Archipel

What Archipel does

Archipel is a boutique international dispute resolution law firm headquartered in Paris with a second office in Geneva, operating through SELAS Archipel (a French Société d'exercice libéral par actions simplifiée) and Archipel (Suisse) (an unincorporated Swiss partnership). Both entities are members of Archipel Law, a Swiss verein, and together the firm employs 28 lawyers handling complex cross-border disputes spanning 95 countries. Core practice areas are Cross Border Litigation, Enforcement and Asset Recovery, Arbitration and ADR, Fraud and Insolvency, and Regulatory and Sanctions advisory, with particular depth in enforcing judgments and arbitral awards against sovereign states and state-owned entities, navigating sovereign immunity, and coordinating matters across civil and common law jurisdictions including OHADA.

The firm serves sovereign entities, state-owned enterprises, multinational corporations, financial institutions, victims of fraud, sports organizations, and high-net-worth individuals. Landmark engagements include a $3 billion 1MDB fraud recovery judgment in the Swiss Federal Criminal Court, a $330 million settlement secured from JP Morgan Chase for 1MDB, and the €1.7 billion Commisimpex arbitral award enforcement against the Republic of the Congo. The firm does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its differentiation rests on partner-led expertise, an international network of advisers and local counsel, and recognized rankings including Chambers Band 2 globally in Asset Tracing and Recovery.

Archipel generates revenue exclusively through professional legal fees for complex international dispute resolution mandates, structured as hourly rates or fixed fees negotiated case-by-case; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm acquires clients through industry recognition (Chambers, Legal 500, Who's Who Legal), participation in arbitration weeks and specialist conferences (Dubai, Johannesburg, TL4 Sovereign Disputes), peer referrals, and published thought leadership in journals such as the Paris Journal of International Arbitration. Ownership is held by partners across the French and Swiss entities with no external investors, private equity, or venture capital involvement indicated in the available data.

Name

Archipel

Legal name

SELAS Archipel

Website

https://archipel.law

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Archipel is a Paris- and Geneva-based boutique law firm with 28 lawyers handling complex international disputes across 95 countries, specializing in cross-border litigation, arbitration, and asset recovery for sovereigns, corporations, and financial institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Dispute Resolution and Asset Recovery Legal Services

akta.pro primary industry

Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Advisory (BPAHAFAA)

Keywords

• International arbitration
• Asset recovery
• Cross-border enforcement
• Sovereign immunity disputes
• Business crime defence

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: Archipel generates revenue through professional legal fees for complex international dispute resolution, including litigation, arbitration, asset recovery, and regulatory advisory services. Fees are typically structured as hourly rates or fixed fees for defined engagements, serving sovereign entities, financial institutions, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals in high-stakes cross-border matters.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Archipel is an international business law firm providing high-stakes advisory and litigation services in three core areas: international dispute resolution (arbitration, sovereign enforcement, parallel proceedings, recognition and enforcement of judgments/awards); business crime and investigations (defence in fraud proceedings, insolvency and corporate criminal liability, asset tracing and recovery); and advisory work (sanctions compliance, compliance investigations, international sports law). Services are delivered from Paris and Geneva to multinational corporations, sovereign states, financial institutions, and high-net-worth individuals across 95+ countries.

Product overview

Archipel is a law firm offering a unified suite of legal services rather than a modular product platform. The core offerings include Cross Border Litigation, Enforcement & Asset Recovery, Arbitration & ADR, Fraud & Insolvency, and Regulatory & Sanctions services. These practice areas work together to provide comprehensive legal strategies for complex international disputes, with particular emphasis on multi-jurisdictional asset recovery and sovereign debt matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Arbitration Representation in ICC, ad hoc, and investment treaty arbitration proceedings for sovereign states, corporations, and claimants in cross-border commercial disputes.
• Enforcement against Sovereign States Specialised advice and representation on the recognition, enforcement, and annulment of arbitral awards and judgments against sovereign states, including parallel proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.
• Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments and Awards Representation in cross-border enforcement of foreign judicial decisions and arbitral awards, including coordination across the firm's Paris and Geneva desks.
• Parallel Proceedings Coordination of concurrent legal proceedings across jurisdictions in support of strategic cross-border litigation and arbitration outcomes.
• Asset Recovery Tracing, freezing, and recovering assets across jurisdictions through litigation, arbitration, and criminal proceedings, including coordination with local counsel in 95+ countries.
• Fraud and Misappropriation Defence Defence and representation in complex fraud, misappropriation, and corporate criminal liability proceedings, often paired with asset recovery work.
• Insolvency and Corporate Criminal Liability Advisory and representation in insolvency proceedings and corporate criminal liability matters, including complex insolvency and restructuring-related disputes.
• Sanctions Compliance and Advisory Advisory on international sanctions regimes, compliance investigations, and sanctions-related regulatory exposure for states, financial institutions, and corporates.
• Compliance Investigations Internal and cross-border compliance investigations for corporations and financial institutions facing regulatory scrutiny or allegations of misconduct.
• Firm and Shareholder Disputes Specialised representation in intra-corporate, shareholder, and post-M&A disputes, including governance conflicts, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and squeeze-out litigation.
• International Sports Law Advisory and representation in sport-related regulatory, disciplinary, governance, ethics, and CAS arbitration matters for federations, clubs, athletes, and sports bodies.
• Commercial Litigation Representation in high-stakes commercial litigation before French, Swiss, and English courts, often coordinated with arbitration or enforcement strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3 billion judgment achieved for 1MDB in landmark Swiss Federal Criminal Court proceedings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Swiss Arbitration Centre signed MoU with AFSA during Johannesburg Arbitration Week 2026. Partner Guillaume Tattevin participated as Swiss Arbitration Ambassador for Africa, strengthening ties between Swiss and African arbitration communities.
• CCSM - Chambre de Commerce Suisse au MarocminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Joint workshop on Swiss and Moroccan commercial arbitration perspectives in Casablanca, organized with Swiss Arbitration and Brahma Avocats.
• TL4 (Thought Leaders 4)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2025Archipel served as Knowledge Partner for TL4's Sovereign & States Disputes and Enforcement Summit 2025. Partner Emmanuel Kaspereit acted as Advisory Board Chair and moderated panels. Partner Laurence Ponty moderated a panel on sovereign arbitrations arising from Russia-Ukraine conflict.
• International Bar Association (IBA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2024Partner Michael Schlesinger spoke at IBA Asset Recovery Conference in Madrid on direct recovery measures via Article 53 of UN Convention Against Corruption, empowering private sector in asset recovery efforts.
• Blockchain Lawyers Forum (BLF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Associate Panagiotis Kyriakou joined BLF's Arbitrators List for crypto asset disputes. BLF has hubs in Neuchâtel, London, New York, and Montreal, providing platform for blockchain lawyers on Web3.0 and crypto asset issues.
• Association Suisse de Droit du Sport (ASDS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2024Partner Giulio Palermo spoke at 11th Sports Law Days in Macolin on Swiss Federal Tribunal's decision in the Valieva case.
• Dubai Arbitration WeekminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2024Partners Guillaume Tattevin and Lezgin Polater participated in Dubai Arbitration Week 2024, engaging with arbitration and asset recovery community in the Middle East.
• 1MDB Fraud Recovery Collaboration NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2024International collaboration involving Lim Chee Wee Partnership (LCWP), Kroll, Oon & Bazul LLP, Baker & Partners, and other specialist firms working on 1MDB fraud recovery for Malaysian people.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lalive: Geneva-based international arbitration and litigation boutique with comparable focus on cross-border disputes, asset recovery, and sovereign matters. Lalive competes directly with Archipel for arbitration mandates in Switzerland and Europe and shares the same talent pool (one Archipel senior associate previously practiced at LALIVE).
• Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler: Geneva-based arbitration boutique with a focus on investment treaty arbitration and complex cross-border disputes. Competes with Archipel in the Geneva arbitration market and shares sovereign immunity expertise.
• Three Crowns LLP: Elite international arbitration boutique with offices in London, Paris, Washington DC, and Singapore. Three Crowns competes head-to-head with Archipel for high-value ICC, ICSID, and LCIA arbitration mandates and shares a similar partner-only boutique economics model.
• Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes: Paris-based international arbitration boutique founded by Emmanuel Gaillard. GBS Disputes is a like-for-like competitor to Archipel in Paris arbitration mandates, sovereign disputes, and complex multi-jurisdictional matters.
• Derains & Gharavi: Paris-based international arbitration boutique specialising in commercial and investment treaty arbitration. Competes directly with Archipel for ICC and UNCITRAL mandates and shares sovereign-state client exposure.
• Hanefeld: Paris-headquartered international arbitration boutique founded by former Freshfields arbitration head. Directly comparable boutique model serving similar institutional and sovereign clients in cross-border disputes.

Broad incumbents

• White & Case: Global Magic Circle firm with one of the largest international arbitration practices worldwide. White & Case competes with Archipel on sovereign disputes and asset recovery mandates but operates across many practice areas.
• Freshfields: Global Magic Circle firm with a top-tier international arbitration group and significant asset tracing practice. Freshfields is a frequent counterparty to Archipel on cross-border disputes and represents a typical broader incumbent benchmark.
• Baker McKenzie: Global full-service law firm with deep international arbitration and asset recovery capabilities and a worldwide office network. One Archipel counsel (Marlena Harutyunyan) previously practiced at Baker McKenzie, evidencing the talent pipeline between the firms.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global law firm with a substantial international arbitration practice and a strong Middle East and Africa footprint, overlapping with Archipel's stated regional focus on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Archipel