Latham & Watkins has a dedicated team of public international lawyers, with a leading global reputation in both contentious and advisory matters. They regularly act for States, international organizations and private entities in both contentious and non-contentious matters related to every continent and region of the world. The Public International Law team, recognized as a leading practice year after year by the Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK guides, boasts an unrivalled range of practical public international law experience within the commercial and governmental sectors.
The team is particularly engaged in advising clients on the resolution of disputes related to overseas investments. Typically, these disputes arise when a government or governmental agency allegedly interferes with the property rights of a foreign investor. These disputes are often resolved under the arbitration provisions of an investment treaty. The team has advised and represented clients around the world in relation to bilateral investment treaties (BITs), NAFTA, the Energy Charter Treaty, the ASEAN Investment Protocol and ICSID.
Latham's Public International Law team is amongst the elite group of practitioners who regularly represent governments in State-to-State disputes before the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, UNCITRAL and UNCLOS tribunals and other international dispute resolution bodies. They also advise and represent clients on the application of public international law in domestic courts.
The team also represents clients on transactional matters around the world. Public international law has evolved a greater importance in international commercial transactions, with the increasing globalization of business. Much of the team's work involves analysis of the impact of private and public international law on international commercial transactions. This includes international project finance and infrastructure projects, energy projects, trade and customs disputes, and international finance and privatizations. The team's strength lies in combining public international law knowledge with global commercial experience.
We advise States, international organizations and multinational companies on virtually every aspect of public international law, including:
- Bilateral investment treaties
- Property rights and expropriation
- International land and maritime boundary and sovereignty disputes
- Economic sanctions
- Oil concessions
- Air and water rights
- Treaty negotiations and accession
- State responsibility
- Choice of law, jurisdiction and enforcement proceedings
- Law of the Sea
- Sovereign and diplomatic privilege and immunity
- Project-specific international agreements between host states
- Foreign corrupt practices
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Offshore oil and gas (and other resources)
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Straddling resources
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Transboundary pipelines
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Human rights (including their relevance in the context of corporate social responsibility and alien tort claims)
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International environmental law
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Sovereign debt
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The Energy Charter Treaty
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Energy, mining and infrastructure projects
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International trade and WTO law