Dr. Ronald Goodman is a partner in the firm’s Washington office who concentrates his practice in international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, with a focus on commercial, investor-state, project, energy, and construction matters.
Co-chair of Foley Hoag's international litigation and arbitration practice, Ron represents foreign government and corporate clients in international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution proceedings before international tribunals, courts, and commissions. He also advises governments with respect to law reform, restructuring, treaties, privatization and project finance matters.
Ron has been involved in numerous international arbitration proceedings, including those before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), United Nations Compensation Commission, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), European Development Fund, International Arbitral Centre of the Federal Economic Chamber Vienna, as well as various U.S. tribunals. He was a legal adviser at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at American University.
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Arbitration before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
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ETI Euro Telecom International N.V. v. Republic of Bolivia.
Representing Bolivia in this arbitration brought by a Dutch investor whose interests in a Bolivian telecommunications company were nationalized by the Bolivian government.
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M.C.I. Power Group L.C. v. Republic of Ecuador.
Representing Ecuador in these proceedings brought by a U.S. investor to annul an arbitral award in Ecuador’s favor, which concluded that the arbitral tribunal lacked jurisdiction over the claims raised by the investor.
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Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Occidental Exploration and Production Company v. Republic of Ecuador.
Advising Ecuador in this arbitration, resulting from the Ecuadorian Government’s termination of a contract for the exploitation of an oil field, and the claimants’ allegation that their investment was “expropriated.” The proceedings were conducted in Spanish and English.
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I&I Beheer B.V. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Represented Venezuela in an arbitral proceeding based upon a dispute over promissory notes, brought by a Netherlands investor under the bilateral investment treaty between Holland and Venezuela. The proceeding was conducted in Spanish and English.
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Vannessa Ventures Ltd. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Representing Venezuela in this arbitral proceeding under the ICSID Additional Facility, based on a claim of more than US$1 billion brought by a Canadian mining company under the bilateral investment treaty between Canada and Venezuela. The proceeding was conducted in Spanish and English.
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Química e Industrial del Borax Ltda. v. Republic of Bolivia.
Representing Bolivia in this proceeding, initiated under the bilateral investment treaty between Bolivia and Chile, concerning the Bolivian Government’s termination of a mineral concession. The arbitration is being conducted in Spanish.
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Victor Pey Casado and Fundación Presidente Allende v. Republic of Chile.
Represented Chile in its defense of a US$515 million claim in an arbitration under the bilateral investment treaty between the Kingdom of Spain and Chile. The proceedings are being conducted in Spanish and French.
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MTD Equity Sdn. Bhd. and MTD Chile S.A. v. Republic of Chile.
Represented Chile in an annulment proceeding under the ICSID Convention, based upon an arbitral award issued under the bilateral investment treaty between Malaysia and Chile. The proceeding concerned a construction project. The official languages of the arbitration were Spanish and English.
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Sociedad Anónima Eduardo Vieira v. Republic of Chile.
Advised Chile in an arbitration brought against it by a Spanish fishing company under the bilateral investment treaty between Chile and the Kingdom of Spain. The official language of the proceedings was Spanish.
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Noble Ventures v. Romania.
Represented the Government of Romania in an international arbitration concerning a US$550 million claim concerning a steel mill under the bilateral investment treaty between the United States and Romania.
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Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company v. Egypt.
Represented Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company in a claim brought against it by the Arab Republic of Egypt and its General Authority for Investments and the Free Trade Zone Area, based on tax matters and indirect expropriation.
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Southern Pacific Properties (Middle East) Limited v. Egypt.
Represented the claimant in an arbitration alleging expropriation in relation to the construction of a residential complex in the Plateau of the Pyramids.
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Consortium Impreglio v. Lesotho Highlands Development Authority.
Defended a state-owned company of the Kingdom of Lesotho in an arbitration in London initiated by a European construction consortium over the construction of a dam and reservoir.
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A.E.I Luxembourg Holdings S.ar.L. v. Republic of Bolivia.
Represented Bolivia in this arbitration before the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, concerning the nationalization of a gas pipeline company in Bolivia.
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Delaney v. Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures.
Defended a state-owned company from the Republic of Cameroon in an arbitration in Paris under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules against a Bermuda oil company over the sale of oil.
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Defended the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in a lawsuit brought by two Venezuelan mining companies in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit over the termination of diamond and gold mine concessions. The District Court granted Venezuela’s motion to dismiss the case on grounds of sovereign immunity; an appeal is pending before the Court of Appeals.
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Defended two corporations belonging to the state-owned oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in a lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by private Venezuelan and U.S. companies over a contract for the delivery of food products to Venezuela.
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Advised the City of Johannesburg with respect to the sale of its power generation plant to a private sector purchaser, including negotiation of the sale and purchase agreement, the power purchase agreement, advice on competition, and other regulatory issues.
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Advised the City of Pretoria with respect to the sale of one of its power generation plants to a private sector purchaser.
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Advised, as Regional Counsel, the International Finance Corporation and the Government of Botswana in the partial privatization of Air Botswana.
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Advised the government of South Africa in the US $1.26 billion sale of a strategic minority interest in Telkom SA Limited.
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Advised the government of South Africa in the restructuring of the South African statutory framework for the regulation of the airports sector and the partial privatization of the Airports Company of South Africa through the sale of a strategic minority interest.
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Advised the government of South Africa in the establishment of "World Heritage" status for the St. Lucia wetlands, including necessary statutory and regulatory modifications.
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Advised the Governments of Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa on the establishment of a statutory and regulatory framework for various conservation areas, the drafting of treaties for the coordinated and effective control of malaria (the first such treaty in the world) and for the management and coordination of transfrontier areas and the concessioning of various tourism facilities.
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Advised the South African Government in defense procurement, including advice on procurement contracts and countertrade requirements.
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Advised the South African Law Commission on the adoption of a new law for international arbitration.
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Advised the Government of Mozambique on the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Project, including negotiations with the Government of Portugal on debt refinancing and restructuring of the project company, and power purchase negotiations with Eskom, the South African electric utility.
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Advised the South African Government and the Mozambique Government with respect to the project financing of the Maputo Development Corridor Toll Highway Project, a toll road between the two countries, the first limited recourse project financing in Southern Africa, including advice on the treaty between the countries enabling the project.
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Advised the three arrangers and underwriters, including the Development Bank of Southern Africa, with respect to the project financing of the water and sanitation services of a municipality in South Africa.
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Advised the South African Government with respect to the project financing of the N3 toll road project from Johannesburg to Durban ("African Project Finance Deal of the Year").
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Advised the Province of KwaZulu Natal in its public-private partnership project for the equipping, maintenance and operation of Durban's new Central Hospital.
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Advised the South African Government in its US $500 million project to transform and recapitalize the South African taxi fleet.
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Represented a European power company in two ICSID arbitrations against a Latin American country.
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Represented a water company in ICSID annulment proceedings brought by a Latin American country.
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Advising a U.S. Bank on a claim to OPIC regarding the expropriation of a power plant in Latin America.
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Defending an African state entity in an ICC arbitration brought by a foreign construction company related to the construction of a dam.
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Defending a Japanese trading company in an ICC arbitration brought by a Turkish construction company related to the construction of a hydroelectric facility in Turkey.
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Representing a European consortium in an ICC arbitration against a Latin American country related to the construction of a water transfer tunnel.