Arbitral Digest

Matter

Energoinvest DD v Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (Paris Court of Appeal RG 24/18541)

Case no.
11441/KGA
Seat
Switzerland
  1. 30 April 2003Switzerland

    30 April 2003Switzerland

    ICC Arbitral Award No. 11441/KGA dated 30 April 2003

    International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce

    Award no.
    11441/KGA
    Decision summary
    The tribunal held the Democratic Republic of the Congo and SNEL jointly and severally liable to pay Energoinvest USD 11,725,844.96, plus interest and arbitration costs.

    Supporting details

    4 participants
    Energoinvest
    Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL)
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce

    6 years, 6 months and 6 days later · 2381 days

  2. 5 November 2009France

    5 November 2009France

    Order of the President of the Paris Regional Court dated 5 November 2009

    Paris Regional Court

    Decision summary
    The President of the Paris Regional Court granted exequatur in France to the ICC arbitral award rendered in Zurich on 30 April 2003 in case 11441/KGA, at the request of FG Hemisphere as Energoinvest's assignee.

    4 months and 28 days later · 148 days

  3. 2 April 2010Democratic Republic of the Congo

    2 April 2010Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Judgment of the Kinshasa Regional Court dated 2 April 2010

    Kinshasa Regional Court

    Decision summary
    The Kinshasa Regional Court judgment of 2 April 2010 was presented in the Paris proceedings as the judgment for which SNEL sought recognition and enforcement; the Paris Court of Appeal rejected that exequatur request.

    6 years and 10 days later · 2202 days

  4. 12 April 2016France

    12 April 2016France

    Judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal dated 12 April 2016

    Paris Court of Appeal

    Decision summary
    The Paris Court of Appeal declared inadmissible the Democratic Republic of the Congo's claim to exercise retrait litigieux and rejected its appeal in the enforcement proceedings concerning the Energoinvest award.

    1 year, 10 months and 16 days later · 687 days

  5. 28 February 2018France

    28 February 2018France

    Judgment of the French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, in case R 16-22.112 dated 28 February 2018

    French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber

    Case no.
    R 16-22.112
    Decision summary
    The Court of Cassation quashed the Paris Court of Appeal's 12 April 2016 decision in full and remitted the case. It held that the exercise of the statutory right of retrait litigieux affected enforcement of the arbitral award and therefore could not be excluded from the appellate court's review.

    Supporting details

    2 authorities · 7 participants
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Representative
    SCP Ortscheidt (For: Democratic Republic of the Congo)
    FG Hemisphere Associates LLC
    Representative
    SCP Lesourd (For: FG Hemisphere Associates LLC)
    French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber
    Judge
    Batut
    Judge
    Hascher
    Judge
    Reynis

    Authorities cited

    2
    • French Civil Code
      statute
    • French Code of Civil Procedure
      statute

    1 day later · 1 days

  6. 1 March 2018France

    1 March 2018France

    Order of the Paris Court of Appeal Case Management Judge dated 1 March 2018

    Paris Court of Appeal

    Decision summary
    The Paris Court of Appeal case-management judge found that defects in service of the 5 November 2009 exequatur order meant that the time limits for SNEL's appeal had not begun to run.

    1 year, 10 months and 13 days later · 684 days

  7. 14 January 2020France

    14 January 2020France

    Judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal dated 14 January 2020

    Paris Court of Appeal

    Decision summary
    The Paris Court of Appeal stayed SNEL's appeal pending the decision on remand in the related Democratic Republic of the Congo enforcement proceedings arising from the same Energoinvest award.

    1 year, 10 months and 23 days later · 693 days

  8. 7 December 2021France

    7 December 2021France

    Judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal on remand dated 7 December 2021

    Paris Court of Appeal, International Commercial Chamber

    Decision summary
    On remand after the 2018 cassation, the Paris Court of Appeal rejected the Democratic Republic of the Congo's retrait litigieux claim and its appeal concerning enforcement of the Energoinvest award.

    2 years, 2 months and 21 days later · 813 days

  9. 28 February 2024France

    28 February 2024France

    Judgment of the French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, in case K 22-16.151 dated 28 February 2024

    French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber

    Case no.
    K 22-16.151
    Decision summary
    The Court of Cassation partially quashed the Paris Court of Appeal's 7 December 2021 judgment, without remand, only as to the rejection of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's retrait litigieux claim. It declared that claim inadmissible and otherwise left the enforcement proceedings intact.

    Supporting details

    7 authorities · 7 participants
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Representative
    Société Ortscheidt (For: Democratic Republic of the Congo)
    FG Hemisphere Associates LLC
    Representative
    SCP Duhamel (For: FG Hemisphere Associates LLC)
    French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber
    Advocate General
    Cazaux-Charles
    Other
    Institutional administrator
    Ben Belkacem

    Authorities cited

    7
    • French Civil Code
      statute
    • French Code of Civil Procedure
      statute
    • French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, 11 June 1991 (pourvoi n° 90-11.282)
      case-law
    • French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, 1 March 2023 (pourvoi n° 21-23.510)
      case-law
    • French Court of Cassation, Commercial Chamber, 22 October 1996 (pourvoi n° 94-20.372)
      case-law
    • French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, 6 February 2019 (n° 17-28.878)
      case-law
    • French Court of Cassation, Second Civil Chamber, 15 April 2021 (pourvoi n° 19-20.281)
      case-law

    1 year, 6 months and 19 days later · 566 days

  10. 16 September 2025France

    16 September 2025France

    Decision of the Paris Court of Appeal, International Commercial Chamber, in case RG 24/18541 dated 16 September 2025

    Paris Court of Appeal, International Commercial Chamber, Pole 5 Chamber 16

    Case no.
    RG 24/18541
    Decision summary
    The court rejected SNEL's applications to annul the 5 November 2009 exequatur order and its service, rejected SNEL's request to enforce the 2 April 2010 Kinshasa judgment, and confirmed the exequatur of the ICC award in case 11441/KGA. It also rejected the abuse-of-process claim and ordered SNEL to pay costs and EUR 100,000 to FG Hemisphere under article 700 of the French Code of Civil Procedure.

    Supporting details

    9 authorities · 12 participants
    Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL)
    Representative
    Benoît Henry (For: Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL))
    FG Hemisphere Associates LLC
    Representative
    Jean-Claude Chevillier (For: FG Hemisphere Associates LLC)
    Representative
    Charles Emmanuel Prieur (For: FG Hemisphere Associates LLC)
    Representative
    Clémence Lemétais d'Ormesson (For: FG Hemisphere Associates LLC)
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Representative
    Matthieu Boccon Gibod (For: Democratic Republic of the Congo)
    Paris Court of Appeal, International Commercial Chamber, Pole 5 Chamber 16
    Other
    Institutional administrator
    Najma El Farissi

    Authorities cited

    9
    • French Code of Civil Procedure
      statute
    • French Civil Code
      statute
    • French Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures
      statute
    • French Judicial Organisation Code
      statute
    • Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York Convention 1958)
      treaty
    • Congolese Law No. 78-002 of 6 January 1978
      statute
    • French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, 8 July 2009 (pourvoi n° 08-16.025)
      case-law
    • French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, 28 March 2013 (pourvois n° 11-25.123 et 11-23.801)
      case-law
    • French Court of Cassation, First Civil Chamber, 28 February 2018 (pourvoi n° 16-20.416)
      case-law

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Energoinvest DD v Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (Paris Court of Appeal RG 24/18541) · Matter