International Trade and Investment

Blackstone has considerable experience appearing in arbitrations for a range of arbitral bodies such as ICC, LCIA, SIAC, ICSID and UNCITRAL, as well as under ad hoc rules across a host of jurisdictions, including India, Bermuda, Cayman, the British Virgin Islands, Singapore etc. This practice relates most often to international investment disputes — with members appearing before investment tribunals and advising on the negotiation and drafting of treaties and contracts — and commercial arbitration and litigation. As well as appearing as counsel in arbitrations, several members of Chambers also sit as arbitrators. Those who do so often have judicial experience, including in the Hong Kong Appellate courts and the new commercial courts in Qatar (where Barbara Dohmann QC sits — the first European woman to do so). Our members have also published widely in this field.

Cases:

GMR v Republic of the Maldives

Arbitration under the Singapore Arbitration Act concerning the termination of a concession agreement governing the development and operation of the Maldives’ principal international airport. (Michael Bloch QC and Tom Cleaver)

Agility for Public Warehousing Co. KSC v Pakistan (ICSID case ARB/11/8)

Leading Pakistan defence team in investment arbitration under the auspices of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes: claim of approx. $500 million plus interest. (Maurice Mendelson QC)

Mr David Minnotte and Mr Robert Lewis v Republic of Poland (ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/10/1).

Sat as an arbitrator in case under the auspices of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. The case was brought under the Poland-USA bilateral investment treaty, and involved the manufacture of blood plasma products. (Maurice Mendelson QC)

U v I

Acting for the main Defendants in a very heavy and ongoing LCIA international arbitration concerning a Ukraine-based business that manufactures pumps for the international oil and gas market. The claims, valued at US$300M plus, involve issues of fraud, breach of contract and company law. (Alan Maclean QC)

Re Salford

Acting for the General Partner and certain Limited Partners in a BVI Limited Partnership. There are currently four different actions (some in Court, some arbitral) both in the UK and the BVI relating to the entitlement of those partners to share in the assets of that LP. One of these actions was heard in the Privy Council in June 2015. LCIA proceedings are fixed for a hearing commencing in September 2016. (Ian Mill QC with Tom Weisselberg QC & Tom Cleaver)

Erdenet Mining Corporation v Standard Bank Plc (Comm Court, 2014)

Claim on behalf of Mongolian corporation for declaratory relief under s72 of the Arbitration Act 1996, arising out of LCIA arbitration. Junior counsel for the claimant. (Robert Weekes)

Home Secretary v Raytheon

This $500m dispute was probably the most high profile arbitration to take place in the UK in the last 20 years. Acted for the major US defence contractor, Raytheon, whose contract with the UK Government was terminated shortly after the Coalition Government came to power (being the first such contract terminated by the Government as part of its Spending Review). (Andrew Green QC and Robert Weekes)