Being an international litigation attorney based out of Miami, I see a great deal of lawsuits filed by foreign plaintiffs here in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. By virtue of its close proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean, Miami is one of the busiest places in the country for foreigners to file lawsuits against multinational … [Read more...]
International Litigation: Why Isn't the BP Oil Spill an International Matter if it Occurred in International Waters?
As an international litigation attorney, I’m frequently contacted to advise or comment on international business disputes that are of great interest to the media. Why isn't the BP Oil Spill an International Matter? On several occasions in the past few weeks, I’ve been asked the same question: Why is the BP oil disaster a U.S. domestic matter when the spill … [Read more...]
Chevron Files International Arbitration Claim Against Ecuador: Forum Shopping in the Hague?
**Update January 15, 2010**: The Republic of Ecuador and the class Plaintiffs have both challenged Chevron's arbitration claim in New York federal court. You can read about it here and here. First, the United States. Then Ecuador. Now Holland. Chevron's wanderlust knows no bounds, as it recently filed a parallel international arbitration proceeding in the Hague (Holland). The … [Read more...]
Chevron's Missteps: How Not to Handle Foreign Litigation
Some of my recent "how to" posts have offered practical advice and tips concerning various areas of international business law. This post is different--it's a "how not to" article based on Chevron's inept and unethical handling of the oil pollution trial currently taking place in Ecuador. While zealous advocacy is critical to any high caliber practice, it … [Read more...]