Two Sidley International Arbitration Cases Recognized on Law360’s “5 International Arbitration Cases to Watch in 2026”

Two of Sidley’s international arbitration cases have been listed in Law360’s “5 International Arbitration Cases to Watch in 2026,” highlighting the firm’s continued involvement in complex, high-impact cross-border disputes. Law360’s annual feature identifies disputes with the potential to influence developing legal frameworks, enforcement doctrines, or jurisdictional analysis in international arbitration.

For the third year in a row, Law360 has selected Kingdom of Spain v. Blasket Renewable Investments LLC et. al involving the enforcement of certain investor-state awards issued against the Kingdom of Spain under the Energy Charter Treaty. In 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that U.S. courts have jurisdiction to enforce these awards under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), even though, under European Union law, no valid arbitration agreement existed between the parties. Subsequently, the Kingdom of Spain filed a petition for certiorari and the Supreme Court called for the views of the Solicitor General. This case raises novel questions about the interplay between U.S. jurisdictional doctrines and EU public-international-law constraints, potentially setting the stage for further judicial review in 2026.

Sidley lawyers Simon Navarro, Carter Phillips, and Eamon Joyce represent the Kingdom of Spain in these matters.

For the second year in a row, Law360 has also selected Devas Multimedia v. Antrix, which concerns the recognition and enforcement of a US$1.3+ billion arbitral award in favor of Devas Multimedia. The dispute stems from an agreement under which Antrix—the commercial arm of the Government of India’s Department of Space—agreed to build and launch two satellites and provide Devas with access to S (security)-band spectrum. After the Indian government decided not to allocate that spectrum for commercial use, Antrix invoked force majeure. Devas prevailed in arbitration, but the Indian Supreme Court subsequently annulled the award. Despite that annulment, Devas has sought to enforce the award in the U.S. courts. Sidley represents Antrix in these proceedings, including in the Supreme Court and on remand in the Ninth Circuit, where the case raises fundamental questions about the scope of the FSIA and the enforceability of annulled awards.

Sidley lawyers Gregory M. Williams, Carter Phillips, and Kwaku Akowuah represent Antrix before the Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit.
Sidley’s International Arbitration practice represents clients in complex and high-stakes disputes across a range of industries and regions, drawing on its global network of experienced lawyers and its deep knowledge of arbitration rules and institutions. The arbitration practice works hand-in-hand with Sidley’s Supreme Court, Appellate, and Litigation Strategies practice, one of the first practices of its kind with a team widely recognized for its leadership in addressing novel and intricate questions of federal and state law.