Download or read book The Adaptation of Long Term Gas Sale Agreements by Arbitrators written by Pietro Ferrario and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2017-04-15 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: International commercial gas sale agreements are often characterised by a duration of twenty years or more. Consequently, when unforeseen events alter market conditions the contractual equilibrium originally found by the parties is disrupted, giving rise to the necessity to renegotiate and adapt the agreement. If negotiation fails, the parties in most cases submit the matter to arbitration. This comprehensive analysis of what can happen under such circumstances proceeds from an in-depth consideration of the power of arbitrators to intervene on the agreement in the light of arbitrability and procedural law. The author fully explains the complex special nature of gas pricing and contract clauses, and takes into account such features as the following, especially in the wake of the 2009 crisis as it affected the gas sector: - take or pay clauses; - mechanisms for gas price calculation; - price review and price re-opener clauses; - hardship provisions; - problems arising from the absence of a specific clause providing for adaptation/adjustment; - effect on contracts of the emergence and development of spot or traded gas markets; and - trend toward introducing spot-market elements into an oil-indexed price formula. The analysis draws on interviews with lawyers and arbitrators who have been involved in recent proceedings regarding gas sale contract adaptations, and also considers court decisions issued in setting aside or enforcing arbitration awards handed down in energy disputes. A central discussion throughout this book is the possible responses to the question of whether it is possible to determine a principle of law justifying the arbitrator’s power to intervene in contract adaptation. All professionals involved in the production, wholesaling, or distribution of gas will find this book indispensable. It will also be of special value to practitioners, policymakers, and regulators in the fields of energy law and environmental law.

Download or read book The Adaptation of Long term Gas Sale Agreements by Arbitrators written by Pietro Ferrario and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book International Arbitration in Latin America written by Gloria M. Alvarez and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2021-04-08 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy projects in Latin America are a major contributor to economic growth worldwide. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of specific issues arising from energy and natural resources contracts and disputes in the region, covering a wide range of procedural, substantive, and socio-legal issues. The book also includes how states have shifted from passive business partners to more active controlling players. The book contains an extensive treatment and examination of the particularities of arbitration practice in Latin America, including arbitrability, public order, enforcement, and the complex public-private nature of energy transactions. Specialists experienced in resolving international energy and natural disputes throughout the region provide detailed analysis of such issues and topics, including: state-owned entities as co-investors or contracting parties; role of environmental law, indigenous rights and public participation; issues related to political changes, corruption, and quantification of damages; climate change, renewable energy, and the energy transition; force majeure, hardship, and price reopeners; arbitration in the electricity sector; take-or-pay contracts; recognition and enforcement of awards; tension between stabilization clauses and human rights; mediation as a method for dispute settlement in the energy and natural resources sector; and different comparative approaches taken by national courts in key Latin American jurisdictions. The book also delivers a clear explanation on the impact made to the arbitration process by Covid-19, emerging laws, changes of political circumstances, the economic global trends in the oil & gas market, the energy transition, and the rise of new technologies. This invaluable book will be welcomed by in-house lawyers, government officials, as well as academics and rest of the arbitration community involved in international arbitration with particular interest in the energy and natural resources sector.

Download or read book Cambridge Compendium of International Commercial and Investment Arbitration written by Stefan Kröll and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-03-02 with total page 3006 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Compendium, like an encyclopedia, contains entries for most of the foundational principles and concepts underlying arbitration. Each entry takes a holistic view of international arbitration, as they tackle core concepts from both a commercial and an investment arbitration perspective, focusing on the fundamental issues underlying the various topics rather than on the solutions adopted in any particular jurisdiction, thus making the Compendium a truly cross-border, transnational resource. This innovative approach will allow readers to identify the commonalities as well as the differences between commercial and investment arbitration, whether and where cross-fertilization has taken place and what consequences it can have. This approach allows the Compendium to be a tool in promoting the creation of a culture of international arbitration that considers commercial arbitration and investment arbitration as part of a whole but with certain distinct features particular to each.

Download or read book Privity of Contract in International Investment Arbitration written by Martina Magnarelli and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2020-05-21 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is privity of contract the reason why investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) is open to critics, or could it contribute to solving the system’s legitimacy crisis? Privity of contract essentially means that a subject must be a party to a contract, in order to acquire rights and assume obligations, to sue and be sued under that contract. Privity of contract came to land on the shores of ISDS and this has at least on one occasion been described as an ‘original sin’. Arbitral tribunals often need to decide whether they have jurisdiction in cases where a party to the investment contract is not the claimant but a related entity, or not the central government, but a state agency or state-owned enterprise. In light of the deep interconnection between, on the one hand, the criticism today surrounding investment treaty arbitration – be it called judicial activism and regulatory chill, or be it called abuse of law and indirect claims – and, on the other hand, the domains where privity of contract applies, this book’s original and far-reaching analysis clearly lays out, via an in-depth examination of relevant case law, a possible use of the doctrine that can contribute to leading ISDS out of the crisis. The study’s conclusions respond with thoroughly researched authority to such key questions as the following: In which domains of international investment arbitration does the notion of privity of contract operate, and with what effects? How are states and arbitral panels reacting to the persisting unresolved issues raised by the increasing pertinence of this legal doctrine? What solutions are advisable in the midst of the current criticisms surrounding ISDS? The author finds that the doctrine of privity of contract finds application in heterogeneous scenarios, from decisions on jurisdiction where there are forum selection clauses in investment contracts or fork-in-the-road provisions in investment treaties, to consolidation, counterclaims and umbrella clause claims. She proposes a flexible interpretation of the doctrine of privity of contract as a guiding principle arbitral tribunals should consider along with other factors (inter alia the tightness of the relation between the investor and its subsidiary and the host state’s involvement in the organization and function of agencies or state-owned enterprises). The book’s thorough and extensive examination of investment arbitration case law draws comparisons with other international adjudicatory bodies and identifies the most actual and compelling unresolved legal issues. Appendices include lists of many of the arbitration cases, international judgments and national judgments discussed. As a constructive contribution to the current debate, this enquiry is an extraordinary achievement. No other study has conducted such thorough research on the application of privity of contract in investment treaty arbitration. It will be of great interest to arbitration lawyers, arbitrators, foreign investors, host states and scholars in all areas of international arbitration and dispute settlement.

Download or read book Theory Law and Practice of Maritime Arbitration written by Eva Litina and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2020-12-10 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Theory, Law and Practice of Maritime Arbitration The Case of International Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Sea Eva Litina It is estimated that over 80% of global trade by volume is carried by sea, making maritime transport a cornerstone of the global economy. Most disputes in the shipping industry are settled by distinctive, private arbitral proceedings that are best understood by a close examination of the standard form contracts that are used in practice and of the case law arising therefrom. Extrapolating insightfully from these sources, the author of this book examines in depth the phenomenon of maritime arbitration with a specific focus on contracts for the carriage of goods by sea. She offers the first comprehensive and comparative analysis of arbitral practice in the three jurisdictions where the most frequently selected maritime arbitral seats are located: London, New York, and Singapore. An analysis of the applicable rules and relevant case law in each jurisdiction provides the basis from which a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats is achieved. The book addresses the following key aspects of maritime arbitration: maritime arbitration’s definition, origins, theoretical underpinnings, socioeconomic context, and significance; the maritime-specific reasons for wide use of ad hoc versus institutional arbitration; the international instruments governing arbitration in contracts for the carriage of goods by sea; the shipping industry’s pursuit of self-regulation via standard form contracts; the arbitration agreement contained in standard form charterparties and bills of lading; maritime arbitration’s unique approach to judicial review, confidentiality, and arbitrator impartiality; the specific dispute resolution objectives that compel a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats; and the future of maritime arbitration in light of international political, financial, and technological developments. In addition to the three main maritime arbitral seats, the analysis touches on maritime arbitration in other relevant jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong, Greece, Japan, and Korea, thus affording a comparison of the process in common and civil law jurisdictions. The book concludes by considering the potential impact of the current international political landscape, and suggesting future perspectives and research in international maritime arbitration. An important addition to scholarship in this field of law, the book’s thorough assessment of the merits of the competing maritime arbitral seats—and its specific focus on maritime disputes—will prove of significant importance to arbitrators, law firms, in-house counsel of shipping companies, international organizations, and arbitration institutions and associations. Practitioners will discover all tools necessary to examine any case before the main maritime arbitral seats with full awareness of each applicable legal regime and its distinguishing features.

Download or read book Multiple Contracts and Coordination in International Construction Projects written by Jürg Künzle and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2020-07-16 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: International Arbitration Law Library, Volume Number 57 Collaboration between multiple parties from different countries is one of the main challenges of almost every international undertaking, and this is especially true in the case of large and complex construction projects, such as airport terminals, interchange subway stations, distribution centers, industrial processing and manufacturing facilities or hydropower plants. This comprehensive analysis of key legal issues arising from interdependencies between multiple contracts methodically lays out, from a Swiss law perspective, the way in which coordination of works in construction projects could or should occur. It also examines the legal consequences of coordination failure and various related aspects of dispute resolution. Topics covered include the following: interfaces and interdependencies across the system boundaries of multiple contracts coordination responsibilities derived from the principle of good faith and from a contextual interpretation of interdependence-related FIDIC Red Book provisions; delegation scenarios; liability for breach of contract and legal remedies in case of delay, disruption, defects, destruction and performance impossibility; direct claims against third parties; taking of evidence under substantively intertwined contracts; and coordination of interrelated arbitration proceedings. The detailed analysis draws on numerous specific real-life examples as well as illustrative Swiss and Unites States case law. An appendix offers very useful practice pointers. Although considering Swiss law, which is a frequent choice for the law governing international construction contracts, the analysis deals with an array of conceptual aspects of multiple contracts and coordination, thereby addressing a great number of issues beyond the limits of national law. With its practical examples, the book is sure to be welcomed by those seeking to avoid or resolve disputes to which project coordination may give rise. It will prove of particular value to practitioners negotiating international construction contracts, arbitrators, in-house counsel representing owners and contractors involved in international construction projects, members of dispute review boards and project managers.

Download or read book New Frontiers in Asia Pacific International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution written by Shahla Ali and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2020-12-10 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: International Arbitration Law Library Volume 59 The eastward shift in international dispute resolution has already involved initiatives not only to improve support for international commercial arbitration (ICA) and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) but also to develop alternatives such as international commercial courts and mediation. Focusing on these initiatives and their accompanying case law and trends in the Asia-Pacific region, this invaluable book challenges existing procedures and frameworks for cross-border dispute resolution in both commercial and treaty arbitration. Specially assembled for this project, an outstanding team of experienced and insightful arbitrators and scholars describes pertinent developments including: ICA and ISDS in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative; the Singapore Convention on Mediation; the shift to virtual hearings and other challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic; mistrust of the application of the rule of law in certain East Asian jurisdictions; growing public concern over ISDS arbitration; tensions between confidentiality and transparency; and potential regional harmonisation of the public policy exception to arbitral enforcement. The contributors chart evolving practices and high-profile cases to make informed observations about where changes are needed, as well as educated guesses about the chances of reforms being successful and the consequences if they are not. The main jurisdictions covered are China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, India, Australia and Singapore. The first in-depth study of recent trends in dispute resolution practice related to business in the Asia-Pacific region, the book’s practical analysis of new resources for dealing with the increasing competition among countries to become credible regional dispute resolution hubs will prove to be of great value to specialists in the international business law sector. Lawyers will be enabled to make informed decisions on which venue and dispute resolution methods are the most suitable for any specific dispute in the region, and policymakers will confidently assess emerging trends in international dispute resolution policy development and treaty-making.

Download or read book Dealing with Bribery and Corruption in International Commercial Arbitration written by Emmanuel Obiora Igbokwe and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2023-01-10 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: International Arbitration Law Library, Volume 65 International commercial arbitration is by no means free from bribery and corruption. Although a plethora of legal scholarship clearly affirms this contention, a thorough study on the particularly important question of the authority and duty of international commercial arbitrators to investigate a suspicion or indication of bribery or corruption sua sponte ¬– that is, on their own initiative – has been surprisingly lacking. This important book fills this gap, inter alia, by locating sua sponte authority in the position of arbitral tribunals in establishing the facts of a case and ascertaining and applying the applicable normative standards. In addition to providing a comprehensive examination of how the issue of bribery and corruption is dealt with in contemporary international commercial arbitration, the book also highlights the role of arbitrators in global efforts to combat transnational commercial bribery and corruption. Among others, the following critical issues are thoroughly investigated: arbitrability of issues of public interests; intermediary contracts; role of arbitrators in the fact-finding process; party autonomy versus overriding mandatory rules; iura novit curia in international commercial arbitration in the context of bribery and corruption; notion of transnational (or ‘truly international’) public policy; arbitrators’ duty to act as guardians of international commerce; investigative tools available to arbitrators; dealing with manifestly recalcitrant parties; possible consequences of violating the obligation to sua sponte investigate; and the view from developing countries. The analysis leans primarily on Swiss law, as Switzerland is one of the most important jurisdictions in international commercial arbitration; Switzerland has also been involved in some of the most famous and controversial arbitration cases wherein bribery and corruption became an issue. However, the study also includes a comparative analysis of the relevant laws, jurisprudence, and doctrine of other major arbitration venues, particularly England, France, and Germany. Not only in the light it sheds on how and whether international commercial arbitrators have hitherto justified the trust States have placed in them regarding the protection of the public interests but also in the practical solutions it offers arbitrators faced with issues of bribery and corruption, this deeply researched book equips arbitration practitioners and arbitration institutions with a hitherto lacking in-depth analysis on the question of sua sponte investigation. It also provides invaluable insights on how this issue might affect the future, legitimacy and expansion of this dispute settlement mechanism. Outside the field of arbitration, the book also provides jurists, legal scholars, in-house counsel for companies doing transnational business and public officials with highly enlightening perspectives on the interaction between international commercial arbitration and public interests.

Download or read book Economic Analysis of the Arbitrator s Function written by Bruno Guandalini and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2020-06-16 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economic Analysis of the Arbitrator’s Function Bruno Guandalini Arbitration has become an important market, where arbitrators are rational economic agents maximizing their utility. Although this is self-evident, it is rarely discussed. This penetrating book is the first to comprehensively analyze the market for arbitrators and arbitrators’ economic role within it. In great depth, the author tackles such salient issues as the following: effect of perceived inefficiencies and high costs on arbitration legitimacy; alleged commercialization of the arbitrator’s function; possible ethical problem raised by financial remuneration for rendering justice; what motivates a person to arbitrate; market for arbitrators’ functioning and failures, providing a better understanding of how actors could behave in such a specific market; structural and artificial entry barriers; effect of an arbitrator’s strategic behavior on the arbitrator’s function; limitations on an arbitrator’s rationality; and preventing and correcting these limitations. Numerous references to customs and procedures in major arbitral jurisdictions and to international laws and conventions affecting the efficiency of the arbitrator’s function are included. Pursuing a non-prescriptive analysis, the author draws on the discipline of law and economics, rational choice theory, behavioral economics, and psychological work on bounded rationality. Understanding the arbitrator’s function as a legal institution that is influenced by the market, this pioneer in developing and systematizing the study of the market for arbitrators and how it works will prove of inestimable value to all stakeholders in the arbitration market. Arbitrators, policymakers, regulators, and academics will be enabled to open the way to a more efficient market for arbitrators and betterment in arbitration worldwide.

Download or read book Interpretation of Contracts in Comparative and Uniform Law written by Ahmet Cemil Yildirim and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Due to the globalized nature of modern commerce, arbitrators and legal counsel are often required to interpret contracts according to the rules of legal systems that are different from their own. Thus a thorough comparative examination of the principles of interpretation of contracts in major legal systems and uniform laws, such as this indispensable book provides, becomes an essential resource. The book examines the principles of contract interpretation found in seven legal systems—French, Italian, German, Swiss, Turkish, English, and U.S.—as well as in all applicable uniform laws, drawing on the case law and scholarship aligned with each. In addition to texts intended to unify or harmonize the law at a global level, the European Union’s uniform law texts, which constitute an important reference model for regional codifications, are also presented. The terminology peculiar to each system has been preserved in its language. Specific issues and topics raised include the following: “subjective” versus “objective” interpretation; historical reasons for basic differences in the approaches of individual legal systems; the principle of freedom of contract; good faith and fair dealing; rules that restrict the interpretation of contracts; and commercial usages. The author’s systematic presentation culminates in a proposal of a practical and universal method of interpretation of contracts. Given the importance of the interpretation of contracts in cross-border transactions, every practitioner of international arbitration will welcome this incomparable book’s easy access to the essential literature and case law in the legal systems and uniform laws they are most likely to encounter. Corporate counsel, scholars, and academics will discover the only detailed comparative overview available of the theory and practice of the interpretation of contracts.

Download or read book Fact Finding in International Arbitration written by Julian Bickmann and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2022-12-09 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Establishing a factual basis on which to apply the law can be an extraordinarily challenging process, and perhaps more so in international arbitration than in any other proceedings, due to the very different notions of fact-finding that prevail among jurisdictions. This important book assesses, for the first time, the contours of an emerging transnational law of fact-finding that promises to greatly enhance the efficiency and reliability of this crucial arbitral procedure. In his analysis, focusing on bases that reflect current (but fluid) transnational practice, the author assembles a viable lex evidentiae from an in-depth examination and synthesis of the following bodies of source material: published arbitration proceedings and awards; the general framework of fact-finding issues as provided for under the arbitration acts of England and Wales, the United States, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, as well as under the Model Law; fact-finding stipulations under UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules as well as under various institutional rules; soft law (such as the IBA Rules, Prague Rules, ALI/UNIDROIT Principles of Transnational Civil Procedure); best practices as captured by legal commentary; and investment arbitration proceedings, where many decisions and awards are nowadays publicly available. In the course of the analysis, a comprehensive description and analysis of what fact-finding entails, including both gathering of facts and taking of evidence, is fully elaborated. Given that it is an essential task of international arbitration proceedings to define the disagreements between the parties and seek to determine the truth, the international arbitration community must be able to rely on a robust, consistent, and predictable, albeit flexible and adaptive, set of fact-finding rules. Against this background, the present study not only provides a stocktaking of current practice but also makes a signal contribution to meeting the need for legal certainty and reliability in international arbitration.

Download or read book Arbitrators as Lawmakers written by Dolores Bentolila and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2017-04-05 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyses how arbitrators make rules that guide, constrain, and define the process and substance of international arbitration. Providing a thorough and multidisciplinary analysis of the actors, process, and outcome of arbitral lawmaking, the study shows how arbitrators create principles of law through consistent arbitral decision-making and through interacting with other members of the arbitral community. This book investigates and responds to the following questions: - What is the relationship between international arbitration and the law and courts of the seat? - What is the role of international tribunals in assisting and controlling investment arbitration? - What is the scope of arbitrators’ freedom in decision-making? - What constraints limit arbitrators’ decision-making and contribute to consistency? - Is international arbitration capable of paying deference to past arbitral decisions? - Which rules have arbitrators created in procedural and substantive matters? - What is the role and status of consistent arbitral decisions? - Is there an arbitral legal system? The answers to these questions are drawn from actual arbitral decisions made available to the public, clarifying important issues about jurisdiction, procedure, applicable law, interpretation of substantive rules and instruments, and remedies. This is the first overarching study of whether and to what extent international commercial, and investment arbitrators create norms and even generate a legal system. As such, it will be of immeasurable and lasting value to arbitrators, practitioners, scholars, arbitral institutions, and international organizations worldwide, for all of whom it will not only clarify our understanding of arbitral decision-making and arbitrator-made rules, but also foster transparency and accountability in arbitral decision-making

Download or read book Complex Arbitrations written by Bernard Hanotiau and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2020-07-10 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complex Arbitrations: Multi-party, Multi-contract and Multi-issue A Comparative Study Second Edition Bernard Hanotiau Arbitrations involving more than two parties and complex multi-contractual issues are becoming more and more prevalent every year in every major jurisdiction worldwide. This fully updated, extensively revised edition of a far-seeing 2006 book that has been greatly valued and widely used remains the only comprehensive analysis of all the issues arising from multi-party–multi-contract arbitrations, including those involving States and groups of companies. The numerous factors and problems analysed in depth include the following: theories on the basis of which various courts and tribunals determine who are parties to the arbitration clause and whether a non-signatory may be part of the proceedings; to what extent one can bring to a single arbitration proceeding the various parties who have participated in a single economic transaction through several contracts; reasoning to follow when it comes to deciding whether another company of the group can be joined to the arbitration; whether a party to a complex contractual structure can intervene voluntarily in the proceedings; under what conditions arbitrations may be consolidated; to what extent res judicata applies when a second arbitration is initiated between the same parties on different legal grounds; how and to what extent one can overcome the inconveniences that arise from having several parallel proceedings; and enforcement of multi-party–multi-contract awards. Features of particular value to the practitioner include in-depth analysis of ad hoc and institutional awards rendered under the auspices of numerous arbitral institutions; analysis of relevant national case law based on hundreds of court decisions from all over the world; and appendices specifying multi-party–multi-contract arbitration clauses, provisions of international conventions and relevant national legislative and institutional rules. The first edition has been used all over the world, frequently referred to by courts and tribunals when one of its topics is addressed. The second edition, with its increased volume of arbitral awards and cases from many more jurisdictions, its new scenarios, its updates on new legislation and rules, and its newly researched jurisprudence will help lawyers and corporate counsel solve the increasingly complex procedural issues confronting them in dealing with multi-party–multi-contract disputes. Law professors and students of dispute resolution have here a powerfully authoritative consideration of one of the most salient aspects of current international practice.

Download or read book Twilight Issues in International Arbitration written by George Bermann and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2023-03-09 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many issues of arbitral practice that remain largely unaddressed, or very poorly addressed, in the sources to which tribunals and counsel conventionally turn for procedural guidance: the arbitration agreement, the lex arbitri and rules of procedure. This book brings together the most frequently recurring of such “twilight” issues—so-called because all participants in the arbitral process, when facing them, find themselves “in the dark”—showing in each case where it is best for arbitrators, counsel, and parties to look for solutions offering logic, certainty and predictability. The issues ably covered by the author include, among others, the following: Is a non-signatory bound by or entitled to invoke an arbitration agreement? When may res judicata or collateral estoppel subject? Should a tribunal issue an anti-suit injunction? When may a tribunal treat as mandatory a law other than the chosen one? On what basis may a witness invoke testimonial privilege? When may a tribunal sanction counsel for what it considers misconduct? By what standards is a determination of corruption to be made? How should a tribunal determine the interest rate applicable to an award? On what basis are costs to be allocated? Examining in turn the guidance that may be provided by normative sources—national law (and if so, which one?), simple exercise of good judgment, or “international standards” derived from soft law, arbitral jurisprudence, international law, and scholarly and professional commentary—the analysis clearly shows how, when conventional sources of legal guidance are unavailing, decisions on important matters of arbitral practice and procedure are best made. The book will prove of major relevance and value to any and all stakeholders in the international arbitral process, whether commercial or investor-state.

Download or read book Contractual Performance and COVID 19 written by Franz Schwarz and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2021-11-25 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll, contractual parties have frequently faced significant obstacles in performing their contractual obligations due to unexpected impediments arising from the pandemic and government measures taken in response. This indispensable book – the most comprehensive comparative examination of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on contractual performance – discusses the legal provisions and doctrines available to address these issues. The book examines under what circumstances COVID-19-related impediments may excuse contractual performance or lead to modification or termination of the affected contractual obligations in twelve representative civil and common law jurisdictions – the United States, England and Wales, Singapore, Brazil, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, China, and Russia. For each country, the book examines the following aspects in depth: the relevant fundamental legal principles; the various legal emergency valves available to an obligor to respond to COVID-19-related events; any remedies available to the obligee; selected examples for specific government measures related to particular types of contracts (e.g., construction, employment, lease agreements); and how the legal framework applies in typical factual scenarios. As further legal and factual developments occur, and with further jurisdictions being added, this publication will continue to be updated both online and in print. The book provides a detailed explanation under what conditions the emergency valves specific to each jurisdiction may apply. It cuts through the seeming complexity of the various legal rules and doctrines in these jurisdictions and shows that they often produce similar results in practice. The book thus opens up a wealth of insights for businesses, practitioners, and academics around the globe by providing an easily accessible analytical framework across key jurisdictions and typical factual scenarios. ‘Definitely mandatory reading for practitioners and academics alike!’ –Klaus Peter Berger, University of Cologne ‘Everyone who has had or is likely to have a brush with a COVID-19-induced legal issue would be well advised to keep this book within arm’s reach.’ – Davinder Singh, Davinder Singh Chambers LLC, Singapore ‘The “holy book” for all those lawyers whose clients become ensnared in the rising attempts to fix legal liability midst the rampant COVID-19.’ – Charles Brower, Twenty Essex, London

Download or read book Environmental Interests in Investment Arbitration written by Flavia Marisi and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2020-01-24 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental Interests in Investment Arbitration Challenges and Directions Flavia Marisi Economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection stand at the core of sustainable development, which aims to deliver long-term growth for current and future generations. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) can play a key role in sustainable development. Host states’ benefits descending from FDI inflows include tax revenues, technology transfer, specialised training of local human resources, network with satellite activities, better availability of quality products and customer-centric services. These downstream effects jointly stimulate economic growth and social inclusion. This thoroughly researched book explores the relationship between environmental protection – the third component of sustainable development – and FDI. In practice, the intersection between environmental protection and foreign investment not only has generated remarkable success stories such as cross-sectoral green investment but has also in some instances led to severe cases of environmental degradation. Certain foreign investments resulted in open-pit mines leaking harmful substances into the soil, excessive deforestation, improper treatment of water, pollution of groundwater and contamination of mud pits following oil exploitation, leaving the host state with significant environmental damage. Some other cases have witnessed the host state withdrawing or infringing its own environmental policies, which could, in principle, lead to a decrease in the value of the foreign investment as a result of natural resources deterioration. In recent years, an increasing number of investment arbitration cases have seen a clash between the states’ commitments towards their citizens, which include the duty to protect the environment, their health and well-being, and the commitment towards foreign investors to protect their investments. In this book, the author focuses on investor-state cases in which environmental protection measures have been contested and discusses substantive mechanisms in treaty drafting, rules of Customary International Law, and interpretation doctrines, which are aimed at taking environmental concerns into consideration. The topics covered include the following: statistical analysis of investor-state cases where environmental protection measures have been contested; the role of environmental principles in investor-state arbitration; treaty mechanisms addressing environmental concerns; legal tools available under Customary International Law to address environmental interests; the application of the doctrines of proportionality, police powers, and margin of appreciation; and environmental counterclaims as an instrument to claim compensation for environmental damage. The author provides a detailed framework on the normative architecture, offers an extensive analysis of the relevant case law, and proposes concrete solutions to the identified clashes, aimed at refining the balance between environmental and investment protection. With its in-depth analysis and careful documentation, this book aptly captures the inherent fragmentation of international law and undoubtedly represents an invaluable resource for both international law practitioners and scholars. The solution-oriented approach adopted in the book will be welcomed by legal counsel, law firms, investment treaty negotiators, and decision makers at the different stages of investment lawmaking and practice, as well as by international institutions and academics.