 October 2018
The 4th Sarajevo Arbitration Day: Elements of an Effective Submission - February 2018
BIAC International Arbitration Conference: Dealing with Corruption Allegations in Investor-State Arbitration - 17 May 2017
ICC YAF: Need for Speed in International Commercial Arbitration (co-panelist) - February 2017
BIAC & AmCham Romania: International Arbitration and Brexit (co-panelist) - 15 February 2017
The 3rd Sarajevo Arbitration Day: Unconscious bias in international Arbitration - 4 November 2016
ICC YAF: Distribution Law & Arbitration, The arbitration agreement in distribution contracts: dos and don'ts - 18 February 2016
ICC YAF: Challenges in representing Parties to Investor-State Arbitration - Moderator - 9 February 2016
International Protections for Renewable Energy Investments in Romania (co-panelist) - 8 February 2016
The Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership - British Romanian Chamber of Commerce (co-panelist) - 6 November 2015
CIArb Young Members Group Centenary Celebration Conference: Transparency in Investor-State Arbitration - April 2015
ICC YAF/YAAP 6th Joint Colloquium Young Approaches to Arbitration Enforcement of Foreign Awards in Eastern Europe - November 2014
The Arbitration Hearing: Role, Organization, Consequences, The Bucharest Law School annual arbitration conference - 22 July 2014
Young Arbitrators Forum, Jones Day and ICC - 22 July 2014
ICC YAF IBA Guidelines on Party Representation, The Relationship between Party Representatives and Witnesses and Experts - 22 July 2014
ICC YAF IBA Guidelines on Party Representation, The Relationship between Party Representatives and Witnesses and Experts - 4 July 2014
What's New on Party Representation in International Arbitration - Witnesses and Experts - 12 April 2014
ICC YAF/YAAP 6th Joint Colloquium Young Approaches to Arbitration Enforcement of Foreign Awards in Eastern Europe - 22-26 October 2013
2013 International Section of the New York Bar Fall Meeting, Chair and Speaker of panel on "The Relationship between Courts and Arbitral Tribunals" (French law perspective) - February 2012
Private Arbitration in European Context conference (Arbitrajul de Drept Privat în Context European), Confidentiality in International Commercial Arbitration, Center of European Studies, Romanian Academy - August 2011
Ethics and Disclosure in International Arbitration, Arbitration for Judges training program, International Law Institute (ILI) - August 2011
Confidentiality in International Commercial Arbitration, Arbitration for Judges training program, International Law Institute (ILI)
"The team is very responsive; perfectly understands legal issues and always offers a very pragmatic approach, guided by clients' concerns and needs."The Legal 500 EMEA
- The George Washington University (LL.M. in Litigation and Dispute Resolution with highest honors 2010); Central European University, Budapest (S.J.D. in International Commercial Arbitration summa cum laude 2009; LL.M. in International Business Law with merit 2004); Emory University (Research semester, 2007); Leiden University (LL.M. in European Community Law cum laude 2005); University of Bucharest (Law Degree 2002)
- Admitted to practice in New York and Bucharest; registered as a European lawyer with the Paris Bar (Dir. 98/5/CE)
Legal 500 EMEA 2023: "Excellent team of seasoned international arbitration professionals. One of the most brilliant minds in the profession."
Leaders League: Sommet du droit (Legal Summit): Gold Award in International Arbitration (2023)
Le Point magazine: Best French Law Firms ranking: 5 stars in Arbitration (2023)
Décideurs: team ranked "excellent" in international arbitration (2023)
- English, French, Romanian
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