Recent Events

• ASIL Annual Meeting

  ASIL Annual Meeting: On 4 April 2024, Eileen Crowley moderated a panel discussing the ILC’s Draft Articles on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters, the current legal framework governing disasters, and the responsibilities of State actors and international organisations in managing their effects. For further details click here

• Promotions to partner at Fietta LLP – Fietta LLP is delighted to announce that Laura Rees-Evans and Oonagh Sands have been promoted to the firm’s partnership. Commenting on the development, Stephen Fietta KC said: “We are immensely proud and excited about the addition of Laura and Oonagh to the partnership at Fietta. They are each formidable practitioners and among the brightest rising stars in the global PIL community.” To read Global Arbitration Review’s coverage, click here.

  Promotions to partner at Fietta LLP – Fietta LLP is delighted to announce that Laura Rees-Evans and Oonagh Sands have been promoted to the firm’s partnership. Commenting on the development, Stephen Fietta KC said: “We are immensely proud and excited about the addition of Laura and Oonagh to the partnership at Fietta. They are each formidable practitioners and among the brightest rising stars in the global PIL community.” To read Global Arbitration Review’s coverage, click here.

• Conference on Enforcing Arbitral Awards against Sovereigns: Recent Trends in Law and Practice

  Conference on Enforcing Arbitral Awards against Sovereigns: Recent Trends in Law and Practice: On 10 January 2024, Laura Rees-Evans spoke at the Conference on Enforcing Arbitral Awards against Sovereigns, co-organised by the University of Luxembourg and Luxembourg Law Firm Bonn Steichen & Partners, on the topic of “The award and the right to property”.  For further details, please click here.

• Global Market Leaders 2024 – Chambers Global 2024 has recognised Fietta LLP in both public international law and international arbitration, ranked a tier higher for public international law. The team has been described as “very close-knit” and “exceptional”. Stephen Fietta KC is ranked as a global top-tier practitioner in public international law, clients commenting that “Stephen’s strategic acumen is second to none”. The Chambers Global firm profile can be viewed here: https://chambers.com/law-firm/fietta-llp-global-2:22888958.

  Global Market Leaders 2024 – Chambers Global 2024 has recognised Fietta LLP in both public international law and international arbitration, ranked a tier higher for public international law. The team has been described as “very close-knit” and “exceptional”. Stephen Fietta KC is ranked as a global top-tier practitioner in public international law, clients commenting that “Stephen’s strategic acumen is second to none”. The Chambers Global firm profile can be viewed here: https://chambers.com/law-firm/fietta-llp-global-2:22888958.

• Chambers UK 2024

  Chambers UK 2024 – Chambers UK 2024 has recognised Fietta LLP in both public international law and international arbitration, describing Fietta as ‘one of the elite firms’ again ranked in Band 1 in public international law. Stephen Fietta KC has been ranked a ‘Star Individual’ in public international law, while partner Jiries Saadeh and counsel Laura Rees-Evans are recognised as ‘Up and Coming’ in the field.  Partners Stephen Fietta and Jiries Saadeh have also been recognised in international arbitration. For more information on Fietta’s ranking in the Chambers UK 2024 guide, see here: https://chambers.com/law-firm/fietta-llp-uk-1:22888958.

• 30 Years of UNCLOS: Past, Present and Future

  30 Years of UNCLOS: Past, Present and Future: On 16 November 2023, Stephen Fietta KC was invited to address the “successes” of UNCLOS and recent ICJ and ITLOS jurisprudence concerning delimitation of the outer continental shelf at an event hosted by Debevoise & Plimpton in London.

• High Seas Treaty Symposium at the University of Edinburgh

  High Seas Treaty Symposium at the University of Edinburgh: In October, Oonagh Sands participated in “The High Seas Treaty Symposium”, a two-day discussion of implementation opportunities for the recent United Nations treaty to protect marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.  Oonagh remarks covered “Compliance and Dispute Resolution”, alongside co-panellists Prof. Cymie Payne, Prof. Hiroko Muraki-Gottlieb, Prof. Ronán Long, and Mr Birgir Hrafn Búason.

• 2023 Arctic Circle Assembly

  2023 Arctic Circle Assembly: On 21 October 2023, Jiries Saadeh and Oonagh Sands have participated in a panel titled “Investing in Climate Change Mitigation in the Arctic” as part of the 2023 Arctic Circle Assembly.

• UK Public International Law Market Leaders

  UK Public International Law Market Leaders: Legal 500 2024 has recognised Fietta LLP as a top tier firm in public international law, describing us as “probably the best public international law and investment arbitration firm in the UK”.  Stephen Fietta KC is again top-ranked, while partners Jiries Saadeh and Ashique Rahman and counsel Laura Rees-Evans and Oonagh Sands also receive personal accolades.

• The London International Arbitration Colloquium 2023 on “State Sovereignty and Immunity in Commercial Arbitration”

  The London International Arbitration Colloquium 2023 on “State Sovereignty and Immunity in Commercial Arbitration”: Stephen Fietta KC discussed the potential impacts on third-party funding in international arbitration involving sovereigns of the recent UK Supreme Court decision in PACCAR Inc & Ors. The event took place on 25 September 2023.

• University of Edinburgh Symposium on the United Nations BBNJ Agreement

  University of Edinburgh Symposium on the United Nations BBNJ Agreement: Fietta LLP has sponsored a two-day symposium organised by the University of Edinburgh, titled “The High Seas Treaty: From Negotiation to Implementation”, which was held on 6-7 October 2023. Oonagh Sands spoke on a panel addressing “Compliance and Dispute Resolution”.

• Article in Kluwer Arbitration Blog on enforcement of ICSID awards in the UK

  Article in Kluwer Arbitration Blog on enforcement of ICSID awards in the UK: On 12 August 2023, Laura Rees-Evans published an article in the Kluwer Arbitration Blog on the recent judgment of the English High Court in Infrastructure Services v. Spain.  The judgment is one of the most important developments of the past year in relation to the enforcement of intra-EU investment awards.  The article is available here.

• 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators guide

  2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators guide: Stephen Fietta, Jiries Saadeh, Ashique Rahman and Laura Rees-Evans have all been recognised as leading global litigators by Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Litigators guide.  All four were also recognised in Lawdragon’s initial global guide in 2021.

• Human Rights and Sustainable Development Conference:

  Human Rights and Sustainable Development Conference: On 14 July 2023, Oonagh Sands discussed “Sustainable Development and Protecting Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” in a panel addressing the interaction between human rights and sustainable development.  The conference was organised by the Centre for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity, University of Central Florida and the Centre for International Law and Human Rights, Lancaster University Law School.  The programme is available here.

• Institut de Droit International/Institute of International Law

  Institut de Droit International/Institute of International Law: Fietta LLP sponsored the 150^th anniversary session of the Insititut.  The event was held in Angers, France between 27 August and 2 September 2023 and opened by President Emmanuel Macron.  Stephen Fietta KC spoke at a colloquium addressing strategic litigation, environmental protection and interim measures.

   

• International Arbitration Colloquium 2023 (Sabah, Malaysia)

  International Arbitration Colloquium 2023 (Sabah, Malaysia): On 4 July 2023, Stephen Fietta KC spoke about the prospects for recognition and enforcement under the 1958 New York Convention of a purported $15 billion arbitral award rendered against Malaysia, following recent decisions in favour of Malaysia in challenge proceedings in the Paris and Hague Courts of Appeal.

• ICSID Review Case Comment

  ICSID Review Case Comment: On 13 June 2023, the ICSID Review published as an “advance article” a Case Comment co-authored by Laura Rees-Evans on the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in ‘Maduro Board’ of the Central Bank of Venezuela v. ‘Guaidó Board’ of the Central Bank of Venezuela. To access the article (with subscription), click here.

• Climate change litigation

  Climate change litigation: In May 2023, Oonagh Sands was quoted in Sustainable Views, a publication of the Financial Times, on climate change litigation and the proposed crime of “ecocide”.  To access the article via subscription, click here.

• Article in the Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration

  Article in the Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration: In June 2023, Oonagh Sands authored a report summarising “Recent Treaties and Reform Proposals on the Standing and Rights of Shareholders and Companies in Investment Treaty Arbitration” in the Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration 2023.  To access article, click here.

• World Arbitration Update 2023 – the ECT and investment treaties in Europe: On 24 May 2023, Laura Rees-Evans will speak about the UK perspective on European developments regarding the ECT and intra-EU bilateral investment treaties, on a World Arbitration Update (WAU) 2023 panel entitled “The ECT, Investment Treaties in Europe, and International Arbitration Awards Unfavorable to European States: Demystifying the Conundrum of International, Regional European, and Domestic Law”. For more information on the WAU 2023 programme, click here; and to register for Laura’s panel, click here.

  World Arbitration Update 2023 – the ECT and investment treaties in Europe: On 24 May 2023, Laura Rees-Evans spoke about the UK perspective on European developments regarding the ECT and intra-EU bilateral investment treaties, on a World Arbitration Update (WAU) 2023 panel entitled “The ECT, Investment Treaties in Europe, and International Arbitration Awards Unfavourable to European States: Demystifying the Conundrum of International, Regional European, and Domestic Law”.  For more information on the WAU 2023 programme, click here.