The Adaptation of Long-Term Gas Sale Agreements by Arbitrators

The Adaptation of Long-Term Gas Sale Agreements by Arbitrators
Author: Pietro Ferrario
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2017-04-15
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9041186166

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.

The Notion of Award in International Commercial Arbitration

The Notion of Award in International Commercial Arbitration
Author: Giacomo Marchisio
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2016-04-24
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9041183922

International commercial arbitration relies extensively on the possibility of enforcing arbitral decisions against recalcitrant parties. Because courts and arbitration laws across the world take contrasting approaches to the definition of awards, such enforcement can be problematic, especially in the context of awards by consent, and the recent development known as ‘emergency arbitration’. In this timely and ground-breaking book, a young arbitration scholar takes us through the difficulties of defining the notion of arbitral award with a rare combination of theoretical awareness and attention to the procedural requirements of arbitral practice. In a framework using a comparative analysis of common law and civil law jurisdictions (specifically, England and France) and how each has regulated in different ways the equilibria between state justice and arbitral justice – and comparing each with the UNCITRAL Model Law – the book addresses such issues as the following: - the ‘judicialization’ of arbitration; - different models of arbitral adjudication and their impact on the notion of award; - what an award needs to contain to be enforceable; - awards on competence; - awards by consent; and - awards ante causam. The author employs a methodology that views arbitration as providing an institution for administering justice rather than as a purely contractual creature. To this end, rules of arbitral institutions (particularly the International Chamber of Commerce) are examined closely for their implications on what an award means. As a fresh look at the arbitral award by placing it in a broader context than is usually found, this book allows for a greater understanding of the functioning of international commercial arbitration. It is sure to become an international reference, and as such will be welcomed by arbitrators, practitioners at global law firms, companies doing transnational business, interested academics, and international arbitration centres in emerging markets.

Substantive Law in Investment Treaty Arbitration

Substantive Law in Investment Treaty Arbitration
Author: Monique Sasson
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 435
Release: 2016-04-24
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9041161104

This new edition of what has rapidly become the pre-eminent work on the role of municipal law in investment treaty arbitration is justified not only by the accelerating appearance of investment treaty awards but also by the continuing, serious flaws in the application of international law by investment treaty arbitral tribunals. As a matter of international law, arbitrators need to be attentive to the circumstances where municipal law supplies the necessary substantive legal rule. They will find this book to be the best guide to this complex challenge. The author has maintained the overall structure of the first edition and added a new chapter on Article 42 of the ICSID Convention. Certain descriptions and arguments have been rethought and revised to clarify their significance and their applicability. The treatment focuses on the role of municipal law in providing the substance for concepts such as contracts, property rights, and shareholders’ rights, which are relevant in the international investment treaty context but are not regulated under international law. Among the complex questions considered are the following: - If the application of international law requires a renvoi to municipal law, how should that renvoi be conducted? - In investment disputes, what role, if any, should municipal law have in assessing State attribution under international law? - Should shareholders receive compensation for damages suffered by their company due to a violation of an international obligation vis-à-vis the company? - Does a contractual right exist to foreign investment ‘property’? - Under what conditions may a violation of municipal law become internationally wrongful? - May foreign investors rely on ‘expectations’ as an autonomous source of rights in investment treaty disputes? - Does an alleged breach of an umbrella clause transform a breach of contract claim covered by municipal law into an international law claim? The chapters answer these and many other questions in extraordinary depth, drawing on detailed analyses of the issues and implications posed by major relevant cases and arbitral decisions. The author’s analysis of the unavoidable interaction of municipal law and international law in investment treaty arbitration – and the consequences stemming from rejecting the application of municipal law when relevant – will continue to prove of immeasurable value to arbitrators, arbitration counsel, corporate counsel, and scholars of international law.

The Decision-Making Process of Investor-State Arbitration Tribunals

The Decision-Making Process of Investor-State Arbitration Tribunals
Author: Mary Mitsi
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2018-12-28
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9041196579

In the course of a single investor-state dispute, an arbitrator may make numerous decisions, from interpreting the treaty or national laws to taking into account case law, customs and policies. In practice, this process raises important issues regarding the consistency of decisions and the predictability and legitimacy of the decision-making process in general. Investment arbitration tribunals have developed a specialised process of legal decision making adapted to the interpretational needs that arise in the context of an investor-state dispute and to the transnational characteristics of the investment arbitration framework. This is the first book to offer an in-depth analysis of the transnational characteristics of investment arbitration and to analyse the interpretive arguments of investment tribunals and the way they use treaties, precedent, policies, general principles of law and customary law in their decision-making process. Drawing on publicly available arbitral case law supplemented with personal interviews with investment arbitrators, the author touches on such concepts and practices as the following: - an overview of various decision-making genres of arbitral tribunals: attitudinal, economic, strategic and legal; - the legal argumentation triptych of language–rhetoric–dialogue; - the specific language arbitrators have developed when interpreting the law; - how arbitrators use the concepts 'standards', 'rules', 'principles' and 'rights'; - the importance of the legal reasoning of arbitral awards and the role of rhetoric therein; - concepts of 'acceptability', 'audience' and 'legitimacy'; - limitations of the public international law interpretive methodology enshrined in the Vienna Convention; - interpretation of precedents, customary law, general principles of law and policies; - the way national and international legal orders interact in the context of interpretation; and - how decision-making is connected to the issues of predictability, consistency and the rule of law. The core of the book proposes a novel, full- edged dialogical network theory for analysing the interpretation process. As an exemplary demonstration of developing theory to keep up with practice, this unique book provides a deeply engaged means for enhancing the practice of international arbitration. Its introduction of a new field of interdisciplinary analysis employing legal argumentation theories is sure to provide inestimable guidance for institutions and policymakers, especially in light of recent proposals for the creation of a permanent investment arbitration court. Given that unveiling the legal decision-making process is critical for the well-being of the whole dispute resolution procedure, and that being aware of how arbitrators interpret the law can constitute a roadmap for counsel's arguments and approaches when dealing with cross-border disputes, the topic of this book is relevant for both academics and practitioners, and its signifcance can only grow as recourse to investor-state arbitration continues to expand.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution in the Oil and Gas Industry

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution in the Oil and Gas Industry
Author: Pereira, Eduardo G.
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 567
Release: 2022-08-23
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1786434652

The oil and gas industry’s wide international exposure and constantly changing landscape leave it particularly vulnerable to disputes. As this practical book demonstrates, the risks associated with disputes can be mitigated by parties utilising governing law and dispute resolution clauses in contractual agreements within the sector. Examining a global range of jurisdictions, the book offers clear guidance on the most appropriate choice of law and choice of dispute resolution forum for oil and gas contracts, analysing the key issues and defining the legal contours involved.

Finality in Litigation

Finality in Litigation
Author: Jacob B. van de Velden
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 463
Release: 2017-04-15
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9041183434

Ensuring finality in litigation (‘preclusion’) is a challenge. Res judicata and abuse of process are technical doctrines – traps for the unwary. The same doctrines can also be effective tools to avoid unnecessary or vexing duplicative proceedings or to determine how a case may affect the same or a related claim or issue in a subsequent case. This practitioner’s guide is a timely and comprehensive treatise on English law on the topic. It addresses the entire spectrum of preclusion issues arising in an English court: -the court functus officio – the finality of a judgment; -res judicata – merger of the cause of action, cause of action estoppel, and issue estoppel; -abuse of process – relitigation, Henderson v. Hendersonand collateral attack abuse; and -preclusion by foreign judgments. In a manner accessible to foreign lawyers, this book further offers a treatise of Dutch law that is of the same breadth and depth. It addresses all preclusion issues that may crop up in a Dutch court. Moreover, the cross-border context is considered – how domestic judgments fare abroad, how preclusion operates in the Brussels and Lugano regime, levels of preclusion set by European due process, and more. A contribution to conflicts theory, this book finally suggests improvements to the process of preclusion between jurisdictions, by clarifying the distinction between ‘recognition of’ foreign judgments and ‘preclusion by’ foreign judgments and by opening up a new field of choice of preclusion law. A first class work which will be of considerable interest to practitioners and scholars.’ –Lord Collins of Mapesbury former Justice of the UK Supreme Court and General Editor of Dicey and Morris on Conflict of Laws Jacob van de Velden practises international arbitration and litigation at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, a member of the Best Friends-network of law firms with Slaughter and May (UK), Bredin Prat (France), BonelliErede (Italy), Hengeler Mueller (Germany) and Uría Menéndez (Spain). He was a co-rapporteur for the International Law Association’s Committee on International Civil Litigation and a research fellow and director of the Private International Law programme at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Autonomous Versus Domestic Concepts under the New York Convention

Autonomous Versus Domestic Concepts under the New York Convention
Author: Franco Ferrari
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 559
Release: 2021-03-09
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9403531746

International Arbitration Law Library # 61 The 1958 New York Convention is universally acclaimed as one of the most important instruments on international commercial arbitration. Although the Convention ensures that contracting States cannot justify failure to comply with their treaty obligations by reference to domestic law, the courts of different contracting States apply the Convention differently. This diverging case law arises from uncertainty as to whether certain concepts employed in the Convention must be construed autonomously or in light of domestic law. This incomparable analysis of the New York Convention as an instrument of uniform law presents insightful contributions by some of the world’s most distinguished academics and practitioners in the field of arbitration and is sure to significantly contribute to arbitral practice and jurisprudence in the Convention’s more than 160 contracting States. With extensive reference to case law from major arbitration hubs, the contributors examine the Convention with the aim of identifying the boundaries between autonomous and domestic concepts. Key elements covered include the following: the role of private international law under the Convention; notions of arbitrability and arbitral award; procedures for the enforcement of awards; nullity, invalidity, and conflict of laws under Articles II(3) and V(1)(a); the incapacity defence under Article V(1)(a); deviations from procedure; autonomous boundaries as to what falls under the issue of scope; and public policy under the Convention. The first and only resource of its kind, this book provides an invaluable clarification of the extent to which the Convention leaves room for the application of domestic law and, if so, how to determine which particular domestic law may be applicable. It will be welcomed by counsel, judges, arbitrators, and academics throughout the States that have signed the New York Convention.

Attribution in International Investment Law

Attribution in International Investment Law
Author: Csaba Kovács
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 472
Release: 2018-08-20
Genre: Law
ISBN: 904119682X

The term ‘attribution’ refers to the means by which it is ascertained whether the State is involved in a dispute governed by international law. The notion of attribution is primarily used to determine if the State is responsible for the wrongful conduct of persons or entities with links to the State. In the context of international investment law, the exponentially growing arbitration jurisprudence arising from international investment agreements (IIAs), especially bilateral investment treaties (BITs), reflects the extent and risk of attribution determined in investment relationships that often involve State enterprises. This book, the first in-depth study of the uses of attribution in international investment law, provides a deeply informed analysis of the treatment of attribution in applicable legal instruments and investment arbitration jurisprudence worldwide. The analysis responds to such questions as the following: - When is a conduct attributable to the State for the purposes of its responsibility under international investment law? - What legal instruments govern the question of attribution under international investment law? - In what circumstances is the State the proper party to a contract entered into by a State-owned enterprise with an investor protected by an investment treaty? - How can State policymakers minimise their international law responsibility within the existing framework of attribution in international investment law? - How can investors maximise their protection within the existing framework of attribution in international investment law? Also covered are the procedural treatment of attribution by investment tribunals, explication of such broad-brush wordings as ‘elements of governmental authority’ and ‘under the direction or control’, and the impact of the rise of State-owned enterprises as investors. Ongoing and future trends in the jurisprudence are also taken into account. A one-stop reference on the question of attribution in international investment law, the analysis extracts identifiable commonalities among instruments and rulings, turning them into useful practice tools. This book will prove invaluable for practitioners advising States or investors in investment disputes. More generally, this book will be welcomed by arbitrators, in-house counsel for companies doing transnational business and international arbitration centres, as well as by academics in international arbitration.

The Legal, Real and Converged Interest in Declaratory Relief

The Legal, Real and Converged Interest in Declaratory Relief
Author: Beata Gessel-Kalinowska vel Kalisz
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 536
Release: 2019-05-16
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9403512458

Worldwide, in both litigation and arbitration, the term ‘declaration’ refers to both what is sought by the parties and what is granted by the judicial authority. In the latter case, it can be construed as a remedy known as ‘declaratory relief’, where the plaintiff seeks an authoritative judicial statement of the legal relationship. Although of enormous significance in dispute resolution, declaratory relief has not been analysed in detail until this deeply informed study. The book’s main focus is on declaratory relief relating to disputes resolved within the framework of international commercial arbitration and litigation. Focusing on the notion of ‘legal interest’ – which the author views as a serious limitation of access to justice – the book sets out to redefine the term in order to respond to the needs of modern legal dealing. Issues and topics such as the following are thoroughly considered: the concept of legal interest as a prerequisite to granting a declaration; circumstances under which relief based on a declaratory judgment may be granted; determination of a plaintiff’s ‘legal interest’ in having a legal relationship established by a judicial ruling; powers of the court or tribunal in various jurisdictions, emphasizing the contrast between ‘legal interest’ in Germanic law and ‘real interest’ in English law; combining a declaration with a coercive measure; role of the arbitration agreement and applicable arbitration law; and how arbitration can neutralize the strict notion of legal interest (‘converged interest’). Case law, including numerous previously unpublished arbitration awards, is fully taken into account. The final chapter elaborates a new interpretation of the declaratory relief concept, encompassing civil substantive and procedural law enriched by theory of justice, comparative analysis and statistical analysis. Apart from the foregoing analysis by the Author, the publication is supplemented with an annex, which presents expert reports by local practitioners on the relevant legal characteristics in Germanic civil law jurisdictions (Austria, Germany, Poland and Switzerland). Given that recent legal scholarship has been increasingly insistent that judicial practice should evolve towards broader use of declarations, particularly where interpretation of contractual stipulations is necessary, this book holds a crucial place in current theory and practice in both litigation and arbitration contexts. With its challenging redefinition of the legal interest concept, it promises to play an important role in formulation of relief in dispute resolution, particularly in international commercial arbitration. Lawyers and arbitrators will benefit from awareness of how other tribunals decide and how awards can be formulated, and arbitration institutions as well as academics in the field will welcome this deeply informative analysis.

New Frontiers in Asia-Pacific International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution

New Frontiers in Asia-Pacific International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
Author: Shahla Ali
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2020-12-10
Genre: Law
ISBN: 940352863X

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.