KluwerArbitration

Document information About the Author

Christopher R. Seppälä is one of the world’s leading legal experts on FIDIC contracts who,
for more than 30 years, has been Legal/Special Adviser to, or member of, the FIDIC
Publication Contracts Committee (‘CC’). A former Vice-President Emeritus of the International Court of
The FIDIC Red Book Arbitration of the ICC, Seppälä currently serves as FIDIC’s Observer on that Court and is
Contract: An International Dean of the Faculty of Contracts of FIDIC Academy, FIDIC's learning and development
Clause-by-Clause body. He has written over 80 articles on various construction or international arbitration
Commentary topics, many dealing with FIDIC and teaches international construction law at Paris
University II (Panthéon-Assas). Ranked as a ‘Global Elite Thought Leader’ for construction
in Europe by Who’s Who Legal, he is listed as a leading lawyer in international arbitration
Bibliographic by Legal 500 Paris and Who’s Who Legal.
reference For details on Seppälä’s experience, see below:
'About the Author', in For many years Seppälä has represented or advised international contractors, architects
Christopher R. Seppälä , and engineering firms as well as sovereign states or state-owned entities in international
The FIDIC Red Book arbitrations and has served on, or chaired, numerous international arbitral tribunals.
Contract: An International
Clause-by-Clause From 1985 to 1989, as Chairman of an International Bar Association (‘IBA’) Subcommittee
Commentary, (© Kluwer on FIDIC contracts, he assisted FIDIC’s CC (1) in the preparation of the fourth edition of the
Law International; Kluwer FIDIC Red Book, published in 1987.
Law International 2023) pp. In 1988, he founded the international arbitration practice of the Paris office of White &
ix - x Case, one of the leading practices in the field today in France.
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From 1992 to 2009, he was a member of the CC and served as a member of, and legal
adviser to, FIDIC’s Update Task Group which prepared the 1999 editions of the Red, Yellow
and Silver Books.
In 1999 he received FIDIC's highest award for meritorious service, the Louis Prangey
Award.
As Legal Adviser to the CC since 1999, he has advised it on the preparation of the:
– FIDIC Procurement Procedures Guide published in 2011;
– 2017 editions of the Red, Yellow and Silver Books;
– Conditions of Contract for Tunnelling and Underground Works (the ‘Emerald Book’)
published in 2019;
– Conditions of Subcontract for Plant and Design-Build also published in 2019 (being
the form of subcontract to go with the 1999 Yellow Book);
– second edition of the Short Form of Contract (‘Green Book’) published in 2021;
– second edition of The FIDIC Contracts Guide published in 2022; and
– Conditions of Contract for Operate, Design, Build and Operate Projects (‘Bronze Book’)
(forthcoming).
He was a Member of the Working Group which prepared the UNIDROIT Principles of
International Commercial Contracts 2016 and Co-Chair of the Committee which produced
the 2019 update of the ICC Commission’s Report on Construction Industry Arbitrations:
Recommended Tools and Techniques for Effective Management.
He was born and schooled in England, is a graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law
School in the U.S.A. and a member of the New York and Paris Bars. He is a Partner of
Counsel at White & Case, Paris and serves as an independent arbitrator and mediator in
international arbitrations and as an independent expert on international construction
contracts.
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References
1) Then called Civil Engineering Contracts Committee or ‘CECC’.

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