Jurisdiction

Africa, Appointment of arbitrators, Arbitral seat, Arbitral Tribunal, Arbitration Industry, Arbitrators, Diversity, International arbitration, Interview, Interviews with Our Editors

(Equanimity Arbitration)/ /Leave a comment

  A common concern for arbitration practitioners in Africa is that when it comes to African seated arbitrations, African practitioners are underrepresented. The African Arbitration Association (AfAA) was set up as a combined vision of practitioners in the region to create a platform that would encourage and create more opportunities for greater representation of African…

Arbitration, Arbitration institution, DIAC, UAE Federal Arbitration Law, United Arab Emirates

(Galadari Advocates & Legal Consultants) and (Al Tamimi & Company )/ /Leave a comment

Introduction The Dubai International Arbitration Centre (“DIAC”) is a regional arbitration centre created by statue in 1994 as part of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (the “Chamber”). On 23 April 2019, the Ruler of Dubai issued Decree No. 17 of 2019 approving a new statute for DIAC (the “New DIAC Statute”). The New…

Annulment, Appeal, Arbitral Award, Awards, ICSID, United States

, (Arent Fox)/ /Leave a comment

Introduction The enforcement bar is becoming more specialized. This development follows the trend in U.S. litigation towards increasing specialization and the growth of niche practice industries; but it also stems from specific changes to the enforcement regime that are addressed in this article and that have important implications for the life-cycle of an international arbitration….

Argentina, Fork in the road, ICSID Convention, Interim measures, Latin America, National Courts

(Knoetzl Haugeneder Netal Rechtsanwaelte GmbH)/ /Leave a comment

In April 2019, an Argentinean court ordered a company not to initiate an investment arbitration before ICSID based on the bilateral investment treaty between the Argentine Republic and the Republic of Chile (“BIT”).  The Federal Court in Civil and Commercial Matters No. 5 (the “Court”) ordered the interim measure in a case between the Argentinean…

Africa, MENA, Middle East, Morocco, OHADA, Organization of Islamic Cooperation

(Concepción Global, PLLC, Universidad Complutense de Madrid)/ /Leave a comment

In light of several recent developments in Morocco, its status as an international arbitration hub in Africa is worth a focus. This blog post will specifically consider the rise and recognition of economic opportunities in Africa, Morocco’s lead as a diplomatic power in Africa, the country’s experience with investment and commercial arbitration, and the emergence…

Bolivia, Negotiation, Post-award interest, Settlement, Sovereign Immunity

(Guevara & Gutiérrez S.C.)/ /Leave a comment

One of the main objectives of investment arbitration, as a feature of international investment law, is to provide a neutral forum for the parties in dispute. Neutrality is necessary because the parties are fundamentally different: while the investor is a private entity, the state is a sovereign entity with sovereign immunity. However, the scenario of…

Belt Road Initiative, Central Asia, Investment, Uzbekistan

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

Introduction According to UNESCO, the first caravans aiming to connect East (China) with West (Central Asia) were dispatched in 138 AD, leading eventually to the formulation of what we know today as the Great Silk Road.  The Uzbek corridor, consisting of Bukhara, Tashkent, and Samarkand, provided key routes for trade and also served as a…

Africa, Arbitration, Djibouti, ICSID, ICSID Arbitration, ICSID Convention, ICSID Procedure, International arbitration, Investment Arbitration

(University of Arkansas School of Law)/ /1 Comment

On April 12, 2019, the Republic of Djibouti (“Djibouti”) signed the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (“ICSID Convention” or “Convention”). To date, the Convention has been signed by 163 countries and ratified by 154 countries. Why is Djibouti signing the ICSID Convention at a time when…

Arbitration, Brazil, Forgery, kompetenz-kompetenz, Negative Effect, Positive Effect

(Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan UK LLP)/ /Leave a comment

Introduction Unlike other pillars of arbitration like recognition-enforcement of foreign awards and independence-impartiality of arbitrators, the Kompetenz-Kompetenz rule is far from a universal standard. Each jurisdiction has a particular rule, with clear distinctions between the approaches adopted, for example, by the US, the UK, France, Switzerland and China.1)For a comprehensive comparison of these legal systems,…

Enforcement, Foreign arbitral awards, MENA, Middle East, United Arab Emirates

(Watson Farley & Williams (Middle East) LLP)/ /Leave a comment

Introduction On 9 December 2018, the UAE adopted Cabinet Resolution No. 57 of 2018, which entered into force on 16 February 2019 (the “Cabinet Resolution“). The Cabinet Resolution introduces significant amendments to the UAE Civil Procedure Code (Federal Law No. 11 of 1992), which considerably enhance a wide array of procedures before the UAE onshore…

Guaidó, ICC Arbitration, Latin America, PDVSA, Petropar, Settlement

(FERRERE Abogados)/ /1 Comment

On March 19, 2019, an ICC tribunal seated in Paris and comprised of Claus von Wobeser (chairman), Francesca Mazza, and Horacio Grigera Naón, issued a procedural order staying the arbitration proceedings between Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (“PDVSA” for its acronym in Spanish, the Venezuelan state-owned oil company) and Petróleos Paraguayos (“PETROPAR” for its acronym in…

Arbitration, Arbitration Act, New Zealand, Reform, Trust

(Bankside Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

Introduction On 8 May 2019, the Arbitration Amendment Act 2019 (the Amendment Act) came into force.  It amends the Arbitration Act 1996 and is a much watered-down version of the original proposal.  The Amendment Act makes three changes: (i) the insertion of a new waiver sub-clause in Article 16 of Schedule 1 of the Arbitration Act (which…

Arbitration, Arbitration Act, Confidentiality, Confidentiality and Transparency, New Zealand, Reform

(Stout Street Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

Introduction: the Arbitration Amendment Act 2019 Arbitration law reform is often portrayed in terms of relentless progress towards enlightenment: towards greater party autonomy, increased efficiency, reduced judicial interference, and more certain enforcement. In important areas of arbitral law and practice, that is an accurate narrative: the acceptance of the principles of Kompetenz-Kompetenz and separability, for…

Arbitration, Arbitration Awards, Arbitration Institutions and Rules, Finland, UNCITRAL Model Law

(The Arbitration Institute of the Finland Chamber of Commerce (FAI))/ /Leave a comment

The Finnish Minister of Justice announced at the end of January this year that the revision process of the 1992 Finnish Arbitration Act would be launched during the current government term. Finnish business and arbitration communities greatly welcomed the statement, as it mirrors their long-time efforts towards this goal. The Ministry of Justice has begun…

Abu Dhabi, Jurisdiction

(University College Cork)/ /Leave a comment

Introduction The Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) is a financial free zone in the United Arab Emirates. Foreign parties are attracted to the ADGM for a number of reasons, including its direct application of English common law, the ability to use English language to conduct proceedings in the ADGM Courts, and its enhanced adoption of…

Brazil, Class arbitration, Damages, UNCC

(Atelier Juridico)/ /1 Comment

Brumadinho Dam’s Rupture1)The dam collapse happened on 25 January 2019.. On the first day, the fire department, responsible for the rescues, estimated that the number of victims was about 200. Ten days after the disaster, the death toll was confirmed to be 134, while 199 were still missing. Trigger Warning: At this link one can…

Brexit, Brussels Regulation, ECJ, England, EU Law, Europe, European Union, UK, Uncategorized

(Legance Avvocati Associati)/ /Leave a comment

The Brexit clock is ticking and, under the current circumstances, the no deal scenario is being increasingly regarded at least as a concrete option – although the situation is changing on a daily basis and the extension of the two-year term under Article 50 TFEU could provide some breathing room. In the context of the…

Jurisdiction, Russia, Unilateral Clauses

, (Herbert Smith Freehills LLP)/ /Leave a comment
Herbert Smith Freehills

Introduction Unilateral option clauses (also known as “asymmetric” or “one-sided” clauses) are clauses which give both parties the right to refer disputes to a particular dispute resolution forum, but which simultaneously give one party an exclusive right to elect to refer a particular dispute to another forum. The classic example of a one-sided clause is…

Central Asia, Damages, Investment Arbitration, Investor-State arbitration, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, quantum, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

(Berkeley Research Group)/ /Leave a comment

Despite the variety of investment treaty disputes involving assets in the Post-Soviet jurisdictions in Central Asia, assessment of damages in each particular case is often heavily debated by the parties, experts and tribunals. In many instances, selecting an appropriate valuation method is the cornerstone of the tribunal’s decision-making on damages. This article provides an overview…

BIT, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, Russia, Sovereign Immunity

(Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH)/ /Leave a comment

Several authors have already discussed the enforcement of arbitral awards in Russia (see for example the recent posts on the issue estoppel and public policy in recognition and enforcement proceedings, on the confusion relating to the material scope of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, and on the enforceability of…

ICC, ICSID, Italba, Uruguay

, (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer)/ /Leave a comment

Within the same week last March, two awards were rendered in cases against the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Uruguay). One concerned an investment dispute with Italba Corporation (Italba), a company incorporated in Florida, over wireless spectrum services and the allocation of radio frequencies, and was Uruguay’s second case before an ICSID tribunal (the first being…

Amparo, Commercial Arbitration, ISDS Reform, Latin America, Mexico, USMCA

(Herbert Smith Freehills)/ /Leave a comment

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…

China, CIETAC, CIETAC Investment Arbitration Rules, Hong Kong

(CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center)/ /Leave a comment
CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center

On 18 February 2019, the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macao Greater Bay Area (the “Outline”) was published. Seen to rival the city clusters formed around San Francisco, New York and Tokyo, the development of the Greater Bay Area is a collaborative initiative to transform the Pearl Delta Region of…

Applicable Law, Arbitration Agreement, International Commercial Arbitration, Turkey, Validity

( Işık & Partners Law Firm)/ /Leave a comment

Introduction In order to conclude an enforceable arbitration agreement, various validity conditions are required. The authority of the signatory agent to conclude an arbitration agreement on behalf of the principal is one of these requirements. In some jurisdictions, an explicit/specific authority is also required. An agent authorized with a general power of attorney, but without…