Zenith Energy has added two senior barristers to its legal team as the company prepares for a key phase in its investment dispute with Tunisia at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
The firm hired Ben Juratowitch KC and Matthieu Gregoire from Essex Court Chambers. They now join Professor Thomas Clay of Clay Arbitration and Simon Le Wita of Charles Russell Speechlys in Paris, who already lead the case.
Zenith filed the arbitration under the UK–Tunisia investment treaty. The company argues that Tunisian authorities disrupted its oil operations, seized assets and forced the exit of its British subsidiaries.
Juratowitch has more than 20 years of experience in public international law. He previously led Freshfields’ global public-international-law group and argued cases before the International Court of Justice and multiple arbitral tribunals.
Gregoire focuses on commercial and investment disputes. He has represented governments and major companies before English courts and in treaty arbitrations across several industries.
Chief Executive Andrea Cattaneo said the new appointments give Zenith additional strength as the dispute moves into a decisive phase. Final hearings will take place in April 2026.
Zenith says its subsidiaries suffered heavy losses after Tunisian officials acted without justification and blocked their operations. The company holds production, development and exploration assets in North Africa, Europe and the United States.
