Profile details
About Matei Purice
Matei Purice is counsel in our international arbitration group and heads our Global Projects Disputes Practice in Continental Europe.
Recognised by GAR's, Who’s Who Legal since 2018 as an arbitration "Future Leader", Matei focuses on commercial and investment treaty arbitrations arising out of global projects, including infrastructure, energy, industrial and urban development projects. Matei has particular expertise in Europe and the Middle East. He has acted as counsel in matters under a variety of arbitration rules including ICSID, ICC, SCC, UNCITRAL, Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Court of International Commercial Arbitration of Bucharest (CICA) with seats in Paris, London, Geneva, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bucharest.
He also regularly sits as arbitrator predominantly in projects related disputes.
Since 2014, Matei has lectured at the International Arbitration LLM at the Faculty of Law of the Bucharest University (Romania) where he is responsible for the construction arbitration module.
Matei holds law degrees from both the University of Paris I Pantheon - Sorbonne and the University of Bucharest – Faculty of Law. He is a member of the Paris Bar and Bucharest Bar.
He is fluent in English, French and Romanian.
Recent work
- Advising Beijing Urban Construction Group in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Yemen under the China-Yemen bilateral investment treaty relating to the construction of an airport terminal in Yemen.
- Advising the Government of Romania in an ICSID arbitration initiated by an American investor in connection with the privatisation of an ammonia plant in Romania.
- Advising the Government of Romania in an ICSID arbitration initiated by two Turkish investors in connection with the privatization of an agricultural facility in Romania.
- Advising an international engineering and construction consortium in an ICC dispute with a Geneva seat, relating to a US$multi-billion fertiliser complex in MENA.
- Advising a Kuwaiti company in a DIAC arbitration regarding the termination of a long-term lease for commercial premises in Dubai.
- Advising a UAE investor in an ICC arbitration regarding the termination of a joint venture for the distribution of fast moving consumer goods in east Africa.
- Advising a Turkish contractor in a set of DIAC proceedings related to the execution of works of a high-rise residential building in Dubai.
- Advising a Romanian contractor in an ICC arbitration in Paris regarding the execution of works of a major residential complex located in Bucharest.
- Advising a Romanian developer in an arbitration before the Court of International Commercial Arbitration Bucharest arising out of a string of contracts regarding the development and management of a shopping mall located in Bucharest.
Qualifications
Education
- University of Paris I Panteon - Sorbonne, France (law degree - licence en droit)
- University of Bucharest Faculty of Law, Romania (law degree - maitrise en droit)
- University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Institut du droit de la paix et du developpement, France (master's degree - international and European law (M2))
Professional memberships
- Bucharest International Arbitration Court
- Bucharest Bar Association
- Romanian Lawyers' Assocation
- Paris Bar Association
- ICC YAF representative for MENA region (2017-2019)