International litigation: Professor Philippe Sands

Arbitral appointments

• Permanent Court of Arbitration, Appointed by Secretary General to Panel of Arbitrators pursuant to Article 8(3) of the PCA Optional Rules for Arbitration of Disputes Relating to Natural Resources and the Environment (2002- 2015)
• Member of the Panel of Arbitrators established by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, designated by Guyana (since 2005)
• Member, Panel of Arbitrators, International Court of Arbitration for Sport (since June 2011)

Appointments include:

• Bureau Veritas, Inspection, Valuation, Assessment and Control, BIVAC B.V. v. Republic of Paraguay (ICSID Case No. ARB/07/9)
• E.T.I. Euro Telecom International N.V. v. Republic of Bolivia (ICSID Case No. ARB/07/28) (case discontinued, October 2009)
• Bosh International Inc. v Ukraine (ICSID Case Number ARB/08/11) (award of 25 October 2012)
• Mobil Investments Canada Inc. and Murphy Oil Corporation v. Canada (ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/07/4)
• Adem Dogan v. Turkmenistan (ICSID Case No. ARB/09/9)
• Kılıç İnşaat İthalat İhracat Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi v. Turkmenistan (ICSID Case No. ARB/10/1)
• OPIC Karimun Corp. v. Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB/10/14)
• Bawabet Al Kuwait Holding Company v. Arab Republic of Egypt (ICSID No. ARB/11/6)
• Ping An Life Insurance Company of China, Limited and Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Limited v. Kingdom of Belgium (ICSID Case No. ARB/12/29)
• Ossama Al Sharif v. Arab Republic of Egypt (ICSID Case No. ARB/13/5)
• Victor Pey Casado and President Allende Foundation v. Republic of Chile (ICSID Case No. ARB/98/2)
• Consolidated Exploration Holdings Ltd. and others v. Kyrgyz Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/13/1)
• Cementos La Union S.A. and Aridos Jatvia S.L.U. v. Arab Republic of Egypt (ICSID Case No. ARB/13/29)
• Cem Uzan v Republic of Turkey (SCC Arbitration V 2014/023)
• Içkale Insaat Limited Sirketi v. Turkmenistan (ICSID Case No. ARB/10/24)
• Anglia Auto Accessories Ltd. v The Czech Republic (SCC Arbitration V2014/058)
• J.P. Busta v Czech Republic (SCC Arbitration V 2014/101)
• Cyprus Popular Bank Public Co. Ltd. v. The Hellenic Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/14/16)
• Bear Creek Mining Corporation v. Republic of Peru (ICSID Case No. ARB/14/21)
• RENERGY S.à.r.l. v. The Kingdom of Spain (ICSID Case No. ARB/14/18)
• GPF GP S.à.r.l. v. Republic of Poland (SCC Arbitration No. 2014/168)
• OperaFund Eco-Invest SICAV PLC and Schwab Holding AG v. The Kingdom of Spain (ICSID Case No. ARB/15/36)
• Republic of Tatarstan and the Ministry of Land and Property Relations of the Republic of Tatarstan v. Ukraine (PCA Case No. 2016-15)
• Zbigniew Piotr Grot and others v. Republic of Moldova (ICSID Case No. ARB/16/8)
• Glencore Finance (Bermuda) Limited v. Plurinational State of Bolivia (PCA Case Nº2016-39/AA641)
• Güneş Tekstil Konfeksiyon Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi and others v. Republic of Uzbekistan (ICSID Case No. ARB/13/19)
• LP Egypt Holdings I, LLC, Fund III Egypt, LLC and OMLP Egypt Holdings I, LLC v. Arab Republic of Egypt (ICSID Case No. ARB/16/37)
• Eco Oro Minerals Corp. v. Republic of Colombia (ICSID Case No. ARB/16/41)
• PACC Offshore Services Holdings Ltd. v. The United Mexican States (UNCT/18/5)
• Red Eagle Exploration Limited v. Republic of Colombia (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/12)
• Dirk Herzig as Insolvency Administrator over the Assets of Unionmatex Industrieanlagen GmbH v. Turkmenistan (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/35)
• Nord Stream 2 AG v. The European Union (PCA Case No. AA761)
• Odysssey Marine Exploration v Mexico (UNCT/2/1)
• Discovery Global LLC v Slovak Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/21/51)
• Silver Bull Resources, Inc. v. United Mexican States (ICSID Case No. ARB/23/24)
• GMS Ventures v Iraq ICSID Case No. ARB/22/8
• Kelag In’l & Lumbardhi/Kosovo v Republic of Kosovo (ICC 28074/HBH)
• Junefield Gold Investments Limited v Ecuador (PCA Case 2023-35)
• Stratius Investments Limited v. Hungary (ICSID Case No. ARB/24/6)

Cases at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, more than 70 including:

• Ad Hoc Division, International Olympic Committee, Paris Olympics (July/August 2024)
• Jeffrey Brown v. USADA (CAS 2019/A/6530) & Alberto Salazar v. USADA (CAS 2019/A/6531)
• World Anti-Doping Agency v. Sun Yang & Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) (CAS 2019/A/6148)
• Mohammed Bin Hamman v. FIFA (CAS Case No. 2011/A/ 2625)
• Veronica Campbell Brown v Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) & International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) (CAS 2014/A/3487)
• Charline van Snick v. Federation International de Judo (CAS 2014/A/3475)

Appointments under UNCITRAL Rules; the International Commercial Arbitration Act 1989, Nova Scotia

Professional Activities as Counsel and Advisor

OAS Mediation

Belize-Guatemala Delimitation of Boundaries, Informal Representative of Honduras on Proposals Relating to a Maritime Boundary (with Sir Sonny Ramphal (Facilitator for Belize) and Paul Reichler (Facilitator for Guatemala) (2001-2)

Engaged as Counsel or Adviser in inter alia the following international cases:

ICC

• Prosecutor v Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah Al-Senussi, Case ICC-01/11-01/11 (Counsel for the Government of Libya) (2012-2018)

ICJ

• Request for an Examination of the Situation concerning paragraph 63 of its judgment of 20 December 1974 etc (New Zealand v. France), (Junior Counsel, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, "intervening" states) (1995 ICJ Reps 288)
• WHO Advisory Opinion on Legality of Use of Nuclear Weapons and UN General Assembly Opinion Request on Legality of the Use of Nuclear Weapons (Counsel, Solomon Islands and Samoa) (1996 ICJ Reps 66 and 226)
• Case Concerning Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project (Hungary/Slovakia), (Counsel, Hungary) (Judgment of 25 September 1997) (1997 ICJ Reps 7) (1994-2017)
• Case Concerning the Application of the Genocide Convention (Croatia v Yugoslavia), (Counsel, Croatia) (1999-2015)
• Maritime Delimitation between Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Honduras) (Counsel for Honduras, Judgment of 8 October 2007)
• Application for a Revision of the Judgment of 11 September 1992 (El Salvador v Honduras) (Counsel for Honduras (2002-4)
• Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo v Uganda) (Counsel for DRC) (2003-5; 2021-)
• Case concerning Pulp Mills (Argentina v Uruguay) (Counsel for Argentina) (2006-2010)
• Aerial Herbicide Spraying (Ecuador v. Colombia) (Counsel for Ecuador) (2008-2013)
• Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Georgia v. Russian Federation) (Counsel for Georgia) (2008-2010)
• Violation of Article 11 of the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995 (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v Greece (Counsel for FYROM) (2008-2011)
• Proceedings Instituted by Australia against Japan (Australia v Japan) (Counsel for Australia) (2010-2014)
• Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean (Somalia v Kenya) (Counsel for Somalia) (2014-2021)
• Legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 (Request for Advisory Opinion) (Counsel for Mauritius) (2017-2019)
• Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v Venezuela) (Counsel for Guyana) (2018-)
• Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar) (Counsel for The Gambia) (2019-)
• Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty over Islands (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea) (2021-)
• Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (Advisory Opinion, 2023-, Mauritius)
• Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (Advisory Opinion, 2023-2024, Palestine)
• Right to Strike Under ILO Convention No. 87 (Advisory Opinion, International Trade Union Congress, 2023-)

Permanent Court of Arbitration and UNCLOS/ITLOS

• Case of the M/V Saiga, St Vincent and the Grenadines v Guinea (Lead Counsel, St Vincent and the Grenadines; provisional measures phase, Order of 11 March 1998)
• Dispute Concerning Article 9 of the OSPAR Convention (Ireland v UK, PCA) (Counsel, Ireland, Award of 2 July 2003)
• The MOX case (Ireland v UK, PCA) (UNCLOS, Counsel, Ireland, since 2001-2007)
• Maritime boundary dispute between Guyana and Suriname (UNCLOS, Counsel for Guyana, Award of 17 September 2007)
• Maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar (2009-2012) (Counsel for Bangladesh)
• Maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and India (2009-2014) (Counsel for Bangladesh)
• Case concerning the Chagos Archipelago ‘Marine Protected Area’, Mauritius v United Kingdom (2010-2015) (Counsel for Mauritius)
• Case between Philippines and the Peoples Republic of China (2013-2016) (Counsel for Philippines)
• Maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire (2014-2017) (Counsel for Ghana)
• Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius/Maldives) (2019-) (Counsel for Mauritius)
• Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (Counsel for Mauritius)

ICSID

• Southern Pacific Properties (Middle East) Limited v Arab Republic of Egypt (Adviser to the Claimant, Award of 20 May 1992, 3 ICSID Reports 189)
• Tradex Hellas SA v Republic of Albania (Counsel for Albania, Award of 25 April 1999, ICSID)
• Compania del Desarollo de Santa Elena v Republic of Costa Rica (Adviser to Costa Rica, Award of February 2000)
• AES v Hungary (Counsel for Claimant, 2001-2, case settled)
• Mexico v Metalclad (Supreme Court of British Columbia) (Adviser, Mexico) (Judgment, 3 May 2001)
• Waste Management v Mexico (Adviser to Mexico, Award of 30 April 2004)
• Salini Costruttori v Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Counsel for Respondent), Award on Jurisdiction of 15 November 2004; Award on Merits, 19 January 2006
• Siemens v Argentina (Counsel for Respondent), Award on Merits, 6 February 2007; Application for Revision (case settled by agreement)
• Vivendi and Others v Argentina (Counsel for Respondent), Award, September 2007
• CMS v Argentina (Annulment Committee, Counsel for Argentina, Decision, Sept 2007)
• Azurix v Argentina (before Annulment Committee, Counsel for Argentina, Decision of 1 September 2009)
• Gemplus v Mexico (Counsel for Claimants), Award of 16 June 2010
• Talsud v Mexico (Counsel for Claimants), Award of 16 June 2010

WTO

• Case concerning the EU banana regime (US and others v. EU), (Counsel, St Lucia, third party intervener) (1997, WTO Appellate Body)
• Case concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (US/EU, Argentina/EU, Canada/EU), (Counsel, EU) (2003-6)

Special Court for Sierra Leone

• Prosecutor v Charles Taylor, appointed as amicus curiae by the Appeals Chamber on Head of State immunity under international law (2003)

World Bank Inspection Panel/UNCC

• Swissbourgh Mining Corporation v World Bank (Counsel for Swissbourgh), Decision of August 1999
• United Nations Compensation Commission (F4 Environmental Claims, counsel for Iraq (2004)

ECJ/English courts (selected)

• R (On The Application of Corner House Research and Others) V Director of The Serious Fraud Office, House of Lords, Judgment of 30 July 2008 (Counsel for Respondents)
• A & Others v Home Secretary, House of Lords, Judgment of 18 December 2005 (Counsel for Appellants)
• A & Others v Home Secretary, House of Lords, Judgment of 16 December 2004 (Counsel for Appellants)
• EC Commission v Ireland, ECJ (external competences, marine environment, Counsel for Ireland (2003-2005)
• R v Mullen, House of Lords (Counsel for Respondent), [2004] UKHL 18
• R v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office ex parte Abbassi, Court of Appeal, Judgment of 6 November 2002, (Counsel for Claimant)
• Broomco v HM Customs & Excise, July 2002, Judgment of 4 January 2003 (Counsel for Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise)
• R v Home Secretary, ex parte Kingdom of Belgium, Divisional Court, 15 February 2000 (Counsel for Belgium)
• R v Bartle and the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis and Others (Appellants) ex parte Pinochet, House of Lords, 25 November 1998, 23 March 1999 (Counsel for Human Rights Watch, Interveners)
• Greenpeace International v EC Commission, ECJ, locus standi of NGOs, (Counsel for Greenpeace) April 1998
• In the matter of Polly Peck International (Re Marangos Hotels), Court of Appeal, 7 May 1998 (Counsel for Coopers and Lybrand, administrators)

Other

Other cases before the European Court of Justice, International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration, European Commission and Court of Human Rights, English courts