The Legal Protection of Foreign Investments Against Political Risk examines how political risks associated with foreign direct investment in the energy sector are managed or mitigated, and suggests new ways to deal with the possibility of such risk. It applies its analysis—using case studies and international law, and examining actual contracts—to the specific context of foreign investment in five Asian countries’ power infrastructure projects. “Legal protection of foreign investments against political risk has been a problem for a long time. Professor Papanastasiou’s book brilliantly balances the legitimate regulatory power of host states with legitimate business interests of foreign investors by presenting a neatly designed multi-layered legal framework for political risk management. This is an important contribution to both the study of international investment law and the practice of foreign investment business transactions.” — Junji Nakagawa, Professor of International Economic Law, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo Author, International Harmonization of Economic Regulation (Oxford University Press, 2011) “This book is an impressive and important entry into the field of international investment law scholarship. While maintaining a focus on the important Japanese and Asian regions, it also provides a general and up-to-date coverage of relevant international investment law and political risk considerations faced by multinational corporations. It is impressively concise, yet thorough; it is practical, yet takes into account relevant and recent legal scholarship; it is well-written and organized. The ultimate goal is to help foreign investors and their advisors understand the current international investment law framework and climate to enable them to devise strategies to help their clients reduce political risk, and to protect their clients’ property rights and investments. This work should be of interest to in-house counsel and international law practitioners, as well as to law students and scholars for its coverage of current international investment law standards, scholarship, and practices.” — N. Stephan Kinsella, Attorney, Houston, Texas Co-author, International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution (OUP, 2005) “This study contributes insightfully to the literature on international economics and, in particular, on the laws protecting foreign investment. The book is unique in two ways. First, it analyzes and measures the impact of such multi-tier legal frameworks as FTAs, investment contracts, FDI regulations and insurance by combining legal interpretative tools and scoring techniques. Second, it adds a new narrative on how Japanese business can use law to secure investments from political risks in the energy sector of foreign countries.” — Shujiro Urata, Professor of International Economics, Graduate School of Asian Pacific Studies, Waseda University Co-editor, Economic Consequences of Globalization: Evidence from East Asia (Routledge, 2012)

While conditions for foreign investors are generally safer in today's global economy than in previous decades, the issues to consider with regard to political risk go far beyond the obvious. Investors must continue to exercise caution in developing countries or under governments with a history of instability, & even the "safest" countries have certain risks associated with them. The only text available of its kind, this authoritative volume discusses the political risk of expropriation, both direct & indirect, & the various protections that are available under international law to minimize these risks. Plus, detailed references, useful appendices & contact information are provided. Written from the perspective of the practitioner, this text provides: * A review & explanation of the international law regarding political risk * Methods for the investor to reduce exposure to political risk through business structure, contract negotiation, & risk insurance * An explanation of the arbitral, judicial, & political options open to the investor following a taking of the investor's property Topics Covered Include: * International law regarding expropriation * Treaty provisions regarding protection of investment * Contracts with host states * Procuring investment insurance * Diplomacy between the host state & the investor's home state.

A vital text for practitioners and academics this book integrates the international law of political risk with the domestic, political, and economic considerations central to assessing risk. It offers a detailed analysis of pre-investment decisions that can reduce political risk, treaties protecting investment, and international dispute resolution.

This open access book focuses on public actors with a role in the settlement of investment disputes. Traditional studies on actors in international investment law have tended to concentrate on arbitrators, claimant investors and respondent states. Yet this focus on the "principal" players in investment dispute settlement has allowed a number of other seminal actors to be neglected. This book seeks to redress this imbalance by turning the spotlight on the latter. From the investor's home state to domestic courts, from sub-national governments to international organisations, and from political risk insurance agencies to legal defence teams in national ministries, the book critically reviews these overlooked public actors in international investment law.

This resource integrates the international law issues of political risk with the domestic, legal, political, and economic considerations central to assessing and managing risk. It offers a comprehensive but straightforward analysis of pre-investment decisions that can reduce political risk, the customary international law of state responsibility, treaties protecting foreign investment, political risk insurance, state immunity, tactics to use to avoid interference with property, and international dispute resolution.