Investment Treaty Forum

Overview

The Investment Treaty Forum (ITF) was founded in 2004 to serve as a global centre for serious high-level debate in the field of international investment law.

The Forum is a membership-based group, bringing together some of the most expert and experienced lawyers, business managers, policy advisers, academics and government officials working in the field. Like BIICL itself, the Forum has a reputation for independence, even-handedness and academic rigour. The Forum membership is by invitation only.

The Forum members regularly meet within the framework of larger conferences and also smaller events hosted by members. Members also conduct research projects and take part in BIICL's training initiatives and other activities.

Investment Treaty Forum Brochure

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Forum Director

The Forum Director is Prof Yarik Kryvoi, a leading academic and practitioner in the field. Prof Kryvoi's expertise is primarily in the areas of international dispute resolution, including investor-state arbitration and international commercial arbitration, international administrative law and international public law.

He has several years of experience practising international dispute resolution with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London, Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Washington, DC and Baker & McKenzie in Saint Petersburg.

Patrons and Board

The Patrons of the Forum are:

HE Judge Rosalyn Higgins, GBE, KC
Yves Fortier, PC, CC, OQ, KC

Advisory Board

Since its inception, the Investment Treaty Forum's programme has been guided on an informal basis by a small Advisory Board which currently includes:

Christophe Bondy, Steptoe International (UK) LLP;
Professor Andrea Bjorklund, McGill University;
Tomoko Ishikawa, Nagoya University;
Audley Sheppard KC, Clifford Chance;
Robert Volterra, Volterra Fietta, and UCL.

The Public International Law Advisory Panel of the Institute also provides useful advice and support to the Forum.

Forum Members

Investment Treaty Forum members include some of the most expert and experienced lawyers, academics and government officials and international civil servants working on international investment law.

Current members of the Investment Treaty Forum are listed below. The Forum membership is by invitation only. For further details on how to become a member of the Forum, please contact Professor Yarik Kryvoi.

Organisations

Individuals

Professor Nicolas Angelet, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels
Thayananthan Baskaran, Baskaran, Kuala Lumpur
Professor Andrea Bjorklund, McGill University, Montreal
Raja Bose, K&L Gates, Singapore
Dr Tillmann Rudolf Braun, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Dr Stuart Dutson, Simmons & Simmons, London
Antolín Fernández Antuña, Antuña & Partners, Madrid
Raed Fathallah, Bredin Prat, Paris
Professor Matthew Happold, University of Luxembourg
Robert Hunter, Osborne Clarke, London
Professor Attila M. Tanzi, University of Bologna
Professor Tomoko Ishikawa, Nagoya University, Nagoya
Shreyas Jayasimha, Aarna Law, India
Mark Kantor, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C.
Vivek Kapoor, 39 Essex Chambers, London
Professor A Vaughan Lowe, All Souls College Oxford and Essex Court Chambers
Loretta Malintoppi, 39 Essex Chambers, London
Dr Inga Martinkute, MMSP, Vilnius
Professor Emeritus Maurice Mendelson KC, Blackstone Chambers, London
Dr Joshua Paine, University of Bristol
David A. Pawlak, David A. Pawlak LLC, Warsaw & Washington, D.C.
Dr Arman Sarvarian, University of Surrey
Dr Anthony Sinclair, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, London
Can Yeginsu, 3 Verulam Buildings, London

Consultative Forum Members

Organisations

American Review of International Arbitration
Arbitration and Conciliation Centre Integrarse
Arbitration and Mediation Center of Armenia
Attorney General's Chambers, Government of Montserrat
Attorney General Office of the State of the Republic of Ecuador
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Department for Business & Trade, United Kingdom
Energy Charter Secretariat
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom
Gambia Maritime Administration
General Attorney´s Office, the Kingdom of Spain
Government of Jersey
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), United Kingdom
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IIDS)
Legal Office for International Trade Law, Ministry of Economy, Government of Mexico
Ministry of Economy and Finance, France
Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Republic of Turkey
Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic
Ministry of Justice of Ukraine
National Board of Trade, Sweden
Office of the Attorney General of Spain
Office of the General Counsel to the Republic of Poland
Office of the Representative of the Republic of Armenia on International Legal Matters
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
The Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Mission of Zimbabwe to the United Nations Office
The Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the European Union
Secretariat for Legal Affairs, Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador
State Chancellery of Latvia
Trade Law Bureau, Government of Canada
Treasury Legal Advisers, Government Legal Department, United Kingdom
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Undersecretariat of International Economic Affairs of Chile

Individuals

Sir Frank Berman, KCMG KC, Essex Court Chambers
Professor Jansen Calamita, National University of Singapore (former ITF director)
Norah Gallagher, Queen Mary University of London (former ITF director)
Judge Christopher Greenwood KC, International Court of Justice
Professor Loukas Mistelis, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Peter Muchlinski, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Dr Federico Ortino, School of Law, King's College London (former ITF Director)
Dr Antonio Parra, Visiting Professor, University College London and former Deputy Secretary-General, International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes
Dr Karl P Sauvant, Columbia University Law School
Professor Christoph Schreuer, University of Vienna
Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, Essex Court Chambers
Professor M Sornarajah, National University of Singapore

Assistance to States

The Forum is pleased to provide advice to States in investment treaty matters.

Find out more details

ITF Publications

Publications

Reports and Updates

Young ITF

Established in 2021, Young ITF is a learning, discussion and networking forum for young practitioners, postgraduate students, civil servants and academics interested in international investment law. Young ITF aims to provide young professionals all around the globe with opportunities to develop their careers in international investment law by offering a forum for them to exchange ideas and connect with their peers and other professionals in the international investment arbitration community. Young ITF encourages young professionals to organise, and speak at, events and share their views on topical issues by way of publications.

Membership is free and open to postgraduate students, young practitioners, civil servants and academics aged under 35.

Find out more details

International Investment Law and Dispute Resolution (online course)

This online course provides a solid overview of the history and the rationale of protection of foreign direct investments, applicable law, the key principles of international investment law and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). Participants will develop their own critical appreciation of international investment law and will cover the nature of international investment law, the main substantive and procedural principles, dispute resolution mechanisms and the current professional criticisms of the system.

Find out more on the course page.