Our fields of expertise

Simont Braun is recognised for its broad experience in national and international arbitration, with its lawyers regularly performing a wide variety of roles, such as arbitrator, counsel to parties in arbitration and expert witness in Belgian law. Our in-depth understanding of business disputes and procedural rules enables us to conduct both arbitration and post-arbitration procedures (enforcement and annulment of awards).

Our arbitration team raises and defends cases in national and international arbitration proceedings, both ad hoc and under the aegis of arbitration institutions, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), CEPANI, WIPO and the American Arbitration Association (AAA).

Our lawyers also appear before state courts in proceedings brought to set aside or defend arbitral awards, or to challenge or apply for exequatur.

Lucien Simont and John Bigwood are renowned arbitrators. Paul Alain Foriers, Steven Callens, Thomas Braun, Fernand de Visscher and Emmanuel Cornu frequently act as counsel or arbitrator in their respective practice areas. Rafaël Jafferali has been selected as a Future Leader by Who’s Who Legal in the Arbitration category in 2018 and 2019.

Some recent work experience

Our team is currently involved in multiple arbitration proceedings before different bodies including the ICC, CEPANI and various ad hoc panels, covering general commercial relations, engineering contracts and post-acquisition disputes:

• Representing the sellers of a company in ad hoc arbitration reviewing their entitlement to substantial earn-out payments.


• Representing a Belgian-based dredging company in an ICC arbitration brought against a Dutch shipbuilding company.


• Regularly acting as arbitrator (ICC, CEPANI or ad hoc arbitrations) in disputes pertaining to all types of commercial relations, notably distribution agreements and business partnerships.


• Acting as arbitrator (CEPANI arbitration) in a dispute regarding a company share sale.


• Acting as arbitrator (ICC arbitration) in a highly specific case where the parties involved only wanted the arbitrator to rule on the correct interpretation and implementation of their distribution agreement.