Nicholas Renzler

Representative Experience

Litigation before the International Court of Justice

• Gabon/Equatorial Guinea (Case Concerning Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty over Islands). Representing Equatorial Guinea in a dispute with Gabon regarding land and maritime boundaries and island sovereignty. 
• Somalia v. Kenya (Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean). Represented Somalia in a dispute with Kenya regarding the Parties' maritime boundary.          
• Qatar v. United Arab Emirates (Case Concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination). Representing the State of Qatar in a proceeding arising from breaches of the ICERD by the UAE.
• Costa Rica v. Nicaragua (Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean). Represented Nicaragua in a dispute with Costa Rica regarding the Parties’ maritime boundaries.
• Ecuador v. Colombia (Case Concerning Aerial Herbicide Spraying). Represented Ecuador in a dispute regarding Colombia's aerial spraying of toxic herbicides in close proximity to the Ecuadorian border, causing serious harm to human health, livestock, crops and the environment in Ecuador. 
• Costa Rica v. Nicaragua (Case Regarding Navigational and Related Rights). Represented Nicaragua in a dispute regarding sovereignty over the San Juan River, which constitutes the border between the two States, the right to regulate navigation on the river, and the lawfulness of Nicaragua's regulations.

Litigation & Arbitration Between Sovereign States

• Philippines v. China. Represented the Philippines in an ad hoc arbitration pursuant to Annex VII of the United Nations Convention Law of the Sea regarding maritime jurisdiction and violations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in the South China Sea. The Tribunal rejected China’s claim to “historic rights” in the maritime areas encompassed by its so-called “nine-dashed line” as inconsistent with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and found that China violated the Philippines' sovereign rights under the Convention.
• Ghana v. Côte d'Ivoire. Represented Ghana in a dispute before a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea regarding the Parties' maritime boundary.

Investor-State Arbitration

• Chevron Corp. & Texaco Petroleum Corp. v. Republic of Ecuador. Representing Ecuador in an UNCITRAL Rules arbitration regarding a $9.5 billion judgment issued by an Ecuadorian court against Chevron for pollution and human health damages in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
• Philip Morris Brands Sàrl, et al. v. Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Represented Uruguay in a dispute under the Switzerland-Uruguay BIT regarding Uruguay’s regulation of cigarette packaging and health warnings. The Tribunal unanimously rejected the Claimants' challenge to Uruguay’s progressive tobacco-control measures, aimed at reducing cigarette consumption and its devastating impact on public health. It also rejected the Claimants' denial of justice claims.
• Niko Resources (Bangladesh) Ltd. v. Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Co. Ltd., et al. Represented the Bangladeshi state-owned oil and gas company, and a subsidiary, in a contractual dispute regarding a natural gas well blow-out.
• Hydro S.r.l., et al. v. Republic of Albania. Represented Albania in an ICSID annulment application.

International Advisory Matters

• Advised a South Pacific nation on implementing certain obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 
• Advised a European nation on maritime boundary delimitation issues.
• Advised two Latin American states on extradition matters related to public corruption.

Foreign Sovereign Representation in U.S. Courts 

• Represents the Kingdom of Spain in opposing requests for the confirmation, recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in U.S. courts.
• Africa Growth Corporation v. Republic of Angola. Representing Angola in three lawsuits stemming from the alleged expropriation of an apartment complex in Luanda, one of which has been dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
• Aldini AG v. Republic of France, et al. Representing the Republic of France in a lawsuit in the Northern District of California concerning a pre-pack bankruptcy sale of assets in a French company. 
• Solo Investment LLC v. Republic of Poland. Representing the Republic of Poland in a lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois concerning an alleged expropriation.
• Valambhia v. United Republic of Tanzania. Represented Tanzania in an action in the District of Columbia seeking the recognition of a judgment rendered in Tanzania.
• Fontaine v. Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations. Represented the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations in an employment dispute. 
• Bardales v. Consulate of Peru in New York. Represented the Consulate of Peru and former Consul General in an employment dispute.
  
• Securesoft Technologies LLC v. Embassy of Ghana. Represented the Ghanaian Embassy in the United States in a contract dispute before a U.S. court.
• Arch Trading Corp. v. Republic of Ecuador. Represented Ecuador in successfully asserting a sovereign immunity defense before a U.S. court. 
• Sequeira v. Nicaragua. Represented Nicaragua and individual government officials before two U.S. courts.
• Skanga Energy & Marine Ltd. v. Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. Represented a state-owned oil company in asserting a sovereign immunity defense before a U.S. court.

Professional Experience

• Lecturer in Law, Northeastern University School of Law (Fall 2018)
• Legal Intern, Office of the Legal Adviser, United States Department of State (Summer 2011)