In Achmea,[1] the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) was asked to assess the compatibility of the dispute resolution clause contained in the Netherlands-Slovak Republic BIT with EU law. In March 2018, the CJEU held that the clause was incompatible based on the threat posed to the constitutional structure and autonomy of the […]
Enforcement of Arbitration Awards
UNCITRAL Drafts for a Convention on the Enforcement of Mediation Settlement Agreements and for a Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s (“UNCITRAL”) Working Group II approved final drafts for a Convention on the Enforcement of Mediation Settlement Agreements (hereinafter “the draft Convention”) and for a Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (hereinafter “the Mediation Model Law”). While these instruments need to […]
William Kirtley Discusses Enforcing Arbitral Awards against State Assets with Russian Newspaper
Arbitration lawyer William Kirtley has been interviewed by the Moscow-based newspaper Novaya Gazeta regarding the enforcement of arbitral awards against State assets. In the Russian-language article, concerning a USD 1.3 billion award to Ukraine’s Oschadbank for compensation for loss of assets in Crimea following annexation of the peninsula in 2014, William Kirtley explains that it is far […]
Resisting the Enforcement of Arbitral Awards: Article V(1)(a) of the New York Convention
According to Article III of the 1958 Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (the “New York Convention“), courts of a Contracting State have the obligation to recognize and enforce an arbitral award. However, it must be borne in mind that the latter have the possibility of refusing the recognition and execution […]
Enforcing an Investment Arbitration Award: When States Refuse to Pay
Enforcing an investment arbitration award against a sovereign State is not easy. It is particularly hard when that State firmly refuses to pay after losing an arbitration. Such a situation is obviously problematic for an investor. An investor must spend considerable resources, usually in the realm of millions of dollars, prior to receiving a favorable […]
International Arbitration in V4 Countries
V4 Countries, also known as the Visegrad Group, is a political and cultural alliance formed in 1991 by four Central European countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. International arbitration in V4 countries is not a centralised matter. Consequently, this area is subject to the legislation of each State. This blog provides a […]
Arbitration Award Enforced in England Despite Evidence of Fraud
The New York Convention compels its 157 contracting Parties to enforce arbitration awards: “A New York Convention award may, by leave of the court, be enforced in the same manner as a judgment or order of the court to the same effect”. This enforcement requirement, found in Section 101 of the Arbitration Act 1996, is however […]
Arbitration in Iraq – Iraq Endorses Ratification of the New York Convention
After many delays, on 6 February 2018, Iraq officially endorsed the ratification of the New York Convention, a promising step for arbitration in Iraq. Although in theory Iraq accepts the idea that the New York Convention is necessary, there has been little attention on its accession until recently. Although no drafts of the law are […]
O reconhecimento do laudo arbitral estrangeiro no Brasil
Ainda que não proferida pelo juiz togado, o laudo arbitral se equipara à sentença estatal. Assim, a decisão emanada de um tribunal arbitral terá os mesmos efeitos de uma decisão do Poder Judiciário. O Brasil adota o critério geográfico para distinguir as sentenças arbitrais nacionais dos laudos arbitrais estrangeiros. Desta forma, “considera-se sentença arbitral estrangeira […]








