Blog

Welcome to my blog—where I focus on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) within the wider framework of international arbitration and commercial law.

Here you’ll find plain-spoken takes on the latest ISDS awards, shifts in treaty wording and interpretation, and the legal twists that steer global business and investment. When it helps put things in context, I’ll dip into related corners of public international law too.

The goal is to make complex issues understandable, without losing sight of how these rules play out in the real world.

Recent Posts

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  When Coal Meets Clause: The AET Arbitration That Could Rewire Energy Policy in Europe
  June 20, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 8 minutes
  

  A deep dive into Azienda Elettrica Ticinese v Germany, a landmark arbitration over Germany’s coal phase-out and what it means for climate-conscious investment protection.

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  When a Gold Mine Turns Political: What Barrick v. Mali Tells Us About the Fragile Balance Between Sovereignty and Investor Rights
  June 17, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 7 minutes
  

  Mali’s dramatic seizure of Barrick’s gold mine forces a reckoning between investor protections and sovereign authority—raising timeless questions at the crossroads of law, politics, and power.

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  Between Rocks and Rights: AVZ v. DR Congo and the Future of Critical Minerals Arbitration
  June 01, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
  

  AVZ Minerals’ battle with the DRC over the Manono lithium project is more than a contract dispute—it's a case study in arbitration, power, and the shifting politics of the energy transition.

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  Kuntur Wasi & Corporación América v. Republic of Peru: When Silence Costs $91 Million
  May 23, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
  

  Ontario’s quiet recognition of a US$91 million ICSID award against Peru highlights how treaty enforcement unfolds when a state doesn’t show up—and why it matters.

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  When Contracts Collide with Conflict: The $2.8 Billion Arbitration That Could Reshape Sanctions Law
  May 10, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 7 minutes
  

  This high-stakes case pits Russia’s state-owned nuclear firm against Finnish corporates — and tests whether force majeure holds under the weight of EU sanctions.

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  Of Puffins and Proportionality: How a Tiny Fish Stirred the First Brexit Legal Storm
  May 04, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 7 minutes
  

  When the UK banned sand-eel fishing to save puffins, it set off the first legal clash under the Brexit trade deal. But the case ended up being about far more than fish...

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  When a $20 Billion Arbitration Becomes a Diplomatic Tool: La historia de Cobre Panamá
  April 02, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 6 minutes
  

  When First Quantum Minerals withdrew its $20 billion ICC claim against Panama in 2025, it didn’t just end a legal battle—it reframed it. This post unpacks the deeper legal, political, and human dynamics at play.

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  When the Gavel Falls on Sovereigns: What the Mammoet Case Teaches Us About Arbitration, Immunity, and the Limits of Power
  March 20, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
  

  The Amsterdam Court of Appeal’s ruling in Mammoet v BOC is a reminder that state-linked debtors are not immune from arbitral enforcement—at least not when acting commercially.

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  When War Meets Contract: ČEZ’s Quiet Victory Over Gazprom, and Why It Matters
  March 03, 2025 — 📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
  

  ČEZ’s arbitration win against Gazprom wasn’t just about $42 million—it was a test of contract law under geopolitical stress. Here's what the ruling says about force majeure, accountability, and how courts think when chaos hits.

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  Telefónica v. Colombia: A $380 Million Reminder That BITs Still Bite
  November 18, 2024 — 📖 Reading time: 6 minutes
  

  A $380 million ICSID award in favour of Telefónica offers a moment to pause and reflect on investor protections, regulatory surprises, and why treaty language still matters.

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  The Long Arm of Arbitration: What Corporación AIC v. Hidroeléctrica Santa Rita Tells Us About U.S. Deference, FCPA Friction, and Why Miami Matters in International Arbitration
  October 20, 2024 — 📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
  

  When a Guatemalan hydroelectric dispute landed in a Miami-seated ICC arbitration, U.S. courts stood firm on deferential review. The Eleventh Circuit’s October 2024 decision offers lessons on bonds, bribery, and the quiet power of place.

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  What Happens When a Country Seizes Your Business? Smurfit Westrock and the Long Road to Justice
  September 01, 2024 — 📖 Reading time: 6 minutes
  

  Smurfit Westrock won a half-billion-dollar ICSID award after Venezuela seized its assets in 2018. But winning isn't the same as getting paid.