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International Arbitration
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May 20, 2024
Arbitrator In $14.9B Malaysia Case Can't Nix Contempt Ruling
Embattled arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa has lost an appeal challenging his conviction in Spain for contempt of court after he ordered Malaysia to pay $14.9 billion to the heirs of the last sultan of Sulu in an unusual, high-stakes arbitration stemming from a 19th-century land deal.
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May 20, 2024
Justices Turn Away Hospital Construction Feud
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a case that centers on a $180 million project to expand a Mississippi children's hospital, once again declining to resolve whether parties that agree to certain arbitral rules have also agreed to delegate jurisdictional questions to the arbitrator.
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May 20, 2024
Colombia's Objections Tossed In $10B Sunken Treasure Claim
An international tribunal has denied the Republic of Colombia's jurisdictional objections in a $10 billion arbitration stemming from a decades-old dispute over a sunken treasure of gold and jewels from an 18th-century shipwreck off the country's coast.
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May 20, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Delaware was full of drama last week, as proposed changes to the state's corporate law statutes raised eyebrows and a professor's friend-of-the-court brief sparked a very unfriendly public exchange. Delaware's court of equity banged the gavel on pipeline and social media disputes, and shareholders filed new suits alleging insider trading, vote bungling, unfair stock buybacks and merger shenanigans. In case you missed any of it, here's the recap of all the top news last week from Delaware's Chancery Court.
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May 20, 2024
Squire Patton Lands Ex-Polsinelli Latin America Head In Miami
The former head of Polsinelli PC's Latin America practice has joined Squire Patton Boggs LLP as a partner in its financial services practice in Miami after most recently practicing at his own boutique firm, the firm announced Monday.
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May 17, 2024
$440M Cruise Line Ruling Over Cuba Dock May Be In Jeopardy
An Eleventh Circuit panel appeared reluctant Friday to affirm a nearly half-billion-dollar judgment against four major cruise lines for "trafficking" in property seized by the communist Cuban government, as the underlying concession for a port facility in Havana expired in 2004.
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May 17, 2024
Fla. Investor Says Mining Co. Froze His Shares In Costly Error
An investor and former employee of a Canadian mining company alleged breach of fiduciary duty and negligence against the business, saying in a lawsuit in Florida federal court that he was wrongfully prevented from selling his shares and lost money when the stock price dropped following an unfavorable arbitration ruling.
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May 17, 2024
Glass Lewis, ISS Split On Chevron-Hess Deal Guidance
Hess Corp. shareholders got mixed advice from the two leading proxy advisory firms on whether to vote in favor of a $53 billion takeover by Chevron Corp., further muddling the oil and gas giants' path to closing the mega-deal amid an ongoing dispute with Exxon Mobil Corp.
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May 17, 2024
Sanctions Ruling Clarifies Force Majeure Contractual Rights
A decision by Britain's highest court that a shipowner could reject a client's attempt to sidestep payment restrictions imposed by U.S. sanctions has implications for disputes over force majeure clauses sparked by the effects of those measures, the war in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic on supply chains.
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May 16, 2024
Alberta Oil Marketing Co. Says Biden Ruined Keystone Deal
A Canadian oil-marketing company has formally accused President Joe Biden of destroying an energy infrastructure project deal with the province of Alberta by reversing course on the Keystone XL pipeline when he stepped into office, saying he has caused the company more than $1 billion in damages.
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May 16, 2024
High Court Decision Requiring A Stay Raises More Questions
The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision Thursday finding that federal courts must honor a request to stay a case after ordering the dispute into arbitration leaves an important subsequent question unresolved: What happens if neither party requests a stay?
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May 16, 2024
Russian Wealth Fund Fails To Curb EU Sanctions
The European Union's General Court has upheld sanctions against a Russian sovereign wealth fund, ruling it is the "archetypal" company for attracting international investors who sustain the country's war in Ukraine.
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May 16, 2024
Justices Say Courts Must Stay Suits Sent To Arbitration
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously concluded Thursday that federal courts do not have discretion to toss a case once it's decided that the claims belong in arbitration, ruling in a wage and overtime suit brought by delivery drivers against their employer.
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May 16, 2024
Lithuania PM Wants Frozen Russian Assets To Help Ukraine
Lithuania's prime minister said Thursday that Russia's frozen assets should be used to help Ukraine fight off aggression from its larger neighbor, saying that a recent European decision to use profits from frozen assets should be only a first step.
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May 15, 2024
Peru Ducks $154M Claim Over Seized Gold Shipments
Peru has fended off a Miami-based gold trader's $154 million claim accusing the country of unlawfully seizing its gold shipments, after an international tribunal ruled Tuesday that it lacked jurisdiction and that the trader should be on the hook for all costs in the proceeding.
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May 15, 2024
High Court Urged To Take Up Hospital Construction Feud
A pair of arbitration scholars are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to finally resolve whether parties that agree to certain arbitral rules have also agreed to delegate jurisdictional questions to the arbitrator, in a case that centers on a $180 million project to expand a Mississippi childrens' hospital.
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May 15, 2024
Family, Cos. Seek $440M Zimbabwe Award Enforcement
Two forestry and sawmill companies plus a family have asked the D.C. Circuit to enforce approximately $440 million of arbitral awards they won against the Republic of Zimbabwe, saying the court "plainly" has jurisdiction under the arbitration exception contained in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.
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May 15, 2024
Sanctions Give Shipper Force Majeure Escape From Contract
Britain's highest court ruled Wednesday that a shipowner should not be forced to vary the payment terms of a freight contract to overcome a potential force majeure event amid concerns about U.S. sanctions.
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May 14, 2024
Crystallex Special Master Fires Back Against Effort To DQ Him
The special master appointed to oversee the auction of Citgo's parent company to satisfy billions of dollars worth of Venezuelan debt bristled at the country's allegations that he improperly pressured the U.S. to change its sanctions policy to permit the sale to go through.
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May 14, 2024
Mexican Mine Labor Row Ruled Outside Trade Pact's Scope
An international tribunal formed under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement declined to examine if workers at a Mexican mine were denied collective bargaining rights, finding that much of the 17-year dispute had already been decided under now-defunct labor laws.
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May 14, 2024
Casino App User Can't Hide Arbitration Details, Chancery Says
A mobile app slot-machine player who lost an arbitration dispute with the game's operator may not keep the details of the arbitration award confidential in Delaware court filings, a Chancery Court vice chancellor said Tuesday, denying a request for ongoing confidential treatment.
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May 14, 2024
Insurer Files Another Suit Over Firm's Malpractice Coverage
After dropping a complaint in Washington federal court seeking a declaration that it does not have to indemnify Harris Sliwoski LLP for potential malpractice liability related to a $31 million judgment, Evanston Insurance Co. filed a similar action in New York on Tuesday.
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May 14, 2024
$330M Romania Award Must Be Enforced, DC Circ. Says
The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday refused to overturn a ruling enforcing a $330 million arbitral award against Romania based on a pair of decisions issued by Europe's highest court, saying a federal district judge was obligated under U.S. law to enforce the award.
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May 13, 2024
Deepfakes Could Be Arbitration's Next Gen AI Shake-Up
In a high-stakes arbitration, lawyers for one of the companies present what they say is surveillance video of a bribe being accepted by its opponent's president. They argue the video presents incontrovertible evidence that the case should be decided in their client's favor — and a tribunal might be inclined to agree. But what if it turns out that the video is a fake, generated by artificial intelligence?
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May 13, 2024
Construction Co. Says Guatemala Can't Exit $31M Award Suit
A construction and engineering firm has asked a D.C. federal court not to toss its litigation to enforce $31 million in arbitral awards against Guatemala that arose from unpaid public works contracts, saying local courts already denied the country's claim the awards violate domestic law.
Expert Analysis
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape
The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.
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UK Compulsory Mediation Ruling Still Leaves Courts Leeway
An English Court of Appeal recently issued a landmark decision in Churchill v. Merthyr Tydfil County, stating that courts can compel parties to engage in alternative dispute resolution, but the decision does not dictate how courts should exercise this power, which litigants will likely welcome, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.
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Series
Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.
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Russia Ruling Shows UK's Robust Jurisdiction Approach
An English High Court's recent decision to grant an anti-suit injunction in the Russia-related dispute Renaissance Securities v. Chlodwig Enterprises clearly illustrates that obtaining an injunction will likely be more straightforward when the seat is in England compared to when it is abroad, say lawyers at Linklaters.
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Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct
The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.
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Opinion
Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave
To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.
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Series
Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.
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What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance
Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories
The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.
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Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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An Overview Of Circuit Courts' Interlocutory Motion Standards
The Federal Arbitration Act allows litigants to file an immediate appeal from an order declining to enforce an arbitration agreement, but the circuit courts differ on the specific requirements for the underlying order as well as which motion must be filed, as demonstrated in several 2023 decisions, says Kristen Mueller at Mueller Law.
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The State Of UK Litigation Funding After Therium Ruling
The recent English High Court decision in Therium v. Bugsby Property has provided a glimmer of hope for litigation funders about how courts will interpret this summer's U.K. Supreme Court ruling that called funding agreements impermissible, suggesting that its adverse effects may be mitigated, says Daniel Williams at DWF Law.
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The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms
In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.
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Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary
The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.
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Nix Of $11B Award Shows Limits Of Arbitral Process
A recent English High Court decision in Nigeria v. Process & Industrial Developments, overturning an arbitration award because it was obtained by fraud, is a reminder that arbitration decisions are ultimately still accountable to the courts, and that the relative simplicity of the arbitration rules is not necessarily always a benefit, say Robin Henry and Abbie Coleman at Collyer Bristow.