International Investment Law (Burke-White/Born)
Meeting Times/Location
TR 3:00PM - 4:20PM
Gittis Hall 213
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
3.0
Foreign direct investment powers much of the global economy, with more than USD$ 1.3 trillion in global FDI flows in 2023. Over the past decades international law has come to provide sweeping protections for foreign investors through thousands of bilateral investment treaties and an investor-state arbitration system. States granted these protections to foreign investors in an effort to attract foreign direct investment and promote economic development. Despite the growing importance of foreign investment law in investment choices and the structures of investment deals, the international investment law system is today subject to significant controversy. New international agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, include investment chapters and are hotly debated in the US and Europe today. The new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) alters the protections available to foreign investors in significant ways. States have raised concerns that the protections given to foreign investors may limit their ability to regulate in the public interest. Many NGOs argue that foreign investment protection impairs human rights, environmental protection, and labor rights.
This course provides an introduction to international investment law and arbitration from the perspectives of both public international law and the legal practice of international arbitration. The course explores the protections international law provides to foreign investments; the relationship between those international protections and both investment contracts and applicable domestic law; the means of recourse available to foreign investors when their legal interest are harmed; and the practice of international arbitration itself. While the course will combine theory and practice, particular attention will be paid to the changing substantive protections accorded to foreign investment, the impact of investor-state arbitration on both the behavior of states and the international legal system as a whole, and the ways in which arbitration practitioners approach investment dispute settlement.
The course begins with an introduction to international investment law, including the substantive protections provided to foreign investors under international law, the rapid growth of bilateral investment treaties, the goals and purposes of investor-state arbitration, and the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The course then explores international investment arbitration as a sub-set of the general practice of international arbitration, considering both the unique aspects of investment litigation and the parallels between investment arbitration and other forms of transnational dispute settlement. The course then turns to select topics and issues in international investment arbitration, including: the creation and substance of bilateral investment treaties, state compliance with investment tribunal awards, the interplay of investor-state arbitration and domestic litigation, enforcement of ICSID awards, recent attempts to bring class action arbitrations, the enforcement of bond debt through investor-state arbitration, the role and independence of arbitrators, present challenges to the ICSID system, and the recent state backlash against investor-state arbitration.
The course will offer a balance between theory and practice, drawing on both instructors expertise as well as the experience of several guest speakers actively working in the field. William Burke-White brings particular expertise in the theoretical questions raised by international investment law and the place of investment law in the broader context of international law. Gary Born, the Chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group at WilmerHale is widely regarded as the world’s preeminent authority on international commercial arbitration and transnational litigation. No prior knowledge of international law is expected. Students from outside the Law School are welcome.
Business and Corporate Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of business and corporate law; Perform legal analysis in the context of business and corporate law; Communicate effectively on topics related to business and corporate law; Demonstrate an understanding of the interconnection between the world of business and finance and that of business and corporate law, and how they affect other areas of law and society.
International and Comparative Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of international and comparative law, both substantively and procedurally; Perform legal analysis in the context of international and comparative law; Communicate effectively on topics related to international and comparative law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role of international and comparative law, and their interconnection with domestic law.
Courts and the Judicial System Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of both substantive and procedural issues in the operation of our legal system; Perform legal analysis in the context of procedural issues and the judicial process; Communicate effectively on topics related to procedure and the judicial process; Demonstrate an understanding of how procedural issues and the judicial process affect all other area of our legal system.
International Corporate and Trade Law
Environmental Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of environmental law; Perform legal analysis in the context of environmental law; Communicate effectively on topics related to environmental law; Demonstrate an understanding of how environmental law affects other areas of law.
Administrative and Regulatory Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of administrative and regulatory law and the administrative process, including the role of statutory authorization and work of administrative agencies; Perform legal analysis in the context of administrative and regulatory law; Communicate effectively on topics related to administrative and regulatory law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role administrative and regulatory law play in our legal system and in society as a whole.
Textbooks
"International Investment Law and Arbitration: Commentary, Awards and other Materials" by C.L. Lim, Jean Ho and Martins Paparinskis |