ENGLISH COMMERCIAL COURT DETERMINES THAT A STATE-OWNED AIRLINE IS NOT ENTITLED TO BE SERVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE IMMUNITY ACT

In AELF MSN 242, LLC (a Puerto Rico limited liability company) v De Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. D.B.A. Surinam Airways [2022] EWHC 544 (Comm), the English Commercial Court (the “Court“) considered whether the national flag carrier of Suriname (“SLM“) was entitled to be served with proceedings in accordance with s12(1) of the State Immunity Act … Read more

SPANISH COURT DECISION FOLLOWING END OF SUSPENSION OF THE US HELMS-BURTON ACT: JURISDICTION DECLINED IN CLAIM CONCERNING ASSETS NATIONALIZED BY CUBA

The decision recently delivered in the case Central Santa Lucia L.C. v. Meliá Hotels International S.A., brought before the First Instance Court of Palma de Mallorca (the “Decision”), is one of the first rendered by a European court concerning confiscated property in Cuba after the end of suspension of Title III of the Libertad Act … Read more

THE ENGLISH COURT’S APPROACH TO SERVICE OF DOCUMENTS ON A STATE

London-based Partner Andrew Cannon and London-based Senior Associate Hannah Ambrose have authored an article for Lexis®PSL, discussing the English court’s approach to the service of documents on a state. The full article is presented here, and can also be accessed via our Arbitration blog. Read more

INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE LAW OF THE SEA PRESCRIBES PROVISIONAL MEASURES REQUIRING RUSSIA TO RELEASE THREE UKRAINIAN NAVAL VESSELS

Following an incident last November, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (“ITLOS”) has prescribed provisional measures requiring Russia to release three Ukrainian naval vessels. Background The November 2018 incident and institution of arbitration In late November 2018, the Russian coast guard arrested and detained three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait … Read more

International Court of Justice allows Iran claim to proceed to the merits phase but upholds jurisdictional objection on sovereign immunity

On 13 February 2019, the International Court of Justice dismissed one of the United States’ jurisdictional objections to a claim by Iran, upheld another and deferred a final jurisdictional objection to the merits phase in the case concerning Certain Iranian Assets (Iran v United States). The substantive claim, brought by Iran against the United States, … Read more

English Court of Appeal finds good arguable case that public policy exception applies to the foreign Act of State Doctrine allowing Ukraine to argue duress in claim under Eurobonds

In Ukraine v The Law Debenture Trust Corporation plc [2018] EWCA Civ 2026 the English Court of Appeal (the Court) partially upheld an appeal in favour of the state of Ukraine (Ukraine), reversing in part the summary judgment granted to The Law Debenture Trust Corporation plc (the Claimant) by the Commercial Court. The Claimant brought … Read more

State immunity: English court considers service of proceedings on a State in times of political unrest, and questions relating to enforcement of a foreign judgment against a State

In the recent decision of Certain Underwriters At Lloyds London v Syrian Arab Republic & Ors [2018] EWHC 385 (Comms) the English Commercial Court (the Court) considered the difficulties which may be encountered in trying to serve on a State. The Court also considered whether a state had submitted to the jurisdiction of a foreign … Read more

UK Supreme Court confirms the limited scope of state and diplomatic immunity from employment claims: Benkharbouche and Reyes

In two judgments handed down on 18 October 2017, the Supreme Court (the “Court”) has allowed certain employment claims made by foreign nationals employed as domestic workers at the embassies of foreign states and a diplomat’s residence to proceed despite claims of immunity. The judgments consider important aspects of state and diplomatic immunity, the differences … Read more