Overview
(December 13, 2016, London) — Law360 has named Steptoe London partner Matthew Coleman a 2016 MVP in International Arbitration. The Law360 MVP series profiles lawyers who “have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals” over the past year. The legal publication received more than 1,000 nominations for the 2016 class and selected MVPs in 38 practice areas. Mr. Coleman was one of only four lawyers selected in the International Arbitration category.
In a profile published December 12, the editors highlight Mr. Coleman’s work for the von Pezold family in a successful claim before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) against the government of Zimbabwe over a “racially discriminatory” land reform program.
In July 2015, the ICSID tribunals ordered Zimbabwe to return within 90 days all of the property that it expropriated from the von Pezold family, failing which Zimbabwe must pay the clients US$195 million in financial damages. A similar award was made in favor of the companies in the second arbitration against Zimbabwe, the financial damages portion of which was US$125 million. Moral damages were also awarded in both cases to compensate the clients for the assaults and threats of violence they endured throughout their investment in Zimbabwe.
In addition, Zimbabwe was ordered to pay all of the clients’ costs in both cases. The sums are among the largest ever awarded in an investor-state arbitration.
Mr. Coleman tells Law360 that what made the case particularly poignant was that the investors had no outlet other than arbitration to have their claim heard. In fact, their claims were barred from being heard in court under a constitutional amendment that prevented people whose farms had been expropriated from challenging the legality of the expropriation in court.
"This was where the international treaties involved came to the fore," Mr. Coleman says. "Without these treaties, they couldn't have had any redress."
The full profile can be read at Law360 (subscription required).
About Steptoe
Steptoe & Johnson LLP is an international law firm widely recognized for vigorous advocacy in complex litigation and arbitration, successful representation of clients before governmental agencies, and creative and practical advice in guiding business transactions. The firm has more than 500 lawyers and other professionals in offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Phoenix and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
