John Willems
Biography
Overview
Experience
Recent representations include:
Iraq Telecom Ltd. in its successful ICC arbitration against Korek Telecom Company and others in claims for breach and corruption arising under a Shareholders' Agreement. The Award of March 2023 assessed damages in the amount of USD 1.65 billion;
PT Ventures in its successful ICC arbitration against the other shareholders of Unitel S.A., the Angolan telecommunications company. The Award of February 2019 directed the respondents to pay PT Ventures over USD 750 million in compensation and interest;
Engie S.A. in its claim under the Energy Charter Treaty against Hungary before ICSID. The claim related to State measures concerning gas tariffs, and resulted in a favorable settlement for the investor;
Flemingo DutyFree in a successful UNCITRAL Rules arbitration against Poland in a claim arising under the Poland-India BIT;
The State of Ukraine in the successful defense of the claims brought by Global Trading Resources and Globex International, both U.S. investors. The case represented the first occasion where a State was able to obtain a summary dismissal on the merits of an ICSID claim under ICSID Rule 41(5);
The contractor claimants in two ICC arbitration proceedings against Libya and Libyan state-owned entities. Both tribunals found the State of Libya to be liable for the full amount of the obligations of the separate legal entities;
The Roads Department of Georgia in successful ICC arbitrations against three contractors under the FIDIC Pink Book form of construction contract;
B3 Croatian Courier, a Dutch investor, in its ICSID claim B3 Croatian Courier Cooperatif U.A v. Croatia, relating to an investment in the postal sector;
The State of Ukraine in Bosh International Inc. and B&P Foreign Investments Enterprise v. Ukraine, in the successful defense of an ICSID arbitration brought by a US investor in relation to the termination of an agreement for the development and operation of a hotel and science complex;
Hungary in the successful defense of the claims in Vigotop Ltd. v. Hungary, an ICSID arbitration arising under the Hungary-Cyprus bilateral investment treaty relating to the alleged expropriation of the concession to a "mega casino" project;
A State-owned oil company in defending an arbitration claim by a US contractor concerning the construction of one of the world's largest natural gas plants;
A State-owned gas company in an SCC arbitration concerning a purported gas supply agreement;
A Mauritian investor in an SIAC arbitration concerning the exercise and valuation of a Put Option, which resulted in a favorable settlement for the claimant; and
The National Environmental Investment Agency of Ukraine in the successful defense of an arbitration against a Cyprus company under the PCA Environmental Rules.
Leading Individual, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration – France, The Legal 500 2024
Listed in Private Practice Powerlist – Arbitration France, The Legal 500 2023