Category: Articles

Is Third Party Funding a Relevant “Investment” for the Purposes of a IIA Protection?

by Duarte G. Henriques, BCH Advocados* During a meeting on the occasion of the last ICCA Congress in Mauritius, someone asked whether a Third Party Funding is considered an “investment” for the purposes of protection afforded by international investment agreements (“IIAs”) and investor state dispute settlement (“ISDS”). Contrary to my first reaction—“no, TPF is not protected”—the… Read More Is Third Party Funding a Relevant “Investment” for the Purposes of a IIA Protection?

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Report on the AIA, EFILA and CIArb Event: Updates on EU Law Related Arbitration: A Selection of New, Controversial and Hot Topics

Nikoletta Kallasidou and Michal Mojto, AIA, Brussels The Arbitration for International Arbitration (AIA), EFILA and the CIArb jointly organised a well-attended event  at the VUB University in Brussels on the 27th of May, bringing two panels of experts to discuss recent developments on EU-related arbitration. Contentious issues such as the Brussels I Bis Regulation, the… Read More Report on the AIA, EFILA and CIArb Event: Updates on EU Law Related Arbitration: A Selection of New, Controversial and Hot Topics

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The Pechstein Judgment Emphasizes the Virtues of Arbitration

by Nikos Lavranos, Secretary General of EFILA On June 7, 2016, the German Federal Court (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) published a press release summarizing its judgment in the Pechstein case. Since the judgment itself has not yet been published, the following blogpost is solely based on this press release and other publicly available sources. This case revolves… Read More The Pechstein Judgment Emphasizes the Virtues of Arbitration

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The Helping Hand of the MFN for the Intra-EU Bilateral Investment Treaties

Rimantas Daujotas, Motieka & Audzevicius PLP* As it was recently announced, Slovakia has succeeded in referring the legality of intra-EU bilateral investment treaties to the European Court of Justice, as part of its bid to stop Dutch insurer Achmea from enforcing a €22 million UNCITRAL award. In a decision on 3 March 2016, Germany’s Federal Court… Read More The Helping Hand of the MFN for the Intra-EU Bilateral Investment Treaties

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Can Investors Use the Proposed Unified Patent Court for Treaty Shopping?

Pratyush Nath Upreti*, Upreti & Associates In recent years, there have been several discussions on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) and its impact on states’ sovereign right to regulate. The latest cases of Philip Morris and Eli Lilly are evident where intellectual property claims were brought under the scrutiny of investment tribunals. These cases have received greater attention,… Read More Can Investors Use the Proposed Unified Patent Court for Treaty Shopping?

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Across the Strait: The Case for a Special EU-Taiwan Trade and Investment Partnership

  by Horia Ciurtin LL.M., Managing Editor of the EFILA Blog* Not Just a Bridgehead: Mercantile Reflections on EU’s Taiwan Position  At the crossroads of global trade, Taiwan represents a hot spot that unites the flows of goods and capital from near mainland China, from the South-East Asian cauldron, as well as a bridgehead for Western transoceanic… Read More Across the Strait: The Case for a Special EU-Taiwan Trade and Investment Partnership

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ICSID Complaint as Alternative to Supplemental Filing

by Zoltán S. Novák, TaylorWessing We are used to thinking of international investment arbitration as a remedy against unlawful nationalization, expropriation, and other high-profile state acts depriving a foreign investor of his or her investment. It is pretty rare that the unfair treatment the investor complains about is limited to a simple court order requesting… Read More ICSID Complaint as Alternative to Supplemental Filing

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Brexit: Implications for the EU Reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement

Sophie Nappert, 3 Verulam Buildings Nikos Lavranos, EFILA “Reproduced from Practical Law with the permission of the publishers. For further information visit www.practicallaw.com or call 020 7542 6664.” Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) is an international arbitration mechanism that allows an investor from one country to bring arbitral proceedings directly against the state in which it has… Read More Brexit: Implications for the EU Reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement

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Avoiding ISDS: National Contact Points for Investor Guidelines and Mediation

by Tabe van Hoolwerff*  Imagine, you are an EU trade minister and you want to attract foreign investors by offering a stable investment climate. At the same time, you also want to avoid potential claims arising from government measures that seek to protect the environment or labor standards – a fear your non-business stakeholders have been… Read More Avoiding ISDS: National Contact Points for Investor Guidelines and Mediation

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