LOCATION
Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of CongoGLOBAL NEUTRALS / PUBLIC PROFESSIONAL RECORD
Joseph Katshung Yav
Arbitrator and Attorney at Law · Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Prof. Dr. Joseph YAV KATSHUNG is the Founder and Managing Partner of YAV & ASSOCIATES Law Firm (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo) and Head of its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Practice Group. With twenty-three (23) years of continuous legal practice, he is recognised as one of the most prominent independent neutrals in Central Africa, regularly appointed as arbitrator, mediator and dispute-resolution counsel in complex cross-border matters governed by OHADA, ICC,…
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PRACTICES
3 published fieldsSECTORS
0 published fieldsREGION
AfricaCURRENT BENCH
corporatePRACTICE
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PRACTICE
mediation
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PRACTICE
arbitration
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PRACTICE
evaluation
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SECTOR + JURISDICTION EVIDENCE
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COUNTRY
Democratic Republic of Congo
CITY
Lubumbashi
REGION
Africa
BACKGROUND + AFFILIATIONS
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EDUCATION
- Doctorate in Law (Dr.) — full academic qualification underpinning his appointment as Professor of Universities (DRC).
- Certified OHADA Arbitrator — Centre d\'Arbitrage, de Médiation et de Conciliation de Ouagadougou (CAMC-O), Burkina Faso, certified since 2022 (continuing roster).
- ICC Advanced Arbitration Academy for Africa — Certificate of Completion for eight modules organised by the ICC Institute of World Business Law and ICC Dispute Resolution Services (May 2024 – March 2025, 54 hours of in-person class). The Academy provides advanced training in all stages of international arbitration from an arbitrator\'s perspective, with a focus on ICC Arbitration Rules and complex cross-border disputes.
- Académie d\'Arbitrage International (AAI) — Certificating Training Program (Temara/Rabat, Morocco, November 2025). Completed the AAI Certificating Training Program in International Arbitration (38 hours over five modules), delivered in partnership with ASCENCIA Business School (Collège de Paris), covering: (i) general aspects of arbitration and ADR; (ii) arbitration agreements and arbitrability; (iii) arbitral proceedings and tribunal composition; (iv) arbitral awards, enforcement and annulment; and (v) practice of arbitration (costs, evidence, examination of witnesses). Certificating programme specifically designed for professionals aiming to serve as arbitrators or advise on arbitration procedures in cross-border commercial and investment matters.
- Listed Neutral, Federation of Integrated Conflict Management (FICM):
- FICM Contract Neutrals (FCN)
- FICM Dispute Neutrals (FDN)
- Mediation & Conciliation Network (MCN) — mediationhub.org
- International Bar Association (IBA) — multiple advanced arbitration seminars and training modules, including IBA Arbitration Day and IBA Annual Conference arbitration sessions.
- ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration (Lagos, June 2025; and registered for the 10th edition, Lagos, 3–5 June 2026).
- ICC-FIDIC Conference on International Construction Contracts and Dispute Resolution — engagement programme (towards the 2026 Bogotá edition, 15–16 October 2026), focused on Dispute Avoidance/Adjudication Boards under FIDIC 2017/2022 suites.
- Paris Arbitration Week (April 2025) — participation in advanced sessions on Africa-related arbitration and energy disputes.
- Continuing professional development in OHADA Uniform Act on Arbitration (2017 revision) and CCJA Arbitration Rules; UNCITRAL Model Law and 2021 Expedited Rules; Singapore Convention on Mediation; and ICC 2021 Arbitration Rules.
- Specialised training and self-directed study in ESG, climate-related arbitration, third-party funding, and the use of AI in arbitral proceedings — tracking the leading 2025–2026 industry guidance (including Cleary Gottlieb, Ashurst and A&O Shearman trend reports).
AWARDS
- The Legal 500 (Legalease) — Arbitration Powerlist: Africa (2021): Listed among the most eminent arbitration practitioners on the African continent.
- Member, ICC Institute of World Business Law — the research and training arm of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), bringing together legal practitioners, academics and in-house counsel to advance international commercial law and arbitration practice.
- Member, International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) — arbitration-icca.org.
- Member, ICCA Working Group on African Arbitral Practice — contributing to ICCA\'s regional research and policy initiatives in the run-up to the ICCA Congress Madrid 2026 (12–15 April 2026).
- Member, International Bar Association (IBA) — Arbitration Committee track.
- Authorised Representative in Industrial Property — Ministry of Industry of the Democratic Republic of Congo, accreditation No. 178/MPI/2010.
- Listed Neutral / Arbitrator — Federation of Integrated Conflict Management (FICM): FCN, FDN and the Mediation & Conciliation Network (MCN).
- Certified OHADA Arbitrator — CAMC-O, Ouagadougou (since 2022).
- Recipient of multiple professional awards and honours from various legal and academic organisations recognising contributions to arbitration practice, legal scholarship and the development of ADR in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the broader OHADA region.
PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT
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PUBLIC BIOGRAPHY
Joseph Katshung Yav in professional context.
Prof. Dr. Joseph YAV KATSHUNG is the Founder and Managing Partner of YAV & ASSOCIATES Law Firm (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo) and Head of its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Practice Group. With twenty-three (23) years of continuous legal practice, he is recognised as one of the most prominent independent neutrals in Central Africa, regularly appointed as arbitrator, mediator and dispute-resolution counsel in complex cross-border matters governed by OHADA, ICC, UNCITRAL and FIDIC frameworks.
His independent neutral practice is concentrated in corporate and commercial disputes; mining, oil, gas and energy transactions; large-scale infrastructure and construction projects; natural resources concessions; industrial property; and investor–State matters arising in Sub-Saharan Africa. He acts in both English and French and is admitted to practice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with regional standing through the SADC Lawyers\' Association and the Pan African Lawyers Union.
A Certified OHADA Arbitrator (CAMC-O, Ouagadougou) and listed Neutral with the Federation of Integrated Conflict Management (FCN, FDN and the Mediation & Conciliation Network), he was named to the Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist: Africa (2021) and serves as a member of the ICCA Working Group on African Arbitral Practice. He combines deep technical expertise with a long-standing institutional commitment to independence, impartiality, confidentiality and ethical conduct — the values underpinning The Neutrals Organization\'s certification framework.
He offers himself as a candidate for the Oil, Gas, Energy & Natural Resources Bench, with secondary suitability for the Corporate & Commercial and Construction, Infrastructure & Real Estate Projects Benches.
TAGS + INDUSTRY
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TAGS
mediation · arbitration · evaluation
FROM PROFILE TO APPOINTMENT
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