Where the Shadow Falls: Corruption in International Investment Arbitration
The international community has long been aware of the intersection between domestic corruption and foreign direct investment. As such, corruption is not infrequently (but at the same time, not frequently) a presence in international investment arbitration. Save in rare circumstances (see e.g. World Duty Free Company Limited v Republic of Kenya and Metal-Tech Ltd v Uzbekistan) it is not raised overtly – but instead exercises a tenebrous influence on proceedings that is difficult to quantify precisely. This article is a review essay of the first systematic attempt to chart this influence across every investment arbitration case in which corruption issues have been relevant, Aloysius P. Llamzon’s Corruption in International Investment Arbitration.