In Kabab-Ji SAL (Lebanon) v Kout Food Group (Kuwait) [CA Paris, 23 June 2020, n°17/22943], the Paris Court of Appeal refused to set aside an arbitral award handed down by an ICC Tribunal seated in Paris, although the same award had been denied enforcement and recognition in England on the basis that the award was … Read more

In the recent case of Fimbank PLC v KCH Shipping Co Ltd [2020] EWHC 1765 (Comm), the High Court (the “Court”) refused to grant an extension of time under either s12(3)(a) or s12(3)(b) Arbitration Act 1996 (the “Act”) for FIMbank PLC (“Fimbank”) to pursue a claim in arbitration against KCH Shipping Co Ltd (“KCH”). Read more

Introduction In a decision dated 6 February 2020 (“Decision”), the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, “BGH”) confirmed the long-standing pro-arbitration friendly case law of German courts that the threshold of a valid arbitration agreement is low (BGH, 6.2.2020, I ZB 44/19). In this case it was held that the parties’ intentions to arbitrate could … Read more

In a recent decision (available on an anonymised basis here), the English High Court (the “Court”) considered a claimant (“C”)’s claim for its costs of an application under section 24 (“s24”) of the Arbitration Act 1996 (the “Arbitration Act”) for the removal of an arbitrator (“X”) from LCIA arbitration proceedings (the “LCIA Arbitration”). X had … Read more

In a judgment handed down by the English High Court last month (A v B [2020] EWHC 952 (Comm)), the court delivered a stern warning to claimants considering the enforcement of an arbitration award which fails to establish a clear “right to payment”. The judgment also serves as a timely reminder that an application for … Read more

In Petrochemical Logistics Limited, Mr Axel Krueger v PSB Alpha AG, Mr Konstantinos Ghertsos [2020] EWHC 975 (Comm) the English High Court considered whether it would be “just and convenient” to maintain two freezing injunctions against the Defendants in support of a London-seated LCIA arbitration. The court declined to continue either injunction, finding insufficient connection with … Read more

In an example of an interaction between intellectual property (“IP”) claims and arbitration, the English High Court granted a conditional stay of the claimants’ IP claim pursuant to s9 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (the “Act”) and its inherent case management jurisdiction. In AJA Registrars Ltd and another company v AJA Europe Ltd [2020] EWHC … Read more

In a judgment issued on 25 February 2020, the Paris Court of Appeal (the “Court”) refused to set aside an ICC award, dismissing all four grounds of annulment on which the claimant relied (Cour d’appel de Paris, 25 February 2020, n° 17/18001). The judgment, which reiterates well-established principles of French arbitration law, is a helpful … Read more