I represent and advise sovereign States on matters of public international law and international investment law.
Sun Young Hwang is a member of the International Litigation & Arbitration Department. Her practice centers on representing and advising sovereign States on matters of public international law and international investment law. Sun Young is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Alleged Smuggling of Migrants (Lithuania v. Belarus). Counsel to Lithuania in proceedings before the International Court of Justice arising from allegations of breach of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar). Counsel to The Gambia in proceedings before the International Court of Justice arising from allegations of breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius/Maldives). Counsel to Mauritius in proceedings before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (Request for Advisory Opinion). Assistance to The Gambia, Malawi, and Sierra Leone in the request for an Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Investment Treaty and Commercial Arbitration
Representation of a West African state in an arbitration concerning a gold mining license.
Representation of Ecuador in an UNCITRAL Rules arbitration under the Ecuador-United States bilateral investment treaty regarding a $9.5 billion judgment issued by an Ecuadorian court against Chevron for environmental damages in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Representation of the Dominican Republic in an investment arbitration under the Dominican Republic-France BIT related to an alleged investment in the waste management sector.
Representation of a West African state in two ICC arbitrations concerning tax assessments levied against an international oil company.
Representation of a West African state and its national oil company in an SCC arbitration concerning government regulatory conduct.
Representation of Bangladesh State-owned entity in an ICSID arbitration against Niko Resources concerning the causes and impacts of gas blowouts.
U.S. Litigation
Advising sovereign States on arbitration award enforcement and annulment strategies before U.S. federal and state courts.
Representation of a human rights activist suing under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Alien Tort Statute.
Other Publications
Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), Arbitration Journal, 2025 Spring & Summer, “Navigating Climate Action and ISDS Risks for South Korea” (co-authored with Geesu Lee) (in Korean)
“Investor-State Arbitration Laws and Regulations 2026 – USA” in International Comparative Legal Guides
Panelist, “When the World Shifts: Navigating Geopolitical Risk, Energy Transition, and Climate Disputes in Arbitration," 5th Annual California International Arbitration Week (March 2026)
Panelist, "What Lawyers Always Wanted to Know—but Never Asked," Harvard International Arbitration Law Student’s Association (HIALSA) (February 2026)
Panelist, "International Law Career Day Panel," New England Law, Boston (November 2025)
Guest Speaker, "Workshop, Maritime Order & Issues Lab," Yonsei University, South Korea (July 2025)
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