Overview
Emmanuel Giakoumakis focuses his practice on public international law, with an emphasis on international investment law and state-to-state adjudication. He has significant experience in international dispute settlement, covering state-to-state litigation (ICJ), investor-state arbitration (ICSID and UNCITRAL), and human rights litigation before international courts (ECtHR, IACtHR). He also has experience of transnational tort litigation against corporate clients on alleged violations of human rights law before the English courts.
Prior to joining Steptoe, Emmanuel was legal advisor to the former President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), H.E. Judge Yusuf, having previously worked as a lawyer in private practice in the United Kingdom and Greece. During his time at the ICJ, Emmanuel worked on more than 20 state-to-state disputes in different phases of the proceedings and advised the Presidency of the Court on institutional, budgetary, and administrative matters under the UN Charter and the Statute of the Court.
Emmanuel also has experience advising clients on proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union and Greek courts on European tax law and public law. In 2014, he interned at the Liaison Office of the Council of Europe to the European Union, in Brussels.
Emmanuel has given lectures and seminars at the Hague Academy of International Law and the Institut International des Droits de l'Homme, in Strasbourg. He has taught international arbitration and public international law as a guest lecturer at different academic institutions, notably the University of Oxford, the Centre of Transnational Legal Studies, the University of Essex, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Athens, and the European Public Law Organization. His doctoral research at the University of Oxford focuses on the standard of compensation under customary international law.
- Lawyer, Bar of Heraklion (Greece)
- Member of the Bar in Brussels (Belgium)
- H.E. Abdulqawi A. Yusuf, International Court of Justice, 2018-2022
- LL.M., University of Cambridge, International Law
- LL.B., National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Diploma in International Law and Comparative Human Rights Law, International Institute of Human Rights
- Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Erasmus exchange program
Representative Matters
Public International Law (Inter-State Proceedings)
- Advised the President of the International Court of Justice in 21 inter-state proceedings and 1 advisory opinion between 2018 and 2022 at different phases of the proceedings (jurisdiction, admissibility, merits and reparation).
International Investment Arbitration
- Advises the External Counsel to the European Union in an Energy Charter Treaty investment treaty arbitration regarding the Nord Stream 2 offshore natural gas import pipeline. Nord Stream 2 AG v. European Union, PCA Case No. 2020-07. Ongoing.
- Acts as counsel to a State in respect of an investment dispute arising from its alleged breaches of a bilateral investment treaty. A v. State B (ad hoc). Ongoing.
- Acts as counsel to US investors in respect of a legacy investment claim brought against Canada under the transitional provisions of the US-Mexico Canada Agreement. The case arises out of the arbitrary and discriminatory treatment of a US investor in connection with the proposed construction of a carbon-neutral LNG facility in Québec and of a natural gas pipeline connecting Northern Ontario and Québec. Ruby River Capital LLC v. Canada. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/23/5. Ongoing.
- Acts as counsel to US investors in respect of a NAFTA arbitration against Canada. The case concerns the summary termination of Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions control cap-and-trade program without payment of compensation to our clients. Koch Industries, Inc. and Koch Supply & Trading, LP v. Canada. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/20/52. Ongoing.
- Acts as counsel to the investors in an ICSID arbitration relating to the expropriation of a substantial aquaculture enterprise by The Gambia. West African Aquaculture Ltd et al. v. The Republic of The Gambia. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/18/10. Ongoing.
- Acted as counsel and advised the Arab Republic of Egypt in an ICSID arbitration arising from the closure of Al Jazeera's media business in Egypt and the cancellation of its broadcasting license under the Egypt-Qatar BIT. Al Jazeera Media Network v. Arab Republic of Egypt. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/16/1. Ongoing.
- Acted as counsel and advised the Republic of Croatia in an ICSID arbitration arising from Croatia's law on the conversion of loans denominated in Swiss francs into loans denominated in Euro as a protective financial services measure. UniCredit Bank Austria AG and Zagrebačka Banka d.d. v. Republic of Croatia. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/16/31. Settled.
- Acted as counsel and advised the Republic of Croatia in an ICSID arbitration arising from Croatia's law on the conversion of loans denominated in Swiss francs into loans denominated in Euro as a protective financial services measure. Raiffeisen Bank International AG and Raiffeisenbank Austria d.d. v. Republic of Croatia. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/17/34. Settled.
- Acted as counsel and advised the Republic of Croatia in an ICSID arbitration arising from Croatia’s law on the conversion of loans denominated in Swiss francs into loans denominated in Euro as a protective financial services measure. Addiko Bank AG and Addiko Bank d.d. v. Republic of Croatia. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/17/37. Ongoing.
- Advised Croatia in the early stages of an ICSID arbitration arising from Croatia’s law on the conversion of loans denominated in Swiss francs into loans denominated in Euro as a protective financial services measure. Erste Group Bank AG and others v. Republic of Croatia. ICSID arbitration. ICSID Case No. ARB/17/49. Settled.
Speaking Engagements
"The Interpretation of Secondary Rules in International Investment Law," Custom and Its Interpretation in International Investment Law conference, Washington, DC, September 21, 2023
News & Publications
Press Releases
April 5, 2024
Steptoe Global Trade and Investment Blog
The CPTPP Enters into Force for Chile – but Mind the Fine Print
March 10, 2023
By: Christophe Bondy, Alexandre Genest, Emmanuel Giakoumakis
Steptoe Global Trade and Investment Blog
February 17, 2023
By: Christophe Bondy, Alexandre Genest, Emmanuel Giakoumakis
Steptoe Global Trade and Investment Blog
October 31, 2023
By: Emmanuel Giakoumakis, Christophe Bondy, Eva Monard, Renato Antonini
Steptoe Global Trade and Investment Blog
July 18, 2023
Steptoe Global Trade and Investment Blog
Officially Coming to a Country Near You: the UK Set to Accede to the CPTPP
July 11, 2023
Publications
Due Process and Procedural Irregularities
The Guide to Challenging and Enforcing Arbitration Awards - Third Edition
May 17, 2023