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

14 November, 2019
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 EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S EVALUATION AND FITNESS CHECK ROADMAP: AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE EU-CENTRAL AMERICA ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

08 August, 2019
On 29 June 2012, the European Union and the six partner countries in Central America – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama – signed an Association Agreement (the EU-Central America Association Agreement) (the “Association Agreement“).  The purpose of this FTA was to develop trade and investment relations between parties. On 13 May … Read more

ICJ determines first ever compensation claim for environmental harm

13 April, 2018
On 2 February 2018, the International Court of Justice (the “ICJ” or the “Court”) delivered judgment in the case concerning Certain Activities Carried Out by Nicaragua in the Border Area (Costa Rica v Nicaragua), determining the amount of compensation due to Costa Rica for environmental harm caused by Nicaragua’s activities in the northern part of … Read more

TPP deal reached: investment arbitration survives

05 October, 2015
After a lengthy final period of negotiation in Atlanta, it has been announced that the TPP, the world’s largest mega-regional trade and investment deal, has been agreed. The investment chapter is not yet available but is briefly summarised on USTR’s website here. As anticipated, the TPP includes substantive investment protections found in many investment agreements, … Read more

Proposed changes to the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 – Government response to consultation

19 July, 2012
Following a somewhat leisurely consultation process, the Government has this week published a response to its consultation on changes to the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 (“MLR”) and an impact assessment of the proposed changes (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/fin_review_laundering_regs.htm).  The consultation follows a review of the operation of the MLR which was undertaken in 2009-10, and a consequential consultation … Read more