Thomas KENDRA

Thomas is a partner in the International Arbitration team of Kennedys’ Parisian office. He is admitted to the Paris Bar and is a qualified solicitor in England & Wales. Thomas is a dual national of England and France and also speaks Spanish.

He represents companies as well as States in international disputes. He is in particular currently involved in several mining disputes involving African States. Thomas also acts as arbitrator in international arbitrations.

Thomas pursues the development of alternative disputes resolution mechanisms, in Africa and in Asia. He has particularly contributed to the creation of several arbitration centers, which has led him to being nominated as lawyer of the year by the Law Society in 2012 and to being recognized as best lawyer specialized in dispute resolution in the ranking of the 100 most influential lawyers in Africa in 2025 as published by Africa Business Plus. He is also one of the founders and former president of AfricArb, an organization encouraging the use of arbitration in Africa.

Thomas regularly contributes to scientific work and participates in conferences on international arbitration, while teaching at Sciences Po (Institut d’études politiques de Paris) and to Saclay University. He has also directed leading pro bono projects and was awarded the pro bono Trophy of the Paris Bar in 2023.