ISDS

Code of Conduct, double-hatting, Investor-State arbitration, investor-State arbitration and mediation, Investor-state tribunals, ISDS, ISDS Reform, Reform, UNCITRAL, UNCITRAL WG3 Series

(Australian National University) and / /1 Comment

In 2017, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) initiated a consultative process to consider procedural reform options for investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS). Kluwer Arbitration Blog ran a series on UNCITRAL’s reform work in 2020, highlighting several subjects under consideration by Working Group III (WGIII). To get first-hand insights into the current status…

Foreign Investment Law, ICSID, ICSID Arbitration, Investor-State arbitration, investor-State arbitration and mediation, ISDS, Uncategorized

(Rommel St. Hill Attorneys-at-Law & International Consultancy)/ /2 Comments

The investor-State dispute settlement system (ISDS) is increasingly confronted with disputes related to climate-related measures. Consequently, this fora has been described as the new frontier in climate-change disputes, as tribunals are slowly becoming a de facto source of climate policy making that directly impacts the regulatory landscape. This blog post discusses the following issues: (i)…

AMLO, China, Hong Kong, ISDS, Mexico

, (King & Spalding)/ /Leave a comment

As he embarks on the second half of his term, Mexico’s President, Andres Manuel López Obrador (known as “AMLO”), continues to fight foreign investors in a myriad of sectors.  By now it is clear that his presidency will be marked by his stance against the private sector and previous administrations which, in his view, “pillaged…

BIT, Counterclaims, ICSID, ICSID Amendments, ICSID Arbitration, ICSID Convention, ICSID Proceedings, International arbitration, Investment Arbitration, Investment law, ISDS, ISDS Reform, Third party funding

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On January 20, 2022, ICSID submitted its amended rules to the Administrative Council for a vote, marking the end of the five-year-old process of modernizing the ICSID Rules. ICSID members are expected to cast a vote on the amended rules by March 21, 2022, and if approved, the rules will enter into force on July…

2021 in Review, Arbitration Act, Arbitration Agreement, Arbitration institution, Cryptocurrency, HK Arbitration Week, Interim measures, ISDS, kompetenz-kompetenz, Legislative amendment, Multi-tiered clauses, PRC, Treaty

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In 2021, East and Central Asia witnessed some noteworthy developments in domestic legislation, jurisprudence, and efforts to enhance the standing of arbitral institutions and seats in the region. There have also been developments in trade/investment agreements and investor-State claims in the region. In this post, our East and Central Asian editorial team reviews this progress…

Counterclaims, Investment, Investment Arbitration, Investor-State arbitration, ISDS

(Macchi di Cellere Gangemi) and (Stockholm University)/ /Leave a comment

The discussion within UNCITRAL Working Group III (WG III) on counterclaims has still remained, to a certain extent, deadlocked, as opposed to discussions on other topics under the table. As a result, the UNCITRAL Secretariat has been put (at least) until now in the unfortunate position of being unable to bring a coherent package of…

foreign direct investment, Foreign Investment Law, Interview, Interviews with Our Editors, investor-State arbitration and mediation, ISDS, ISDS Reform

(Durham Law School) and (Law Offices of Kiran N Gore PLLC; The George Washington University Law School)/ /Leave a comment

Antonio R. Parra led a lengthy and luminous career of international public service, having held various roles in the OPEC Fund and the World Bank. Of special interest to our readers is that from 1990 to 1999 Mr. Parra was Legal Adviser at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and then from…

COVID-19, Force majeure, Investor-State arbitration, ISDS, ISDS Reform, SIAC, SIAC Congress

(Omni Law LLC)/ /Leave a comment
YSIAC

The 2021 SIAC Congress held virtually on 10 September 2021 drew arbitration aspirants and practitioners from all over the globe, and sought to grapple with the key challenges of the day within the realm of arbitration. The second panel session, on “The Multi-Dollar Question: Will the Pandemic and Governments’ Responses to it Lead to a…

Achmea, Arbitration Proceedings, Climate change, Energy Charter Treaty, International arbitration, Investment Arbitration, ISDS, Netherlands, Paris Agreement

(Smallegange, Dutch Arbitration Association)/ /Leave a comment

Western European countries have taken divergent approaches to dealing with the consequences of shutting down power plants while transitioning towards cleaner energy sources. On one side, Germany resolved the resulting compensation disputes by making settlement payments to the owners of affected nuclear and coal power plants. In contrast, the Netherlands appears reluctant to similarly compensate…

Investment Arbitration, ISDS, Japan, Trans-Pacific Partnership, Treaty

, (Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu Singapore LLP)/ /1 Comment

On 2 June 2021, the British government announced that the existing 11 signatories (the “Parties”) to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (“CPTPP”) have agreed to the United Kingdom’s bid to begin the accession process.1)The signatories consist of Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. International Trade…

Hong Kong, Investment Treaties, investor-State arbitration and mediation, ISDS, Japan

, (City University of Hong Kong)/ /Leave a comment

In March 2021, a major newspaper broke the story that a Hong Kong investor had filed what may be considered the very first investment treaty arbitration claim against Japan under the Hong-Kong Bilateral Investment Treaty (Hong Kong, China SAR – Japan BIT 1997). While it may take anywhere from a few months to a few years…

Achmea, Corporate Social Responsibility, European Convention on Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights, ISDS, Third party funding

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What does the future hold for investment protection in Europe? A colossal question that resonates across board rooms and government halls on both sides of the Channel. With a consortium of investment law experts including Nikos Lavranos (NL Investment Consulting), Ayse Lowe (Bench Walk), Gordon Nardell QC (Twenty Essex), and Laura Rees-Evans (Fietta LLP) joining…

Arbitration Institutions and Rules, BIT, Climate change, Energy Charter Treaty, Environment, Human Rights, International arbitration, Investment Arbitration, ISDS, PCA, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Space Arbitration

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International arbitration is changing at a fast pace, and opportunities arise every day in this field. In this context, on May 25, 2021, Young Arbitral Women Practitioners, Holland & Knight, and Rising Arbitrators Initiative co-hosted a webinar to discuss emerging fields of practice for arbitration lawyers. This post offers an overview of the variety of…

Investment, Investment law, Investment protection, ISDS, ISDS Reform

(Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP)/ /Leave a comment
Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA)

The 18th Annual ITA-ASIL Conference, hosted virtually for a half-day on March 23, 2021, discussed ongoing efforts at ICSID and UNCITRAL Working Group III to reform investment arbitration. José Alvarez (New York University School of Law) kicked off the conference by throwing down the gauntlet: procedural reform does not go far enough. In the long…

Brexit, Investment, ISDS, TCA, UK

(School of International Arbitration, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) )/ /1 Comment

The Investor-State Dispute Settlement regime is at the centre of a long-standing debate, subsequent reform efforts, and, more in general, great innovation. In this context, on 14 May 2021, a LIDW member-hosted event – organised and co-hosted by Clifford Chance, EFILA, Herbert Smith Freehills, Queen Mary University’s School of International Arbitration, and White & Case…

AfCFTA, AfCFTA Investment Protocol, Africa, Amicus Curiae, Cultural heritage, India, Investor-State arbitration, ISDS

(Africa Arbitration Academy )/ /5 Comments

Many will recall the historic ruling of Justice Neil Gorsuch in McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020), where the United States Supreme Court upheld an 1866 treaty between the United States and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which established the Muscogee Nation’s geographic borders. The Court decided that much of current Eastern Oklahoma is to remain Indian land…

Investor-State arbitration, ISDS, SCOTUS, United States, United States Courts

(Hecht Partners LLP)/ /3 Comments

Investor-state international arbitration may provide a way forward for Survivors and their heirs after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision denying claims in two restitution cases regarding Holocaust-era stolen property:  Federal Republic of Germany v. Philipp (for return of Medieval art stolen by the Nazis) along with the companion case of Republic of Hungary v. Simon…

Code of Conduct, conflict of interest, Disclosure, Ethics, ISDS, Transparency, Working Group III

(Association ARBITRI)/ /Leave a comment

“To disclose or not to disclose?” no longer seems to be a question for international arbitrators. The narrative and policy space surrounding the independence and impartiality of international arbitrators has been consistently driven towards maximum disclosure obligations. This is evidenced in recent legal instruments seemingly blurring the lines between the recognized ethical standards for arbitrators,…

Egypt, International arbitration, Investment agreements, ISDS, Nationality

(Riad & Riad; Cairo University School of Law)/ /1 Comment

Egypt has been trying to control the number of investor-state arbitration disputes which has been steeply increasing since 2011 and the Arab Spring movement (see past discussion on the Blog here). To that end, Egypt created alternative out-of-court forums for amicable settlement of existing arbitration cases and worked toward curbing the eruption of new cases…

Arbitrators, Code of Conduct, Disclosure, Diversity, ISDS, ITA, Liability, UNCITRAL Model Law

(Esguerra Asesores Jurídicos)/ /Leave a comment
Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA)

The ITA (Institute for Transnational Arbitration) – ALARB (Latin American Society of Arbitration) Americas Workshop took place virtually on 2-4 December 2020. The conference focused on the role of arbitrators, their liabilities, challenges, and the need for increased diversity efforts. The conference was co-chaired by Julie Bédard (Skadden, New York), and Maria Inés Corrá (Bomchil, Buenos…

2020 In Review, BIT, Brexit, COVID-19, Due process, foreign direct investment, Human Rights, International agreement, Investment Arbitration, ISDS, ISDS Reform

(Georgetown Law) and (Columbia Law School)/ /Leave a comment

It will come as no surprise to the readers of this blog that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on international arbitration (see blog coverage here).  In this post, we take a look back at 2020 to consider the intersection of the pandemic, investment, and human rights.  In February 2020, one of…

International Investment Arbitration, Investment Arbitration, Investment Disputes, Investment law, Investment protection, Investment Treaties, Investor-State arbitration, ISDS, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, WTO

(National University of Singapore) and (City University of Hong Kong/ UMBRA Strategic Legal Solutions)/ /1 Comment

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed by its 15 Parties (after India, an initial negotiating party, withdrew from negotiations) on 15 November 2020.1)This article represents the authors’ personal opinions and does not represent the opinion of their respective organisations. The signature of this agreement amid the COVID-19 pandemic has made quite a headline…

COVID-19, DIS, ICC Arbitration, ICC Rules, ICSID Arbitration, Institutional Arbitration, Institutional Rules, ISDS, ISDS Reform, KCAB, Mediation, PCA, SCC, SIAC, UNCITRAL

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On 5-6 November 2020, reputable arbitration practitioners joined together for the 9th Asia Pacific ADR Conference and shared their experiences and insights on the latest developments in the arbitration landscape. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the annual conference took place virtually. It successfully attracted approximately 15,000 participants across 50 countries. The event was co-hosted…

European Union, Intra-EU BITs, Intra-EU ISDS, Investment, Investment Arbitration, Investment protection, ISDS, ISDS Reform, Multilateral Investment Court

(Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP) and , (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer)/ /Leave a comment

Much has been written – on this page and elsewhere – about the future viability of investor-state arbitration based on intra-EU BITs in the aftermath of the CJEU’s Achmea decision. In the authors’ view, the May 2020 Termination Agreement concluded between 23 of the 27 EU Member States with the intention to terminate existing intra-EU…