UK

Brexit, ECT Modernisation, ECT Withdrawal, Energy Charter Treaty, England, Investment Arbitration, UK

(Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH)/ /Leave a comment

At the end of February 2024, the United Kingdom (“UK”)’s Energy Security and Net Zero Minister Graham Stuart announced his country’s decision to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty (“ECT”). On 28 May 2024, the Energy Charter Secretariat revealed in a press release that the UK’s formal notification of withdrawal had already been received by…

Apparent bias, Arbitration, Arbitration Act 1996, Arbitrator Bias, Arbitrator Challenges, Arbitrators, England, English courts, English Law, International arbitration, UK

(Peter Ashford Ltd)/ /1 Comment

In a recent judgement rendered in H1 and another v W and others [2024] EWHC 382, the English Commercial Court removed a sole arbitrator under section 24 of the English Arbitration Act 1996 (the “EEA”).  This removal was based on statements made by the arbitrator regarding the way he would treat expert witness evidence that gave rise…

Conference, ECT Modernisation, Energy Charter Treaty, England, English Arbitration Act, English courts, English Law, EU Law, Europe, European Court of Justice, LIDW 2024, UK

(Bucerius Law School), (Avizor Advocates & Arbitrators), (BonelliErede), and (Squire Patton Boggs)/ /Leave a comment

The role of the United Kingdom (“UK”), particularly London, and of the European Union (“EU”) in the landscape of investment arbitration has been a central topic of discussions during the London International Dispute Week 2024 (“LIDW”). This post aims to provide a non-exhaustive account of some of the events which tackled this theme. On the…

EU Law, LIDW 2024, Mass claims, Mass litigation, UK

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The 2024 London International Disputes Week (“LIDW”) was stage to several discussions regarding mass litigations. This was definitely not by chance. Europe has been seeing an exponential rise in mass litigation, particularly in the last twenty years, where aspects arising from environmental, social and governance issues have started to become a trend worldwide. This post…

Arbitration Act 1996, Arbitration Agreement, CISG, UK

(Brunel University London)/ /Leave a comment

Can the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) be applicable to arbitration agreements? The literature has been divided on this matter, with several discernible approaches. This post explores the topic of applicability of the CISG to arbitration agreements from the perspective of the now (in)famous Enka v. Chubb case,…

Enforcement, English Law, UK

(A&O Shearman)/ /Leave a comment

On 14 April 2024, the English Commercial Court granted Crescent Gas Corporation Limited (“CGC”) ownership of a London property to assist it (partially) to recover a USD 2.6 billion judgment debt owed by the National Iranian Oil Company (“NIOC”).  This post explores the court’s decision and key takeaways for practitioners particularly regarding enforcement strategies.  …

ICSID, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, Sovereign Immunity, UK, Zimbabwe

(3 Hare Court)/ /Leave a comment

On 19 January 2024, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales gave judgment in Border Timbers Ltd v Republic of Zimbabwe [2024] EWHC 58 (Comm). The decision of Dias J considered, in detail, the application of the UK State Immunity Act 1978 (“SIA”) to the registration, enforcement, and execution of ICSID arbitral awards…

Arbitration, Asia, China, Enforcement, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, Third party funding, UK, Vietnam

(European Chinese Arbitrators Association & Fieldfisher)/ /Leave a comment

On 29 November 2023, speakers from various jurisdictions met at a conference at Heuking in Düsseldorf, organised by the European Chinese Arbitrators Association (ECAA) and the Asian European Arbitration Centre (ASEAC), to discuss whether we are currently experiencing “A New Dawn of Arbitration in Asia”. Professor Sundra Rajoo, Director of the Asian International Arbitration Centre,…

English Arbitration Act, UK

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

One of the proposed changes to the English Arbitration Act 1996 (the “Act”) introduced in the Arbitration Bill is an express power for tribunals to make an award on a summary basis in relation to any issue claim, or defence, if the tribunal considers that the party has no real prospect of succeeding on that…

Cross-examination, England, English courts, English Law, UK, UK Supreme Court

(Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP)/ /Leave a comment

The UK Supreme Court (“UKSC”) in Tui UK Ltd v. Griffiths [2023] UKSC 48 recently considered the question whether a party must challenge a witness and expert evidence in cross-examination if it wants to have that evidence discredited or disregarded.  The Supreme Court affirmed the rule in Browne v Dunn that a party must “put”…

India, Insolvency, Singapore, UK

, (PDLegal LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In the ever-evolving landscape of international commercial disputes, the co-existence of arbitration and insolvency-related proceedings has become a focal point. This comparative piece delves into the legal position in three key jurisdictions – Singapore, the United Kingdom, and India – and focuses on the pro-arbitration approach of deferring to the arbitral tribunal and staying (or…

Achmea, Energy Charter Treaty, Enforcement, Intra-EU BITs, Intra-EU Investment Arbitration, Intra-EU ISDS, UK

(Fietta LLP)/ /Leave a comment

The English High Court’s judgment in Infrastructure Services v Spain is one of the most important developments of the past year in relation to the enforcement of intra-EU investment awards. It arises out of the Luxembourgish and Dutch claimants’ successful ICSID arbitration against Spain under the Energy Charter Treaty (“ECT”), in which the tribunal held…

Russia, Sanctions, UK

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

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created an environment ripe for controversy and disputes, some of which may be resolved in arbitration. International sanctions against Russia have been previously discussed on the Blog from the perspective of the EU (here and here), the US (see here) and in relation to potential investment claims (in particular under…

Appointment of arbitrators, Duty to Disclose, Reform, Summary procedure, UK

and , (Mayer Brown)/ /Leave a comment

The Arbitration Act 1996 (the “Act“), the principal legislation governing arbitration in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, came into force 25 years ago. This landmark Act has enabled London to become a top arbitral seat and England and Wales is now home to at least 5,000 arbitrations every year. On 22 September 2022, to mark…

Damages, India, Liquidated Damages, Supreme Court of India, UK, UK Supreme Court

and (Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas)/ /Leave a comment

Arbitral tribunals are often faced with questions concerning the interpretation and enforcement of liquidated damages clauses; in such cases, the law governing the contract can significantly affect what damages can be claimed, the standard for proving such damages, and consequently the outcome of the dispute. This blog post examines the differences between English law and…

Admissibility, English courts, English Law, Jurisdiction, Pre-arbitral procedure, UK

, (Jenner & Block)/ /Leave a comment

Arbitration agreements often provide that certain procedural steps must be undertaken before arbitration is commenced, such as mediation or negotiation. This provides a ‘cooling-off period’ in which the parties can seek to resolve their dispute amicably before resorting to formal proceedings. When a party fails to satisfy a pre-arbitration procedural step and launches prematurely into…

Australia, Enforcement, ICSID, ICSID Convention, International Investment Arbitration, Sovereign Immunity, State Immunity, UK

, , (Clayton Utz)/ /Leave a comment

The International Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID Convention) contains two provisions regulating compliance with arbitral awards. Article 53(1) provides that an award shall be binding on the parties. Article 54(1) requires each contracting State to recognise an ICSID award as binding. In this regard, it is common for parties to comply with…

English courts, English Law, London, UK, Witness Statement

, (Twenty Essex)/ /Leave a comment

This post considers Practice Direction 57AC (“PD57AC”), which changes the approach to witness evidence in the English Courts, and its potential impact on London-seated arbitration.   The New Approach to Witness Statements in English Litigation On 6 April 2021, the English Business and Property Courts marked a significant change in the approach that lawyers, and…

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…

Apparent bias, Appointment of arbitrators, Bias, Deepwater Horizon, Impartiality, UK, UK Supreme Court, Uncategorized, Unconscious Bias

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YIAG

In November last year, the UK Supreme Court (the “Court”) pronounced judgment in Halliburton Company v Chubb Bermuda Insurance Ltd [2020] UKSC 48. It held, among other things, that there was a duty of disclosure for arbitrators in English law. Recognizing the importance of the principle of party autonomy, the Court concluded that parties could,…

Anti-suit injunction, Interim measures, UK

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

It is important for parties to arbitration agreements to understand to what extent they might be able to obtain effective interim relief from the courts. While parties may provide in their arbitration agreement, whether through express drafting or (more often) by incorporation of institutional rules, that the parties shall be permitted to seek interim relief…

Apparent bias, Appointment of arbitrators, Bias, Deepwater Horizon, IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest, Impartiality, UK, UK Supreme Court, Unconscious Bias

(WilmerHale)/ /Leave a comment

On 27 November 2020, the U.K. Supreme Court in Halliburton Company v. Chubb Bermuda Insurance Ltd (formerly known as Ace Bermuda Insurance Ltd) [2020] UKSC 48 ruled on the approach under English law to determining whether an arbitrator’s failure to make disclosure of appointments in multiple arbitrations with overlapping subject matter and only one common…

Free Trade Agreements, UK

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Many of the free trade agreements that the UK has signed or that are currently under negotiation include a requirement for the parties to create rosters of individuals who could act as arbitrators for disputes launched under the state-to-state dispute settlement mechanisms within those agreements. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is seeking to appoint…

Australia, COVID-19, Force majeure, Korea, UAE, UK

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

As countries continue to grapple with the ongoing effects of COVID-19, the effects of the ongoing waves on parties vary widely. There have been recent discussions on force majeure and international arbitration on the Blog: see here, here, and here. This article will address the following points in relation to four key jurisdictions, being the…