The recovery of damages in investment arbitration is a multi-layered and complex issue. You do not need to be an expert, however, to understand the most important concepts. Introduction and Basic Principles The root of all claims for damages under public international law is the Chorzów case. In it, the Permanent Court of International Justice (the predecessor […]
Investment Arbitration
State Counterclaim in Investment Arbitration
An ICSID arbitral tribunal awarded approximately USD 40 million in damages to Ecuador for the foreign investor’s liability for the costs of restoring the environment in an area concerned by the investment. This award of a counterclaim in investment arbitration was made by an arbitral tribunal composed of Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler, Brigitte Stern and Stephen Drymer in […]
Brazil and the Cooperation and Facilitation Investment Agreement (CFIA): A Step Backwards for Arbitration?
In 2015, as a result of the increase of Brazilian investment overseas, the Brazilian government, in consultation with private entities, elaborated so-called Cooperation and Facilitation Investment Agreements (“CFIA”s – or “ACFI” in its Portuguese acronym). The CFIA’s aim was to facilitate and stimulate reciprocal investments between States, especially in strategic sectors, much like the Bilateral […]
Consent in Investment Arbitration
Investment arbitration, like any arbitration, is a creature of contract. A party submitting a case to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (the “Centre”) therefore must ensure that their adversaries have consented to arbitrate. This article answers the ‘what, how, and when’ of consent in investment arbitration. What is “Consent”? Article 25(1) of […]
Obtaining Third-Party Funding for International Arbitration – How It Works
Obtaining third-party funding for international arbitration is not an easy process. Aceris Law LLC has already written about the issue here. When searching for third-party funding, prospective litigants often lack information on the requirements and knowledge of what is required to successfully fund an arbitration. By composing the following list, we hope to demystify the […]
Disclosure of Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration
The disclosure of third-party funding is becoming increasingly common in international arbitration proceedings. This is reasonable, as the fact that there is an outside influence on the case affects the decision-making process and impacts issues such as transparency, impartiality, independence and conflicts of interest. For instance, if a third-party funder has a conflict of interest […]
The Cost of Investment Arbitration: UNCITRAL, ICSID Proceedings and Third-Party Funding
Party Costs in Investment Arbitration In a recent article by Global Arbitration Review, the second edition of a recent empirical study reveals that the cost of investment arbitration is unfortunately on the rise yet again. Since 2013, average party costs were a massive USD 7.41 million for claimants and USD 5.19 million for respondents. Before then, […]
International Arbitration and Human Rights – Igor Boyko v. Ukraine
The issue of consolidation between international arbitration and human rights has always been subject to controversies and doctrinal debates[1]. One reason for these controversies stems from the fact that human rights law and investment law follow different objectives. As stressed by J. Paulsson, while the first “deal[s] with rights of individuals that are inalienable whether or […]
Provisional Measures in International Investment Arbitration – To What Extent Are They Binding and Enforceable?
The authority of arbitral tribunals to grant interim or provisional measures in international investment arbitration is today uncontested and represents current practice[1]. This “inherent power”[2] of arbitral tribunals is encompassed in multiple investment arbitration instruments, such as Article 47 of the ICSID Convention, Article 39 of the ICSID Arbitration Rules, Article 26 of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and Article 1134 of the […]
