Nicholas Renzler

Representative Experience

Litigation before the International Court of Justice

• Somalia v. Kenya (Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean). Representing Somalia in a dispute with Kenya regarding the Parties' maritime boundary.          
• Costa Rica v. Nicaragua (Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean). Representing 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. Representing Ghana in a dispute before a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea regarding the Parties' maritime boundary.

Arbitration before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

• 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. Representing the Bangladeshi state-owned oil and gas company, and a subsidiary, in a contractual dispute regarding a natural gas well blow-out.
• Vannessa Ventures Ltd. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Represented Venezuela in a dispute regarding natural resources.

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.

Foreign Sovereign Representation in U.S. Courts 

• 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 for a U.S. court 
• Sequeira v. Nicaragua. Represented Nicaragua and individual government officials before a U.S. court.
• 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

• Co-Vice President of Projects, Harvard Law & International Development Society
• Legal Intern, Office of the Legal Adviser, United States Department of State