Paris · International & Business Law
A Paris boutique advising States, institutions, businesses, entrepreneurs and private clients, pairing the depth of international practice with genuine accessibility and personal attention.
About us
"The most complex disputes do not respect the boundaries between legal disciplines. Neither do we."
SLV Partners operates at the intersection of international and domestic law, providing accessible, high-level counsel to States, institutions, businesses, entrepreneurs and private clients alike.
We practise international law at the highest level — contentious and advisory work in public international law, investment and commercial arbitration, and complex disputes that cross borders and legal systems. From our base in Paris, we also advise on French and European matters: we support businesses, entrepreneurs and social-economy organisations, from structuring through to succession, and we litigate before French and European courts, including the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights.
Small by design, we combine the depth and technical rigour of a large firm with the agility, accessibility and personal attention of a boutique practice — drawing on a curated network of legal, scientific and technical experts for each matter.
Practices
The full spectrum of international law — public international law, investment law, the law of the sea, sovereign immunity, human rights, international sanctions and trade.
The full life cycle of a business: structuring and governance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financing, restructuring and turnaround, transfers and succession.
Advising non-profits, cooperatives, foundations and social enterprises on structuring, governance, financing and sector-specific transactions.
Drafting, negotiation and dispute prevention — agreements built to anticipate risk and hold over time.
Representation before French and European courts, including the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights.
Team
SLV Partners is small by design: lawyers with extensive hands-on experience, supported by a network of leading legal, scientific and technical experts assembled around each client’s needs.
Founding Partner
A business lawyer and member of the Paris Bar since 2001, Sabine advises entrepreneurs, SMEs and mid-sized companies on structuring, growth, business transfers and restructuring. She works across corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and insolvency and restructuring, with extensive expertise in social economy.
Founding Partner
A lawyer with French and American nationality, with two decades in public and private international law, Luke acts as counsel and advocate before the International Court of Justice, ICSID tribunals and the EU courts, for States and private clients alike. He also lectures on international litigation and arbitration.
Founding Partner
A lawyer of French and American nationality, Luke Vidal specialises in public and private international law, international litigation and investment arbitration.
He acts as counsel to States before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), including in Certain Iranian Assets (Iran v. United States), which gave rise to the judgment of 30 March 2023, Alleged Violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity (Iran v. United States), currently pending, and the disputes between Colombia and Nicaragua concerning sovereign rights and the delimitation of the continental shelf. He also represented Guinea in Ahmadou Sadio Diallo and Benin in the Frontier Dispute case before the ICJ.
His practice also encompasses investment arbitration, in which he represents Mr Tayeb Benabderrahmane in ICSID proceedings against the State of Qatar, as well as inter-State arbitration, notably in the Wood Export Ban case between the European Union and Ukraine. He further represented Slovenia before the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-457/18 against Croatia.
Alongside his international litigation practice, Luke is involved in criminal proceedings relating to international crimes. He advises, among others, the organisation Yazda and two Yazidi victims in the Lafarge case in France. He also advised the Clooney Foundation for Justice in the proceedings against Roger Lumbala and took part in the Ukraine Task Force established at the request of the Ukrainian Government.
Luke Vidal has taught public international law at the University of Picardie Jules Verne since 2026. He previously taught European and international litigation and arbitration, as well as competition law, at Paris Nanterre University. He speaks regularly at conferences on public international law and international criminal justice.
Of Counsel
A specialist in public international law and investment arbitration, Lefa has acted as counsel before the International Court of Justice, ITLOS and ICSID tribunals, including the climate-change advisory proceedings brought by the African Union and the Seychelles. Trilingual in English, French and Seychellois Creole.
Of Counsel
Lefa Mondon specialises in public international law, investment arbitration and international litigation. Of Counsel at SLV Partners in Paris, she acts as counsel before international courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and arbitral tribunals constituted under the auspices of ICSID.
She has advised, among others, the African Union and the Seychelles in the advisory proceedings before the ICJ on the obligations of States in respect of climate change, Iran in Certain Iranian Assets and Alleged Violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, and Colombia in its disputes with Nicaragua concerning sovereign rights and the delimitation of the continental shelf. Her experience also includes assisting Ukraine in the arbitration concerning the ban on wood exports, and acting as assistant counsel to the Maldives in the dispute concerning the delimitation of its maritime boundary before ITLOS.
Lefa also works alongside Luke Vidal in representing Mr Tayeb Benabderrahmane in arbitral proceedings brought against the State of Qatar before a tribunal constituted under the auspices of ICSID (ICSID Case No. ARB/22/23), and in criminal proceedings relating to international crimes before the French courts.
Since 2026, Lefa has taught international litigation at the University of Picardie Jules Verne. She previously coached the University of Strasbourg team in the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court, having herself reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2018-2019.
News & Insights
We contribute actively to the development of international law — through publications, speaking engagements and academic collaboration.
Contact
Get in touch with SLV Partners.
Telephone
+33 (0)1 77 38 80 72