John Willems

Partner, Paris

Biography

Overview

John Willems has over 30 years of experience in representing clients in international arbitration proceedings. John has acted for parties in arbitration proceedings before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), and ad hoc tribunals including under UNCITRAL Rules. John's sector experience includes banking, construction, oil and gas and telecommunications.
Bars and Courts
US Court of Appeals for the Second and Federal Circuits
US District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York
New York
Education
JD
University of Virginia School of Law
Executive Editor of Virginia Journal of International Law
BA
History
Brown University
Languages
English
French
Latvian

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.

Awards and Recognition

Leading Individual, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration – France, The Legal 500 2024

Listed in Private Practice Powerlist – Arbitration France, The Legal 500 2023