Expropriation in investment arbitration concerns two notions: (1) each State’s right to exercise sovereignty over its territory and (2) each State’s obligation to respect properties belonging to foreigners. The first means that a State may, in special circumstances, expropriate a foreign investor’s property. The second means that the expropriation of foreign-held properties will only be […]
Ukraine’s ICJ Claim Against Russia Under the Genocide Convention
On February 26, 2022, Ukraine filed a claim against Russia before the International Court of Justice to institute proceedings in connection with the military operations commenced by the Russian Federation in Ukrainian territory on February 24.[1] The application is based on Article IX of the 1948 Genocide Convention,[2] according to which the International Court of […]
A Single Notice of Arbitration Validly Commenced an Arbitration Where There Were Multiple Contracts
The English Commercial Court dismissed a jurisdictional challenge under Section 67 of the Arbitration Act 1996 in LLC Agronefteprodukt v Ameropa AG [2021] EWHC 3473 (Comm) and held that a single Notice of Arbitration validly commenced an arbitration where there were two contracts, each containing a separate arbitration agreement. Background LLC Agronefteprodukt (the “Sellers”) agreed to sell […]
English Court Upholds Arbitration Award of Third-Party Funding Costs
In a decision dated 7 December 2021 in Tenke Fungurume Mining S.A. v Katanga Contracting Services S.A.S. [2021] EWHC 3301 (Comm) (“Tenke v. Katanga”), concerning a challenge under Section 68 of the 1996 Arbitration Act (the “Arbitration Act”) for serious irregularity, the English High Court upheld a 2021 London-seated, ICC arbitration Final Award, in which Tenke […]
Enforcement of a Foreign ICC Arbitration Award in France Despite Set-Aside Judgements in West Africa
On 11 January 2022, the Paris Court of Appeal agreed to enforce a contract-based ICC arbitration award, despite the final award being previously set aside by the domestic courts of the seat of arbitration, and the underlying contract also being annulled by a foreign court. While this result may be surprising in many jurisdictions, the […]