Our highly sought-after investor-State team, part of our GAR 30-ranked global international arbitration practice, is consistently working on landmark cases of significance. The combination of our sectoral strength and highly skilled practitioners means we regularly represent clients in high-profile, high-value and cutting-edge investment treaty arbitration matters.

Our impressive track record when acting for both States and investors includes representing clients in proceedings under the auspices of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the arbitration rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and other major arbitral rules and institutions. We have acted in and/or advised on cases under bilateral investment treaties and the investment chapters of multilateral treaties such as the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

We have acted for and achieved significant wins on behalf of both States and investors. On the State side, this includes two successes ranked in The American Lawyer’s Arbitration Scorecard’s “Top 10 Biggest Defense Wins,” defending multibillion-dollar claims brought against the Republic of Kazakhstan. On the investor side, our lawyers have helped clients achieve some of the largest investment treaty awards on record, including significant awards against Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and the State of Gabon.

  • “The investor-state arbitration team is devastatingly effective – achieves phenomenal results in even the most difficult of cases.” The Legal 500 UK 2025
  • “Reed Smith LLP is an established force in investment and commercial arbitration.” The Legal 500 Latin America 2025
  • “A highly sought-after investor-state practice with an impressive track record in acting for states.” Chambers UK 2025
  • “The Reed Smith practice team provides a world-class service.” The Legal 500 Latin America 2024
  • "Extensive experience in both commercial and investor-state arbitration, regularly acting in high-value and complex disputes against other top-ranked practices." The Legal 500 UK 2024