Alaco
Sovereign & States Disputes and Enforcement Summit 2025
Uniquely bringing the Sovereign Disputes and FIRE communities together
to address the latest in Sovereign & States Disputes and Enforcement.
In-person
29th & 30th January 2025 | The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London
Agenda
Networking & Registration
09.00
Chairperson's Opening Remarks
09:20
Jon Felce, Partner
Cooke, Young & Keidan (UK)
Baiju Vasani, Arbitrator and Barrister
Twenty Essex
Keynote Address - Intelligence in Global Relations
09:30
Sir John Scarlett, Former Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service - Chairman of SC Strategy
SC Strategy
Around the World: Latest Disputes’ Developments From:
10:20
- Africa
- LATAM
- Asia
- Middle East
Tuvan Yalim, Partner
Kabine Law
Dr. Abayomi Okubote, Executive Director
Africa Arbitration Academy
Networking & Refreshment Break
11:10
Criminal Proceedings and Arbitration Involving Sovereigns
11:40
- Addressing arbitration claims based on criminal allegations
- Managing evidence issues where there are parallel criminal investigations
- Interim injunctions in arbitrations involving States related to criminal proceedings / Interpol notices / extradition applications
Hector Sbert, Partner
ECIJA (Spain)
Arif Ali, Partner
Dechert
Yves Klein, Partner
Monfrini Bitton Klein (Switzerland)
Fabio Trevisan , Partner
BSP (Luxembourg)
Intra-EU investment treaty arbitration – where do we stand? A global review.
12:30
- Updates from key enforcement jurisdictions: England, United States, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland
- Interrelationship with State aid investigations
- Anti-intra-EU arbitration injunctions
Sylvia Tonova, Partner
Jones Day (UK)
Anya George, Partner
Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd (Switzerland)
Trevor Withane, Partner
Ironbridge Legal (Australia)
Networking & Lunch Break
13:20
Enforcement of Non-Commercial Judgements and Awards
14:20
- Charging Orders against Nigeria
- Domestic US Judgements Against Cuba
- Rights of Companies in Sovereign States Judgements
Steven Perles, Founder
Perles Law Firm
Piers Plumptre, Partner
Gibson Dunn
Linda M. Plumpton, Partner
Torys
Networking & Refreshment Break
15:20
Discussing Issues in Adjudicative Immunity
15:50
- The position in relation to ICSID awards: Border Timbers v Zimbabwe
- Mozambique Nyusi Case
- Infrastructure Services v Spain
Cathalijne van der Plas, Partner
JahaeRaymakers (The Netherlands)
Simon Bushell, Senior Partner
Seladore Legal
Whose Entity Is It Anyway? States and State-Owned Entities and Assets
16:40
- RAK Investment Authority v Azima
- Competition to Seize Assets in Recovery
- Auctioning State Assets and PDVSA Delaware
Jean-Sébastien Bazille, Partner
Gide Loyrette Nouel
Samantha J. Rowe, Partner
Debevoise & Plimpton (UK)
Maria Fogdestam Agius, Partner
Westerberg & Partners
Networking Drinks Reception - Hosted by JS Held & Twenty Essex
17:30
Networking & Registration
09:00
Chairperson's Welcome Back Remarks
09:20
Nikos Asimakopoulos, Director - Disputes
Alaco (UK)
Naomi Briercliffe, Partner
Squire Patton Boggs
Emmanuel Kaspereit, Partner
Archipel (France)
Keynote Address
09:30
Thomas Eymond-Laritaz, Founder & CEO
Highgate
Looking to the future of Investor-State Dispute Settlement
10:20
- Status of the UNCITRAL Working Group III Discussions
- The Future of the Energy Charter Treaty
- Investment treaty arbitration from a South-South perspective
Steven Finizio, Partner
Wilmer Hale
Andrea Menaker, Partner
White & Case
James Castello, Partner
King & Spalding
Networking & Refreshment Break
11:10
Plundering the State’s Coffers – Recent Successful (and Unsuccessful) Attempts at Enforcement
11:40
- Obtaining Injunctions Against States
- Commercial use exception
- Latest developments in the Congo, Nigeria, Yukos, and PDVSA
Lútsen de Vries, Partner
Staunch Law
Jagdish J. Menezes, Of Counsel
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
Richard Clarke, Partner
Kobre & Kim (Dubai)
Sebastian Neave, Managing Director
JS Held
Sovereign Arbitrations Arising Out of Russia Ukraine Conflict
12:30
- Update on and issues in cases being brought by:
- Ukrainian investors against Russia
- Non-Ukrainian foreign investors against Russia
- Russian investors against Ukraine
- Russian investors against other States
- Battle of the anti- and anti-anti-suit injunctions
- Potential hurdles to enforcement
Professor Martins Paparinskis, Professor of Public International Law
University College London
Anne Hoffmann, Independent Arbitrator
Hoffmann Arbitration
Catriona Paterson, Partner
Omnia Strategy LLP
Professor Antonios Tzanakopoulos, Professor of Public International Law
University of Oxford
Networking & Lunch Break
13:20
The Other Side: Exploring the State’s Perspective
14:20
- Redistribution of Monies Recovered
- Efforts by States to Recover Embezzled Assets Abroad
- The State as Counterclaimants Abroad
Elena Fedorova, Lawyer - Of Counsel
Bonifassi Avocats (France)
The Honourable Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, Attorney General
The Republic of Malawi
Analia Gonzalez, Partner
Baker Hostetler
Networking & Refreshment Break
15:20
Monetising Awards and Judgements Involving States
15:50
- Money Issues Regarding Enforcement
- Navigating Bilateral Agreements during Enforcement
- Role of Experts in Monetising Awards
Peter Griffin, Director
Slaney Advisors
Steven Rajavinothan, Head of ATE & Associate Director, Contingent & Litigation Risk
VALE Insurance
Javier Garcia Olmedo, Senior Counsel
BSP (Luxembourg)
Yasmin Mohammad, Director
Fortress Investment Group (France)
Obtaining Evidence in Sovereign & States Disputes
16:40
- Navigating the Provision of Sensitive State Documents
- Identifying Privileged Information and Material
- Meeting Standards for Evidence Qualification
Emma Ruane, Partner
Peters & Peters
Michael-James Currie, Director
Primerio
Chairperson's Closing Remarks
17:30
Jon Felce - Partner - Cooke, Young & Keidan (UK)
Baiju Vasani - Arbitrator and Barrister - Twenty Essex
Sir John Scarlett - Former Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service - Chairman of SC Strategy - SC Strategy
- Africa
- LATAM
- Asia
- Middle East
Dr. Abayomi Okubote - Executive Director - Africa Arbitration Academy
- Addressing arbitration claims based on criminal allegations
- Managing evidence issues where there are parallel criminal investigations
- Interim injunctions in arbitrations involving States related to criminal proceedings / Interpol notices / extradition applications
Arif Ali - Partner - Dechert
Yves Klein - Partner - Monfrini Bitton Klein (Switzerland)
Fabio Trevisan - Partner - BSP (Luxembourg)
- Updates from key enforcement jurisdictions: England, United States, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland
- Interrelationship with State aid investigations
- Anti-intra-EU arbitration injunctions
Anya George - Partner - Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd (Switzerland)
Trevor Withane - Partner - Ironbridge Legal (Australia)
- Charging Orders against Nigeria
- Domestic US Judgements Against Cuba
- Rights of Companies in Sovereign States Judgements
Piers Plumptre - Partner - Gibson Dunn
Linda M. Plumpton - Partner - Torys
- The position in relation to ICSID awards: Border Timbers v Zimbabwe
- Mozambique Nyusi Case
- Infrastructure Services v Spain
Simon Bushell - Senior Partner - Seladore Legal
- RAK Investment Authority v Azima
- Competition to Seize Assets in Recovery
- Auctioning State Assets and PDVSA Delaware
Samantha J. Rowe - Partner - Debevoise & Plimpton (UK)
Maria Fogdestam Agius - Partner - Westerberg & Partners
Nikos Asimakopoulos - Director - Disputes - Alaco (UK)
Naomi Briercliffe - Partner - Squire Patton Boggs
Emmanuel Kaspereit - Partner - Archipel (France)
- Status of the UNCITRAL Working Group III Discussions
- The Future of the Energy Charter Treaty
- Investment treaty arbitration from a South-South perspective
Andrea Menaker - Partner - White & Case
James Castello - Partner - King & Spalding
- Obtaining Injunctions Against States
- Commercial use exception
- Latest developments in the Congo, Nigeria, Yukos, and PDVSA
Jagdish J. Menezes - Of Counsel - Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
Richard Clarke - Partner - Kobre & Kim (Dubai)
Sebastian Neave - Managing Director - JS Held
- Update on and issues in cases being brought by:
- Ukrainian investors against Russia
- Non-Ukrainian foreign investors against Russia
- Russian investors against Ukraine
- Russian investors against other States
- Battle of the anti- and anti-anti-suit injunctions
- Potential hurdles to enforcement
Anne Hoffmann - Independent Arbitrator - Hoffmann Arbitration
Catriona Paterson - Partner - Omnia Strategy LLP
Professor Antonios Tzanakopoulos - Professor of Public International Law - University of Oxford
- Redistribution of Monies Recovered
- Efforts by States to Recover Embezzled Assets Abroad
- The State as Counterclaimants Abroad
The Honourable Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda - Attorney General - The Republic of Malawi
Analia Gonzalez - Partner - Baker Hostetler
- Money Issues Regarding Enforcement
- Navigating Bilateral Agreements during Enforcement
- Role of Experts in Monetising Awards
Steven Rajavinothan - Head of ATE & Associate Director, Contingent & Litigation Risk - VALE Insurance
Javier Garcia Olmedo - Senior Counsel - BSP (Luxembourg)
Yasmin Mohammad - Director - Fortress Investment Group (France)
- Navigating the Provision of Sensitive State Documents
- Identifying Privileged Information and Material
- Meeting Standards for Evidence Qualification
Michael-James Currie - Director - Primerio
Event Partners
Drinks Partner
Knowledge Partner
Contact Us
Speaker Queries
For Speaker Queries enquiries please contact Danushka on +44 (0)20 3580 5891 or email danushka@thoughtleaders4.com
Partnerships
For Partnerships enquiries please contact Ben Jobson on +44 (0)20 3059 9525 or email ben.jobson@thoughtleaders4.com