Winston Files First-ever ICSID Arbitration Against Sudan

Winston & Strawn filed a new investment arbitration against the Republic of Sudan, marking the first-ever International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) arbitration against the country. Winston filed the claim on behalf of client Michael Dagher, a telecom mogul and CEO of Amman-based holdings company DAMA Ventures. The claim was filed over Sudan’s alleged failure to grant a company ultimately owned by Dagher frequencies for a wireless internet network he helped to build.

As reported by Global Arbitration Review in its February 25, 2014 article, “Sudan faces first ICSID claim,” Sudan's Jet Net, a subsidiary of DAMA, helped fund the building of a “WiMAX” network – a wireless communications standard that provides a greater range of coverage than Wi-Fi. Dagher alleges that, after the network was built, the Sudanese government failed to provide the promised frequencies, leaving the network unable to operate.

ICSID registered the case on February 21, 2014, following a notice of dispute issued in May 2013. Ricardo Ugarte, managing partner of Winston & Strawn’s Geneva office, represents Mr. Dagher in the claim.