Another year ends with set records for investment arbitration in Latin America. ICSID reported that, out of the new forty-five registered cases, twenty-one were brought against Latin American and Caribbean states (the annual report covers the fiscal year from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023). In other words, almost fifty percent of the new…

The uncertainties faced by investors and stakeholders in 2023 was intensified by the notable shift in Latin America’s political regimes. The emergence of left-wing electoral victories echoed the political landscape of the 2000s, marked by ambiguity, volatility, and political risk. In the realm of arbitration, several jurisdictions have undergone significant developments. Mexico and Chilean arbitration…

Gustavo Piedrahita is an attorney with more than 15 years of professional experience. He received his law degree (LLB) from Universidad de la Sabana in Colombia and has a master’s degree in corporate law from Universidad Sergio Arboleda. He is a specialist in commercial, financial, and environmental law. Mr. Piedrahita acts as a domestic and…

2022 was a year of change and action with important developments in investment arbitration in Latin America.  The region continues to top the ICSID investment arbitration caseload, accounting for  28% of the total of registered cases by June 2022. In 2022, states and arbitral institutions sought to modernize investment protections and their institutional frameworks. In…

After struggling with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 remained a period of transition for Latin America.  New arbitration rules and protocols were adopted in jurisdictions such as Ecuador, Brazil and Mexico that reflected best practices born out of the limitations placed on arbitrations by the pandemic.  Other jurisdictions such as Colombia, Chile…

Welcome to the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Ms. Vera!  We are grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the Center for Arbitration and Mediation of the Ecuadorian-American Chamber of ‎Commerce (CAM-AMCHAM Ecuador)‎, and its administration of complex disputes, as well as about the attractiveness of Quito as a seat for international arbitration.  To start, can…

In 2021, Latin American countries continued to struggle with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Accordingly, legislative and jurisprudential developments on arbitration-related issues were also affected given that the governments were focused on reactivating local economies, vaccinating their citizens, and launching tax and labor reforms.  In addition, presidential elections also marked political shifts for…

Welcome to the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Ms. Coelho!  We are grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the Center for Arbitration and Mediation of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CAM-CCBC), and its administration of complex disputes, as well as about the attractiveness of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as seats for international arbitration. …

On June 21, 2021, Ecuador’s Ambassador to the United States, Ivonne Juez Abuchacra de Baki, signed the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (the “ICSID Convention“) on behalf of the Republic of Ecuador (“Ecuador“).  With Ecuador, the number of signatory States to the ICSID Convention is now…

Swedish state-owned power energy company Vattenfall operated two nuclear power plants located in Brunsbüttel and Krümmel, Germany. Vattenfall owns a 50% interest in the Krümmel plant, and a 66.6% interest in the Brunsbüttel plant. In August 2011, against the backdrop of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, the German Parliament amended the Act on the…

Corruption, annulment of arbitral awards and court intervention mark the main developments for 2020 in Latin America.  Our contributors this year reported on the most important judicial decisions and legislative measures impacting the legal framework of various jurisdictions in the region. A new ‘hot topic’ arising from the COVID-19 pandemic is the interplay between arbitration…

Welcome to the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Ms. Sámano!  We are grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the Arbitration Center of Mexico – CAM; the type of disputes it handles and the way it is addressing recent developments, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the adoption of new policies from the Andrés Manuel López…

We continue our series with four of our fellow editors sharing their perspectives on working on the Blog and predictions concerning the future of the arbitration world: Daniela Páez (Assistant Editor for Latin America), Ashutosh Ray (Assistant Editor), Christine Sim (Assistant Editor for Southeast Asia), and Sadaff Habib (Assistant Editor for Africa).   Daniela Páez…

Welcome to the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Ms. Letelier!  We are grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the Center for Arbitration and Mediation of Santiago (“CAM Santiago” for its initials in Spanish), and its administration of complex disputes, as well as about the attractiveness of Santiago as seat for international arbitration.    To start,…

2019 was a lively year for international arbitration in Latin America – especially in the international commercial arbitration arena, which is the focus of this post. Contributors to Kluwer Arbitration Blog reported mostly on favorable developments on arbitration-related legislation, case law and other initiatives. The year, however, ended with a regrettable situation in Peru, where…

After 11 years and more than US$ 89 million in costs,1)Perenco claimed US$ 57,923,322 in legal costs and other expenses, while Ecuador claimed US$ 31,620,369.27 for legal costs and other expenses and an additional US$ 49,629.76 for Petroecuador’s legal costs (a total of US$ 31,701,618.76). an international tribunal rendered a final decision awarding damages in…

The seminar “International Arbitration in Mexico – Latest Developments” took place on March 21, 2019 in New York City (the “Seminar”). International and Mexican practitioners gathered to discuss issues such as the relevant investment climate in Mexico, policy changes from the current administration, as well as, relevant developments in commercial arbitration in the country. Donald…

        [Source:Google] In this post the Kluwer Arbitration Blog’s Latin American editorial team (Associate Editor Gloria Alvarez and Assistant Editors Daniela Páez  and Enrique Jaramillo) joins us in an adventure to reflect on the Blog’s 2018 coverage of arbitration developments in the region. First, it is worth recapping the environment and circumstances…

The latest decision in Bear Creek Mining Corp v Republic of Peru (ICSID Case No. ARB/14/21) presents some interesting takeaways for international investment arbitration case law.  This note briefly introduces the case’s relevant facts before addressing the reasoning of the Tribunal in relation to (i) illegality as a bar to investment protection, (ii) indirect expropriation,…

On April 28, 2017, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in a majority decision) affirmed the district court’s decision to set aside an award issued by a sole arbitrator finding that the award violated public policy.  The award was rendered in the context of mandatory arbitration of statutory claims under the…

On December 21, 2016, the Tribunal in Hochtief v Argentina issued an award on damages against Argentina in an arbitration brought under the Argentina-Germany BIT.  The Claimant had alleged multiple treaty breaches by Argentina, arising out of the 2000 economic crisis, and originally sought US$ 54 million in damages.  Although the Tribunal found that Argentina…

The Second Circuit’s decision on Chevron Corporation v. Steven Donziger et. al., one more chapter of the “Chevron Saga” (discussed by the author here), arose out of a federal action commenced by Chevron Corporation in 2011 against American lawyer Steven Donziger, his law firm and the plaintiffs in the Lago Agrio claim initiated against Chevron…

Latin America is the region that has faced the largest number of investment treaty arbitration cases in the world, holding 30% of the total ICSID caseload (549 cases as of December 31, 2015).  South America alone, comprised by twelve UNASUR members, has faced 131 ICSID cases with a number of adverse outcomes for the host…

by Daniela Páez-Salgado, Herbert Smith Freehills (Assistant Editor for South America) On November 2, 2015, an ICSID-appointed Committee issued its Decision on Annulment in Occidental v Ecuador (Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Occidental Exploration and Production Company v. Republic of Ecuador, ICSID Case No. ARB/06/11). The Committee rejected twelve of the thirteen grounds for annulment raised…