Public International Law

Public International Law Advisory Work

The Curtis public international law team advises on a broad range of international law matters. These include advice on territorial and sovereignty disputes, the Law of the Sea and international maritime affairs, international human rights law, state responsibility and reparation for internationally wrongful acts, sovereign immunity, and the settlement of disputes before international tribunals, organizations and agencies, including before organs of the United Nations. We also advise governments on the drafting, negotiation and interpretation of bilateral and multilateral treaties, such as investment and tax treaties.

Our public international law expertise complements our industry-leading international trade law team, who advise states on international trade law matters and have vast experience acting for states at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

INTER-STATE DISPUTES AT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Curtis has long experience defending sovereign states in the International Court of Justice. This practice has been particularly active in recent years. The team also has broad experience in representing states in inter-State arbitrations under the framework of Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and in other international settings.

In the settlement of inter-state disputes, Curtis offers a powerful combination of academic expertise and unrivalled practical experience.

INVESTOR-STATE ARBITRATIONS

Curtis is a market-leader in investor-state arbitration, having acted successfully for states and state-owned entities in some of the most important and complex disputes of recent times. This practice area brings to bear the firm’s public international law expertise as issues such as treaty interpretation, customary international law, state responsibility and sovereign immunity are often at the heart of investment disputes. We have represented states throughout the world in a range of international investment disputes before the main arbitral fora, including ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, SCC and ad hoc arbitrations, which gives us a unique insight and highly practical approach to public international law matters.

EXPERIENCED COUNSEL TO SOVEREIGN STATES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Curtis’ public international law team includes lawyers at the forefront of public international law, as counsel to sovereign states, state-owned entities and international organizations, and as arbitrators in international arbitration tribunals. Among them are academics, former international judges, experienced negotiators, advocates, accomplished authors on international law topics, and others who bring years of experience gained from working within international organizations, international tribunals and state government agencies. Most of our team members are multilingual and admitted to practice in multiple jurisdictions.