Sara Koleilat-Aranjo
Sara K. Aranjo leads Morgan Lewis’s international arbitration, dispute resolution, and global investigations practice across the Middle East and Africa. Sara focuses her practice on international arbitration and dispute prevention and resolution, primarily in cases with cross-border elements. She advises and represents the interests of governments, semi-governments, and corporations in proceedings arising out of inbound and outbound investments in the Middle East and Africa across a range of sectors, including energy, real estate, hospitality, construction, banking and finance, distribution, and technology, media, and telecommunications. Sara speaks Arabic, French, and English.
With her significant background in international arbitration and dispute prevention and resolution, Sara has experience with arbitral proceedings conducted under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre (ADCCAC), GCC Centre for Commercial Arbitration, and Organization for Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) rules, as well as with ad hoc proceedings.
Having practiced in London, Paris, and Beirut, she has deep familiarity with both civil and common law legal traditions. In addition to her work as counsel, Sara sits as an arbitrator and mediator.
Sara has been involved in more than 100 proceedings in the Arabic, French, and English languages across jurisdictions in Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Ghana, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, in addition to France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea.
Sara has been described by clients as “one of the brightest arbitration lawyers” who has “constantly displayed razor-sharp intelligence along with outstanding strategical skills” (GAR 100, 15th ed.) as well as a practitioner with “great advocacy skills” (GAR 100, 14th ed.). Chambers noted that Sara has “an exceptional level of intellect [and] does not get deterred no matter the stakes or the pressure.” Sara has been commended in Who’s Who Legal for “her outstanding performance for her clients,” having “developed innovative and victorious strategies.” The Legal 500 described Sara as “an A-class lawyer who marries impeccable technical and legal skills. She is very reliable and never disappoints, having the unique ability of turning difficult and challenging issues into winning points.”
Beyond her law practice, Sara regularly publishes articles and speaks about international arbitration and dispute resolution. As a faculty member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Diploma in International Arbitration, she lectures on the burden and standard of proof in international arbitration. Sara also serves as an adjunct professor of law at the Université Paris II – Panthéon-Assas, where she lectures on comparative judicial and legal systems, namely civil law, common law, and Islamic law.
Sara supports several international organizations and initiatives. She serves as a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. She is a member of the Court of Arbitration of the Swiss Centre and the inaugural Arbitration Court of the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration. Sara serves as a deputy secretary-general of the International Bar Association (IBA), where she co-chairs the IBA Arab Regional Forum and the in-house counsel group of the IBA Arbitration Committee.
Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Sara was a partner at one of the largest law firms in the Middle East and North Africa.
