Giorgio A. Sassine

Giorgio Sassine is an international arbitration attorney based in Los Angeles with deep experience representing clients across California, the Middle East, and Europe. His practice focuses on cross-border disputes involving the construction, energy, sports, and entertainment sectors. Giorgio frequently appears as counsel in arbitrations under the ICC, ICDR, DIAC, and ad hoc rules, and has handled matters seated in California, Paris, London, New York, and Dubai, among others. He regularly advises sovereigns, multinational corporations, startups, and individuals in high-stakes international arbitration proceedings and award enforcement litigation.

Mr. Sassine brings a unique perspective to international law, having worked extensively with clients in both common law and civil law jurisdictions, including matters involving UAE free zones and emerging regulatory frameworks. He also has substantial experience representing clients in the enforcement of arbitral awards in U.S. federal court under the New York Convention.

Mr. Sassine is particularly adept at navigating California-seated arbitrations involving international parties in the aerospace, construction, and entertainment industries. His advisory practice includes drafting arbitration clauses, crafting jurisdictional strategies, addressing limitation of liability defenses, and asserting claims under California’s broad unfair competition law. He is a trusted advocate who combines legal precision with a commercial understanding of his clients’ goals in complex, high-value international disputes.

Mr. Sassine has been recognized in the 2025 Lexology Index - International Arbitration Future Leaders, 2024 and 2025 Super Lawyers Southern California – Rising Stars, 2024 and 2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America – Construction Law, and the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation.  

Speaking Engagements

• “Witness Evidence: A Cultural Cross Examination,” Riyadh International Disputes Week, Riyadh, February 2025
• “Coffee House Debate: Illegally obtained evidence – war stories and practical advice,” Swedish Arbitration Days, Stockholm, January 2025
• "The Future Speaks: Young Practitioner Perspectives on the International Arbitration of Tomorrow," 8th Annual USC-JAMS Arbitration Symposium with SIAC and CalArb: Arbitration in the Pacific Rim, Los Angeles, September 2024
• “What Domestic ADR Practitioners Can Learn from International Commercial Arbitration,” ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Spring Conference, San Diego, April 2024
• “GAR Live Debate – GAR Live Technology Disputes,” San Francisco, March 2024
• “Recent Trends in International Arbitration - Saudi Arabian, US and English perspectives,” Riyadh, March 2024
• “SVAMC-DIAC Technology ADR Training,” Dubai, March 2024
• “Losing Sleep over the “Midnight Clause”: Drafting Disputes Provisions for Cross-border Technology Agreements and Protecting Foreign Investments,” Riyadh, March 2024
• “When AI Meets ADR: Experts Discuss Appropriate Uses and Protocols for AI in Arbitrations,” Riyadh, March 2024
• “Energy Innovation: Challenges and solutions on the road to Energy Transition,” ACICA, San Francisco, March 2024
• “California Offshore Wind, the Challenges and Opportunities,” CalArb, San Francisco, March 2024
• “Nuts and Bolts of Delay Analysis,” ICDR Y&I, California, December 2023
• "International Commercial Arbitration in the Philippines and California: A Meeting of the Minds" CalArb and Philippines Dispute Resolution Centre, California, July 2023
• “18th Annual Coffee House Debate,” ICDR Y&I, Vienna, Austria, April 2023
• “Arbitrating Technology Disputes: Present Realities, Future Possibilities,” Young ICCA and Young CalArb, California, March 2023
• “The Many Facets of Arbitration,” Young ITA, California, March 2023
• “California International Arbitration: Coming of Age,” Daily Journal, California, March 2023
• “A Day in the Life of an International Arbitration Practitioner,” Young CalArb, California, March 2023
• “Everything You Want to Know About a Career in International Arbitration,” UC LAW SF, ABA International Law Section, and USCIB, California, February 2023
• “Of Privilege & Privacy: Navigating Inconsistent Legal Privilege and Personal Data Protection Regimes in International Arbitration,” CalArb and CIArb, California, December 2022
• “Islamic Finance and Banking and Arbitration,” California International Arbitration Week, Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), California, March 2022
• “Current Developments in the Use of Technology in International Arbitration,” YICCA Workshop, San Francisco, California, Postponed Due to Covid-19
• “Multi-tier Dispute Resolution Clauses: Yay or Nay?” YConstruction, New York, March 2020
• “Introduction to International Arbitration and Arbitrator Intelligence”, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), Mexico City, June 2018
• “Re-wiring the Brain: Practical Steps to Address Inclusion and Diversity in International Dispute Resolution”, CIArb YMG and Alliance joint conference, Atlanta, Georgia, November 2018

Publications

• Arbitrating Offshore Wind Project Disputes in California, Jus Mundi 2023 Construction Arbitration Report, June 2023
• Go Global, Los Angeles Lawyer, April 2023
• Federal Arbitration Act’s vacatur provisions apply in vacating international arbitration awards, Daily Journal, April 2023
• California International Arbitration Week - A hot ticket, high value, and free, Daily Journal, March 2023
• Interviews with our Editors: In Conversation with Giorgio Sassine, Co-Lead of the 2023 California International Arbitration Week (CIAW) Joint Planning Committee, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, March 2023
• A Look at California’s International Arbitration Future, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, January 2022
• Remedial Construction Services v AECOM: Incorporating arbitration provisions by reference under California law, IBA Construction Law International, December 2021
• Ninth Circuit Holds Article II, Section 3 of the New York Convention is “Self-Executing” and Not an “Act of Congress,” Thereby Affirming Order to Compel Arbitration, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, November 2021
• In Memoriam: How U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Influenced U.S. Perspectives on Arbitration and International Dispute Resolution, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, November 2020
• MZM Construction Company – Third Circuit Affirms “Clear and Unmistakable” Standard, But Did Its Dicta Go Too Far? Kluwer Arbitration Blog, October 2020
• Raising the Stakes of the 28 U.S.C. § 1782(a) Debate: the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Holds § 1782(a) Applies to Private Arbitral Tribunals, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, September 2019
• Schein, Inc. v. Archer & White Sales, Inc: Upholding Principles of Arbitration, but Leaving Open Question Regarding Competence-Competence in Arbitral Rules as “Clear and Unmistakable” Evidence that Parties Agreed to Arbitrate Arbitrability, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, January 2019
• Eureka! Foreign Attorneys Can Now Participate in California-seated Arbitrations, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, August 2018
• A Call to Arms: Education to Prevent the Harsh Reality of Guerrilla Tactics in the Face of the UAE’s Recent Law on Possible Criminal Sanctions for Arbitrators, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, January 2017
• There Should be an Answer to § 1782(a) – as to whether its scope includes private arbitral tribunals, McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution, Vol. 3 , 2016-2017

Admissions & Associations

State Bar of California

State Bar of New York

Member of the ICDR’s Young & International’s Board

Member of the ICAL Alumni Association's Board

California Arbitration, Secretary of the Board, Member of the Executive Committee, and Co-Chair of Programming Committee

Representative Matters

Clean Energy Dispute (ICDR, California seat): Represented a U.S. clean energy company in breach of contract arbitration against a public utility.

Water Treatment Plant (ICC, London seat): Represented a French conglomerate in a design and build dispute with an Australian owner.

PV Facility Dispute (ICDR, U.S. seat): Represented a U.S. engineering firm in a photovoltaic energy production facility dispute related to design, delay, disruption, and breach of contract with a German owner.

U.S.–China Software Deal (ICC, New York seat): Represented a Chinese software provider in claims for breach of contract and fraud.

Airport Infrastructure Dispute (ICC, Qatar seat): Represented a Lebanese subcontractor in delay and breach claims in connection with a major Middle East airport security package.

EPCM Dispute (Illinois bench trial): Represented a top 5 global EPCM firm in a wrongful termination, fraud, and design allegation concerning a high rise window wall.

Highway JV Dispute: Represented a joint venture in a multibillion dollar construction contract dispute.

Water Dam Project (California litigation): Defended a global construction firm in a design and construction litigation.

Sports Facility Design (AAA, San Francisco): Represented a global architectural firm in an arbitration regarding complex structural issues.

State & Federal Multi Party Litigation (New York and Nevada federal courts): Represented Dutch acquirer and subsidiary in fraud, RICO, and contract claims.

LAX Automated Tramway Dispute (California litigation): Representing joint venture in multiple California state court litigations against subcontractors relating to delay and disruption claims arising out of $2.5 billion Los Angeles International Airport’s automated tramway project.

Veterinary Services Arbitration (AAA, California seat): Representing veterinarian service provider in arbitration against publicly traded large pet store relating to breach of contract.

Southern California Water District Dispute (California litigation): Representing Southern California water district against multiple contractors relating to violations of False Claims Act and design and installation of electric cables for five pumphouses.

Hazardous Waste Cleanup (U.S. District Court, C.D. Cal.): Representing City of Pasadena in litigation against Caltech and the United States of America relating to hazardous chemical clean-up from Jet Propulsion Laboratory.