Matthew Coleman

Partner

• mcoleman@steptoe.com
• vCard
• London Office

Matthew Coleman is a Partner and Solicitor Advocate in the London office of Steptoe & Johnson practising in international arbitration, litigation and public international law.

Matthew’s arbitration and litigation experience is across a wide range of industries including banking & finance, commodities, energy, infrastructure, media and mining, often concerning disputes arising out of transactions in developing and emerging markets. Many of Matthew’s cases involve multi-jurisdictional issues, and have been in favour of, or against, international companies, state agencies and states. Matthew has acted as counsel, advocate, and adviser on commercial and investment treaty arbitrations in the leading arbitration forums. Matthew has also appeared as counsel in the Courts of England.

His public international law practice has a particular emphasis on advising investors on the ways they can utilise public international law (including bilateral investment treaties) to minimise the effects of political risk when investing in countries where the risk is high, and how clients can ensure that the treatment they receive is in accordance with that as set by public international law. Matthew's work for states has included advice relating to the investment chapters of free trade agreements.

Representative Matters

• Lead co-counsel to investors in respect of an investment dispute with an African Government arising from alleged breaches of a bilateral investment treaty. ICSID arbitration (pending).
• Lead co-counsel (from 10 September 2008) to investors in respect of an investment dispute arising from alleged breaches of a bilateral investment treaty. Trans-Global Petroleum Inc. v The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. ICSID arbitration.
• Co-counsel to investors claiming against a state for alleged expropriation of property, a breach of the fair and equitable treatment standard and a failure to provide full security and protection in breach of a bilateral investment treaty. Funnekotter v Zimbabwe. ICSID arbitration.
• Acting for an investor in relation to a $12 billion dollar freezing injunction against a state oil company in support of ICC arbitration. 
• Advising an investor claiming against a state for alleged expropriation of a business in breach of a bilateral investment treaty.
• Advising a state on its bilateral investment treaty programme.
• Advising a state in the negotiations for the investment chapter of its free trade agreement. 
• Advising Chambers of Commerce on forthcoming investment treaty negotiations between the United States and an emerging economy.
• Lead counsel to a bank pursuing claims arising out of an alleged fraud concerning a trade finance transaction. SCC arbitration.
• Lead counsel to a bank in proceedings concerning the breach of a loan agreement. High Court England.
• Advising a carbon trading company claiming against an Indian company concerning carbon credit sales. ICC arbitration.
• Lead counsel to shareholders in a shareholder dispute in relation to a commodities business. Ad hoc arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
• Lead counsel to a satellite broadcaster in the Middle East and Africa in proceedings to obtain injunctions in England in support of foreign proceedings. High Court England. 
• Advising a bank on how to structure its investments across six emerging economies in order to minimise the effects of political risk.
• Advising a mining company on expropriations and the incorporation of public international law into contracts.

Select News & Events

• Matthew Coleman Speaks at Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Conference, February 25, 2008
• Matthew Coleman Interviewed on Voice of Africa Regarding Zimbabwe, October 11, 2007

Publications

• Quoted in relation to the SADC decision on expropriation
  December 1, 2008, IA Reporter
• Anti-suit injunctions ECJ incompatible
  September 12, 2008, Insurance Day
• Quoted in relation to a recent case concerning diplomatic protection and expropriation
  September 8, 2008, Investment Arbitration Reporter
• Quoted in relation to the von Abo diplomatic protection and expropriation case
  August 1, 2008, Global Arbitration Review
• Quoted in relation to the non-ratification by South Africa of the ICSID treaty
  May 9, 2008, Global Arbitration Review
• South Africa's Bilateral Investment Treaties, Black Economic Empowerment and Mining: a Fragmented Meeting?
  February 2008, Business Law International
• Funnekotter & Ors v Zimbabwe, an ICSID case in which Matthew Coleman is co-counsel, reviewed in Investment Treaty News
  October 30, 2007
• Quoted in relation to the claim brought against South Africa pursuant to the Italian and Benelux bilateral investment treaties
  October 5, 2007, Global Arbitration Review

More Publications »

Professional Affiliations

• LCIA
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• International Bar Association
• International Law Association
• British Institute of International and Comparative Law