Jurisdiction

Arbitration Agreements, Arbitration Awards, Commercial Arbitration, Domestic Courts, Enforcement, Europe, European Law, Jurisdiction, kompetenz-kompetenz, Lis Pendens, National Arbitration Laws, New York Convention, Public Policy, Seat of the arbitration, Set aside an international arbitral award

(Castaldi Mourre & Partners)/ /Leave a comment

I am grateful to Professor Hess for his comments on my 3 March 2010 blog. It greatly contributes to advancing the debate. However, it also perfectly illustrates the difficulties of a proposition – the total or partial deletion of the arbitration exception in Regulation 44/2001 – that has not been sufficiently thought through. 1. Professor…

Mediation, Russia

(Muranov, Chernyakov and Partners)/ /2 Comments

Unlike arbitration which is quite solidly supported by legislation (the law of the Russian Federation “On International Commercial Arbitration”, which is almost completely based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, was adopted in 1993. The Federal Law “On Arbitration Courts” governing domestic arbitration entered into force in 2002), mediation in Russia lacks adequate legal framework. The…

Domestic Courts, Investment Arbitration, North America, South America

(Notre Dame Law School)/ /Leave a comment

In the long-running battle between Chevron and Ecuador over environmental damage, a federal court in New York has denied Ecuador’s motion to stay arbitration of a Ecuador-U.S. BIT claim. In September 2009, Chevron filed a notice of arbitration alleging, among other things, that “Ecuador has breached … the Ecuador-United States BIT, including its obligation to…

Europe, European Law, kompetenz-kompetenz, New York Convention, Public Policy

(Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law)/ /Leave a comment

Does a blind law professor intend to destroy the benefits of the New York Convention? Reading the post of Alexis Mourre, I was wondering whether I should react to it, as the post refers to my opinion at least incompletely. However, as I’m still convinced that a fair and open discussion is beneficial, I would…

Arbitration Proceedings, Investment Arbitration, North America

(International Council for Commercial Arbitration)/ /Leave a comment
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Following the flurry of arbitrations initiated by investors against Argentina based upon Argentine government actions during that country’s 2001-2002 economic crisis, one might have expected the U.S. government’s extensive market interventions during the 2008 global financial crisis to lead similarly to investor claims. The United States bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in the…

Arbitration Awards, Enforcement, New York Convention, Public Policy, Russia

(Muranov, Chernyakov and Partners)/ /1 Comment

In post-Soviet time Russian courts have already developed quite a vast practice of recognition and enforcement of international arbitral awards. One can even already fetch out some trends in such practice. Thorough case study shows that certain distrust to international arbitration and unexpected obstacles to the enforcement of the awards caused by lack of experience…

Arbitration Agreements, Enforcement, International Legal Theory and Teaching, North America

(Notre Dame Law School)/ /Leave a comment

As I have noted earlier, there is a pitched battle between victims of Pan Am 73 terrorist hijacking over the distribution of treaty funds secured by the United States for American victims in a 2008 diplomatic settlement with Libya. The treaty and Executive Order stipulate that the money shall be distributed solely for the benefit…

Arbitration Agreements, Arbitration Awards, Commercial Arbitration, Domestic Courts, Enforcement, Europe, European Law, Jurisdiction, Lis Pendens, National Arbitration Laws, New York Convention, Seat of the arbitration

(Castaldi Mourre & Partners)/ /Leave a comment

Professor Hess is the author of the chapter of the Heidelberg Report on the interplay between arbitration and the Regulation 44/2001 (“the Regulation”). As such, and quite understandably, he actively promotes the suggestion that the arbitration exception should be deleted from the Regulation. The Heidelberg proposal has been followed by a Green Paper of the…

Europe, Set aside an international arbitral award, Sport arbitration

(von Segesser Law Offices)/ /3 Comments

In a decision dated 10 February 2010 (4A_612/2009), the Swiss Federal Tribunal rejected a petition to set aside a November 2009 CAS Award against German speed-skater Claudia Pechstein. The Federal Tribunal took some unusual procedural steps – including foregoing the usual exchange of written pleadings – to speed up the proceedings and to decide the…

Commercial Arbitration, Domestic Courts, New York Convention, North America

(White & Case LLP)/ /Leave a comment
White & Case

On January 15, 2010, the United States Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari in Rent-A-Center West, Inc. v. Jackson, Case No. 09-497, agreeing to revisit the oft-litigated issue of whether the court or arbitrator should determine arbitrability under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”). The Court’s prior jurisprudence has established the general rule, as a…

Arbitration Proceedings, Europe, Legislation

(von Segesser Law Offices)/ /Leave a comment

As of 1 January 2011, Swiss domestic arbitration proceedings will be governed by Articles 353 et seq. of the new Swiss Code on Civil Procedure (“CCP”). Articles 353 et seq. CCP will replace the Concordat on Arbitration (“Concordat”), currently governing domestic arbitration proceedings. The dichotomy between domestic arbitration and international arbitration will continue to exist,…

Arbitration Proceedings, Domestic Courts, Investment Arbitration, Jurisdiction, New York Convention

(UC Davis School of Law)/ /Leave a comment
Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA)

I am in Australia in advance of the investment law conference at Sydney Law School at the end of the week, and I took advantage of many plane hours to read the docket in the case pending between Ecuador and Chevron/Texaco Petroleum Company (TexPet) in the Southern District of New York. They repay study. In…

Arbitration Awards, Energy Charter Treaty, Jurisdiction, Limitation Clause, Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

(Conway & Partners)/ /Leave a comment

On November 30, 2009, an arbitral tribunal issued three interim awards for Yukos Universal Limited, Hulley Limited Enterprises, and Veteran Petroleum Limited v. the Russian Federation under the Energy Charter Treaty (“ECT”). These interim awards addressed the issue of jurisdiction over the Russian Federation, analyzing the Provisional Application under Article 45(1) and (2), labeling the…

Arbitration Awards, Domestic Courts, Enforcement, Europe, European Law, Public Policy

(Castaldi Mourre & Partners)/ /Leave a comment

In holding that “Article 85 of the [EU] Treaty [now article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union – TFEU] constitutes a fundamental provision which is essential for the accomplishment of the tasks entrusted to the Community and, in particular, for the functioning of the internal market”, and that “the provisions…

Arbitration Agreements, Domestic Courts, Jurisdiction, Legislation, National Arbitration Laws, New York Convention

(von Segesser Law Offices)/ /Leave a comment

The Swiss Parliament is currently contemplating a reinforcement of the negative effect of the “competence-competence” principle in the Swiss legislation. According to a parliamentary initiative, a Swiss court that is seized on the merits and faced with a plea of lack of jurisdiction based on the existence of a valid arbitration agreement should review such…

Arbitration Agreements, Arbitration Awards, Arbitration Institutions and Rules, Arbitration Proceedings, International Courts, Investment Arbitration, Jurisdiction, Public Policy

(University of Victoria Faculty of Law)/ /Leave a comment

In my last post I questioned whether investor misconduct (such as fraud, illegality and corruption) is invariably a jurisdictional issue.  This post focuses on the use of admissibility as a filtering mechanism to screen investor claims.  Although it has been suggested by at least one investment treaty tribunal that the concept of admissibility does not…

Arbitration Agreements, Arbitration Awards, Arbitration Proceedings, Commercial Arbitration, Domestic Courts, Enforcement, Europe, European Law, National Arbitration Laws

(White & Case LLP)/ /1 Comment
White & Case

On 8 July 2009, the French Supreme Court rendered a decision confirming its position that the existence and the validity of an arbitration agreement should be determined primarily in light of the common intent of the parties (Société d’études et représentations navales et industrielles (SOERNI) et autres vs. Société Air Sea Broker limited (ASB), July…

Arbitration Agreements, Arbitration Awards, Arbitration Proceedings, Investment Arbitration, Jurisdiction, Public Policy

(University of Victoria Faculty of Law)/ /3 Comments

The treatment of investor misconduct in investment treaty arbitration raises a series of complex issues.  Allegations of investor misconduct (such as fraud, illegality and corruption) can arise in the context of the making of an investment, during its operation, or in the investment treaty claim making process.   How should a tribunal address investor misconduct if…

Arbitration Proceedings, Europe

(von Segesser Law Offices)/ /Leave a comment

In a recent decision dated 26 October 2009 (4A_428/2009), the Swiss Federal Tribunal held that a party that enters into a procedural agreement in parallel state court proceedings following unsuccessful compulsory judicial conciliation does not waive its right to arbitration when that party does not proceed on the merits without making any objections.

Africa, Arbitration Agreements, Investment Arbitration

(Investment Arbitration Reporter)/ /Leave a comment

When I last visited South Africa in 2006, there was much talk of a potential bilateral investment treaty between SA and Zimbabwe. Three years later, as I make another visit to the region, the long-promised deal has just been sewn up. But, despite much clamouring for a protective pact – particularly from South Africans with…

Arbitration Awards, Arbitration Proceedings, Europe

(von Segesser Law Offices)/ /Leave a comment

In two recent decisions, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court rejected petitions for annulment and revision of an arbitral award by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The decisions highlight the importance of raising new facts in arbitral proceedings without delay and as explicitly as possible.

Arbitration Awards, Arbitration Institutions and Rules, Asia-Pacific, Enforcement, Jurisdiction

(Fulbright & Jaworski LLP)/ /4 Comments
YIAG

One aspect of Chinese arbitration law that is of enduring interest to the international arbitration community is the question of whether Chinese law permits non-Chinese arbitration institutions, such as the ICC, to administer arbitrations in China. In practice, a number of arbitrations have taken place and are currently taking place in China under the rules…

Arbitration Agreements, Arbitration Awards, Arbitration Institutions and Rules, Arbitration Proceedings, Commercial Arbitration, Domestic Courts, Enforcement, Europe, Jurisdiction, National Arbitration Laws, Seat of the arbitration

(White & Case LLP)/ /2 Comments
White & Case

The seat of an arbitration is a crucial factor. It determines the lex arbitri and the courts with supervisory jurisdiction over the arbitration. The important consequences of the seat require parties to choose the seat carefully. Cases where no seat is chosen by the parties are not uncommon. The English High Court in Shashoua v…