October 02, 2015

George Bermann of Columbia Law Gives Talk on Investor-State Arbitration

On September 28, George A. Bermann of Columbia Law School delivered the Lewis & Clark 2015-16 International Law Distinguished Visitor Lecture.

On September 28, George A. Bermann of Columbia Law School delivered the Lewis & Clark 2015-16 International Law Distinguished Visitor Lecture.  Professor Bermann discussed tensions between European Union law and investment treaties concluded by individual EU countries, as highlighted by recent efforts by the European Commission to block the enforcement of arbitral awards issued in favor of foreign investors in the United States.  He also engaged the controversy over including investor-state arbitration in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the United States and the European Union, and the European Commission’s recent proposal to establish an Investment Court System as an alternative. 

In addition to students and faculty, a number of local practitioners attended the talk.   These included Ron Ragen of Davis Wright Tremaine, Merill Keane of Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, and human rights attorney and adjunct professor Kathleen Maloney, among others