Ben Love

Recognized as a global leader in international arbitration and public international law, Ben has represented clients in more than 50 commercial and investment disputes under all major arbitral rules, including some of the most high-profile matters submitted to international arbitration over the past decade.

Ben has assisted clients in obtaining favorable settlements, securing awards in excess of $1 billion on multiple occasions, and defeating several attempts to annul high-value ICSID awards. His disputes work across the globe spans the gamut of major industry sectors, with particular emphasis on energy, mining, technology, and aerospace.

Ben has been recognized as a highly regarded practitioner for international arbitration by numerous publications and directories, with sources commenting that he is “a rock star in his field,” who is a “great talent,” has “superb advocacy skills,” and is “unparalleled in investment law matters.” He has also been “singled out by peers and clients as ‘the consummate advocate’ thanks to his ‘encyclopaedic knowledge of international investment law, strong strategic awareness and relentless focus on securing the best outcome for his clients.’”

Ben speaks English and French, and reads Spanish.

Throughout his career, Ben’s experience includes advising:

Disputes Between Foreign Investors and States

• A Spanish investor in a dispute with a Latin American State arising out of adverse treatment of an investment in the transportation industry
• Dutch investor in a dispute with a Latin American State involving adverse measures taken with respect to a multi-billion dollar petrochemical investment
• American and Polish investors in two investment treaty arbitrations against Egypt following the cessation of gas supply from Egypt to Israel during the Arab Spring
• A Canadian mining company in an ICSID additional facility arbitration against Venezuela arising out of the expropriation of gold mining assets
• A European energy company in the quantum and annulment phases of its ICSID arbitration against Argentina in the upstream oil and gas, electricity, and gas transportation sectors
• A European energy company in two ICSID annulment proceedings concerning awards against Argentina in connection with investments in water concessions
• Dutch and Portuguese investors in two ICSID annulment proceedings concerning awards against Venezuela in connection with investments in Venezuela’s steel sector
• An English investor in an ICSID annulment proceeding concerning an award against Venezuela in connection with investments in Venezuela’s cattle farming sector
• The government of Saint Lucia in an ICSID case regarding offshore exploration for oil and gas, and claims related to maritime boundaries
• A European mining company in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American state for measures taken against coal mining assets
• U.S. investors in an UNCITRAL arbitration against Azerbaijan for the expropriation of real estate assets

Commercial Arbitrations

• A Guernsey investment group in two ICC arbitrations with major defense and aerospace partners arising out of an offset transaction to broker a satellite program
• An Egyptian midstream gas merchant in a CRCICA arbitration against the Egyptian State-owned oil and gas companies governed by English law and seated in Cairo concerning the repudiation of the gas supply agreement between them and a related ICC tripartite arbitration also involving the Egyptian State-owned oil and gas companies and the Israeli State-owned electricity company seated in Geneva and arising from the repudiation of a contract between them governed by English law and concerning the supply of gas from Egypt to Israel
• European energy companies in a Geneva-seated ICC arbitration against a North African State-owned oil company, concerning the imposition of taxation legislation in breach of contractual stability provisions in a civil law governed production sharing contract
• An American venture capital firm in an ICC arbitration against a BVI entity and an Egyptian national governed by Egyptian law and seated in Geneva concerning breaches of a shareholder agreement
• A Portuguese cement company in two Paris-seated ICC arbitrations with an Irish entity arising out of a dispute over shareholder rights
• U.S. energy company in an ICC arbitration seated in New York against a Spanish energy company concerning the destination of LNG cargos under an LNG sale and purchase agreement governed by New York law

Co-author, Translation and Interpretation in ICSID Proceedings, ICSID Review - Foreign Investment Law Journal (June 2024)

Co-author, Is the People’s Good the Highest Law? The Concept of Necessity in Investor-State Protections, Global Arbitration Review (October 2023)

Co-author, Investor-State Space Arbitration Rules, Space Arbitration (January 2023)

Co-author, Applicable Law in Investor-State Space Arbitration, Space Arbitration (December 2022) 

Commentary on “Approaches of International Courts and Tribunals to the Award of Compensation in International Private Property Cases, and Implications for the Reform of Investor-State Arbitration” by Esmé Shirlow, Proceedings of the ASIL Annual Meeting, Volume 116 (2022) 

Co-author, How Int'l Claims Can Be Lost — Or Won — In Translation (October 2022)

Co-author, Is the People’s Good the Highest Law? The Concept of Necessity in Investor-State Protections, Global Arbitration Review (August 2022)

Co-author, The US Supreme Court Transforms 1782 Evidence Gathering (2022)

Co-author, U.S. Chapter of Delos Dispute Resolution’s Guide to Arbitration Places (GAP) (November 2021)

Commentary on Article 43 of the ICSID Convention, The ICSID Convention, Rules and Regulations: A Commentary (Julien Fouret, ed.) (2019)

Jurisdiction Over Incidental Questions in International Law, Proceedings of the ASIL Annual Meeting, Volume 111 (2017)

Introductory Note to The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China, (PCA Case No. 2013-19), Award on Jurisdiction and Admissibility, International Legal Materials, Vol. 55(5) (2016)

ICSID Convention and ICSID Arbitration Rules, Concise International Arbitration (LA Mistelis, ed) (2015) (co-authors N. Rubins and D. Kalderimis)

Ratione Temporis, International Investment Law: A Handbook (M. Bungenberg, J. Griebel, S. Hobe, and A Reinisch, eds) (2014) (co-author N. Rubins)

Introductory Note to Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy), International Legal Materials, Vol. 51(3) (2012)

The Future of Investment Arbitration in Asia: An Optimistic Assessment, Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law (I. Laird and T. Weiler, eds.) (2012)

Introductory Note to CEMEX Caracas Investments B.V. and CEMEX Caracas II Investments B.V. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB/08/15) International Legal Materials, Vol. 49(4) (2010)

‘Manifest Disregard of the Law, ‘Minimum Contacts,’ and Forum Non Conveniens: Recent Developments in Judicially-Created Doctrines that May Defeat Enforcement of Arbitral Awards in the U.S., Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage, Vol. 3 (2010) (co-author J. Castello)

Introductory Note to Bernardus Henricus Funnekotter and others v. Republic of Zimbabwe (ICSID Case No. ARB/05/6) International Legal Materials, Vol. 48(4) (2009)

Individual Nationality in Investment Treaty Arbitration: The Tension Between Customary International Law and Lex Specialis, Investment Treaty Law: Current Issues, Vol. 3 (2009) (Co-Author: R. Aguirre Luzi)