Christian Dargham

Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

Christian Dargham

Christian Dargham

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Biography

Christian is a business ethics and dispute resolution lawyer. He is the head of the disputes department in Paris.

He started his career at the law offices of Célice-Blancpain-Soltner, lawyers before the French Supreme Court (1992-1999). He then joined Archibald Andersen (1999-2001) and Clifford Chance Europe LLP (2001-2013), before joining Norton Rose Fulbright in April 2013.

He has extensive experience in relation to business ethics and investigations (implementation of global compliance policies, day-to-day assistance to compliance officers, audits and assessment of compliance policies, training sessions, integrity due diligence, investigations in areas such as corruption, fraud, harassment, human rights and international sanctions).

His activity also encompasses litigation (contractual disputes, product liability and white collar crime) and international arbitration. Christian represents leading industrial groups and international financial institutions.

Christian is a member of the Paris Bar Council (2023-2025).

He gives lectures on anticorruption at Sciences-Po Paris and Paris 2-Assas.

He is fluent in French, English and Arabic.

Ranked in Band 1 of Chambers Europe (France) 2023 in corporate compliance & investigations:

"Extremely pragmatic and fair, he definitively understands the lawyer–client relationship and has a very good rapport with the business folks and a good ability to render complex matters understandable".

Christian Dargham is identified as "Lawyer of the Year" 2022 by Best Lawyers in France and in the "Hall of Fame" by Legal 500 2022 (France) in compliance:

"Norton Rose Fulbright provides 'an excellent level of service including responsiveness, creativity and a reassuring approach'. The practice has particular experience in conducting internal investigations pertaining to corruption and money laundering allegations."

Christian Dargham is noted for 'his great knowledge of compliance, as well as his availability and discretion".


Professional experience

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  • Christian is a graduate of the University Paris XI - Sceaux where he obtained a DEA (post-graduate diploma) in Contract Law
  • Christian is qualified as a member of the Paris Bar
  • Avocat au Barreau de Paris
  • La lutte contre la corruption: créatrice de valeur pour l'entreprise, Le Monde, 25 January 2017
  • Anti-Corruption Provisions of the 'Law Sapin': What are the Immediate Impacts for Companies, International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics, 30 March 2017
  • Enquêtes internes: coopérer avec les autorités n'est pas se soumettre, Le Monde, 23 November 2017
  • Co-author, French chapter of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Corporate Investigations 2018, the Global Legal Group, 2nd Edition, December 2017
  • The First DPAs "à la française" relating to Corruption Cases, International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics, 28 June 2018
  • Author of "The First DPAs "à la française" relating to Corruption Cases", International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics, 28 June 2018
  • Co-author, French chapter of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Corporate Investigations 2018 published by the Global Legal Group, 2018, then 2019
  • Author of "Lutter concrètement contre la corruption", L'Orient-Le-Jour (Lebanon), 12 January 2019
  • Coordinator and Author of "Arbitration and compliance" in International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics, January 2020
  • Author of "Lutte contre la corruption : il suffit d'une étincelle", L'Orient-Le-Jour (Lebanon), 11 January 2020
  • Co-author, French chapter of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Corporate Investigations published by the Global Legal Group, 2018, 2019 then 2020 
  • Co-author of "Airbus' Sky High Settlement – Focus on Global Reach and Collaboration in Anti-Corruption Prosecutions", Regulation Tomorrow, Norton Rose Fulbright Website, February 2020
  • Co-author of "Proposal for an EU wide mandatory human rights due diligence law", Norton Rose Fulbright Website, May 2020
  • Co-author of a briefing on "les nouvelles lignes directrices du DOJ au regard des recommandations de l'AFA", 12 June 2020
  • Co-author of "Evaluation des programmes de compliance : le DOJ met à jour ses lignes directrices" Option Droit Affaires (ODA), 1 July 2020
  • Co-author, "Evaluation of corporate compliance programs : new guidance from the DOJ", Revue Internationale de la Compliance et de l'Ethique des Affaires, 4 August 2020
  • Co-author, "Compliance and cultural diversity", RED, September 2020
  • Co-author, "La conformité de demain : comment améliorer l'efficacité des dispositifs d'évaluation des tiers ?", Magazine Compliances, October 2020
  • Co-author, « Compliance et rupture brutale des relations commerciales : une occasion manquée », Revue Internationale de la Compliance et de l'Ethique des Affaires, December 2020
  • Co-author of a briefing "Further step towards a mandatory human rights due diligence law in the EU", March 2021
  • Co-author of a briefing "The EU adopts its first sanctions under its new global human rights sanctions regime", March 2021
  • Co-author of "Production of Documents: Extra-Territoriality of SFO Powers", Revue Internationale de la Compliance et de l'Ethique des Affaires, August 2021
  • Co-author, Navigating the conflict between the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and the French Blocking Statute, January 2022
  • Co-author, "Loi de blocage, nouveau décret sur la saisine du SISSE", March 2022
  • Co-author of a briefing "Représentation d'intérêts, Premier bilan, bonnes pratiques et enjeux à anticiper", March 2022
  • Christian is a member of the Scientific Committee and a regular publisher of the International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics.
  • Christian is regularly interviewed and quoted by French media (Le Monde, Le Figaro, Les Echos, La Tribune, L'Agefi, La Croix, L'Obs, Le JDD, RTL, BFM Business, France 2...) and by Global Investigations Review on compliance issues.
  • Speaker, conference on business and human rights and French bill of law on duty of vigilance, January 31, 2017
  • Speaker, conference on how to implement the 8 anti-corruption provisions of Sapin 2 law in practice, Norton Rose Fulbright, March 16, 2017
  • Speaker, OECD Forum, Corporate Liability for Corruption and other Economic Crimes, Paris, March 30, 2017
  • Speaker, Lamy Conference, Compliance et corruption: ce que va changer la loi Sapin II, Paris, April 21, 2017
  • Speaker, Institut des Hautes Etudes de Défense Nationale on Internal Investigations, Paris, May 30, 2017
  • Speaker, American Bar Association/London White Collar Crime Institute, An International Perspective on Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption, London, October 9, 2017
  • Speaker, business and legal forum, how to conduct effective internal investigations, Paris, October 12, 2017
  • Speaker, how to practically implement the law on Devoir de vigilance, Norton Rose Fulbright, November 15, 2017
  • Speaker, BFM Business, how to overcome corruption in France alongside Charles Duchaine, Head of French Anti-corruption Agency, May 29, 2018
  • Moderator, roundtable with the Agence Française Anticorruption about controls and Sapin 2 requirements, Norton Rose Fulbright, 17 October 2018
  • Moderator, roundtable on how French businesses can manage or mitigate U.S. litigation risk, together with US partners, 7 November 2018
  • Speaker on how to conduct an internal investigation, Leaders in Law Academy, 20 November 2018
  • Speaker on how to manage an ethical alert, ACOP2, Paris, 26 November 2018
  • Speaker on international sanctions, Le Cercle de la Compliance, 4 December 2018
  • Speaker on international sanctions, 9 April 2019
  • Speaker on arbitration and corruption, Master Droit et Ethique des Affaires, 18 April 2019
  • Speaker on update relating to AFA reports, Norton Rose Fulbright, 10 July 2019
  • Speaker on update relating to AFA controls, Norton Rose Fulbright, 5 November 2019
  • Speaker on "2030" TV programme "Solutions to economic crisis in Lebanon", LBCI, Lebanon, 13 January 2020
  • Speaker on international sanctions updates, Norton Rose Fulbright, 31 January 2020
  • Speaker on high-priority areas in compliance during lockdown, 2 April 2020
  • Speaker on the risks of human rights violations and duty of vigilance in companies during the COVID-19, 17 June 2020
  • Speaker on "ABC Compliance Programmes: what  do best practices look like?", webinar 29 June 2020
  • Speaker on "Lutter concrètement contre la corruption", Université Saint-Joseph, 30 June 2020
  • Speaker on "Challenges and lessons learnt on internal investigations", webinar 8 July 2020
  • Speaker at Fraud & Corruption Thought Leader Global event, 24 November 2020
  • Speaker, webinar on China's corporate social credit system, Entreprises pour les droits de l'homme,14 December 2020
  • Moderator, webinar with the French Anti-corruption Agency (including the Head of the AFA's Control Department) about recent AFA's controls and requirements, 16 December 2020
  • Speaker, webinar on Corporate Human Rights Due Diligence and Civil Liability, Nova School of Law with the support of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, 28 January 2021
  • Speaker, webinar on recent developments in business and human rights, 15 February 2021
  • Speaker, Conference on the future European duty of due diligence, Entreprises pour les droits de l'Homme et Cercle d'Ethique des Affaires, 26 May 2021
  • Speaker, webinar on "The new EU-Whistleblower Directive", 24 June 2021
  • Speaker, Conference "A cross-section of compliance legislation", Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, Université Cergy-Pontoise, September 2021
  • Speaker, « Rencontre avec l'AFA : évolution des contrôles et contrôles de suite avec Julien Laumain, Adjoint au chef de département, Département du contrôle des acteurs économiques, Agence Française Anticorruption », Norton Rose Fulbright, 18 May 2022 
  • Speaker, « Rencontre avec la Direction Générale du Trésor sur les sanctions et embargos, avec l'intervention de Madame Eléonore Peyrat, Cheffe du Bureau Lutte contre la criminalité financière et Sanctions internationales et Cheffe de la délégation française au GAFI, Direction Générale du Trésor », Norton Rose Fulbright, 9 June 2022.
  • Christian gives lectures on anticorruption at Sciences-Po Paris
  • Christian gives lectures on anticorruption at Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas DU Compliance.
  • Christian has given trainings to French judges on US and UK anticorruption legislations and on US government investigations style, in the context of their continuous training. He also gives the same type of training at the Institut des Hautes Etudes de Défense Nationale (IHEDN).

Paris Bar

  • French
  • English
  • Arabic