When a foreign investor faces arbitrary measures from the State of Georgia that destroy the value of their business, domestic courts are often insufficient. This is where International Investment Arbitration (ISDS) becomes the ultimate safeguard. Legal Sandbox Georgia provides high-level representation for foreign investors whose rights under Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) or the Energy Charter Treaty have been violated. We specialize in disputes where the government’s administrative actions—such as the unlawful seizure of high-value cargo or the revocation of essential operating licenses—amount to direct or "creeping" expropriation without compensation.
Our practice focuses on holding the State accountable for breaches of the "Fair and Equitable Treatment" (FET) standard. In the context of logistics and trade, this often involves scenarios where customs authorities arbitrarily block a major investor's operations, revoke a Free Industrial Zone license, or confiscate assets under the guise of regulatory enforcement. We analyze the specific BIT between Georgia and the investor’s home country to establish jurisdiction and liability. We manage the mandatory "cooling-off period" negotiations with the Ministry of Justice, aiming for a settlement before escalating to full-scale arbitration.
If a settlement cannot be reached, we initiate proceedings under ICSID or UNCITRAL rules. These are high-stakes battles fought not in Tbilisi courts, but in international tribunals (e.g., Washington D.C., Paris, or London). We collaborate with leading global law firms and quantum experts to calculate damages, including lost future profits. Our role is to prove that the State’s sovereign acts were discriminatory, disproportionate, or unlawful under international law, securing a binding award that compels the government to pay full compensation for the destroyed investment.
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