International arbitration in the ex-Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan, as was the case in most ex-Soviet republics, was not a popular dispute resolution mechanism until 15 years ago. Today, international arbitration in Kyrgyzstan is governed by the Law on Arbitration Courts (2002). The Kyrgyz Law on Arbitration Courts is a modern law largely based on the UNCITRAL Model […]
State Counterclaim in Investment Arbitration
An ICSID arbitral tribunal awarded approximately USD 40 million in damages to Ecuador for the foreign investor’s liability for the costs of restoring the environment in an area concerned by the investment. This award of a counterclaim in investment arbitration was made by an arbitral tribunal composed of Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler, Brigitte Stern and Stephen Drymer in […]
Consent in Investment Arbitration
Investment arbitration, like any arbitration, is a creature of contract. A party submitting a case to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (the “Centre”) therefore must ensure that their adversaries have consented to arbitrate. This article answers the ‘what, how, and when’ of consent in investment arbitration. What is “Consent”? Article 25(1) of […]
Disclosure of Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration
The disclosure of third-party funding is becoming increasingly common in international arbitration proceedings. This is reasonable, as the fact that there is an outside influence on the case affects the decision-making process and impacts issues such as transparency, impartiality, independence and conflicts of interest. For instance, if a third-party funder has a conflict of interest […]
Cost of Investment Arbitration: UNCITRAL, ICSID Proceedings and Third-Party Funding
Party Costs in Investment Arbitration In a recent article by Global Arbitration Review, the second edition[1]of a recent empirical study reveals that the cost of investment arbitration is unfortunately on the rise yet again. Since 2013, average party costs were a massive USD 7.41 million for claimants and USD 5.19 million for respondents. Before then, costs […]