Alexander Bedrosyan is a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed and is a member of the firm’s International Arbitration practice group. His practice focuses on public international law, investment treaty arbitration, and international commercial arbitration. He has particular experience assisting in disputes involving former Soviet republics, and has experience in cases involving the mining, banking, aviation, construction, real estate, sanitation and retail petroleum industries. He has been engaged in AAA/ICDR, ICSID, ICC and UNCITRAL/PCA arbitrations. He has delivered opening and closing statements, performed direct and cross-examinations of witnesses, and otherwise participated in hearings. He also represents clients in arbitration-related litigation in federal courts. This year, Alex was recognized by The Legal 500 in the United States in the field of International Arbitration.
Alex’s pro bono practice consists largely of international human rights law matters, and has also encompassed family law, immigration law, and voting rights law matters.
Alex also has experience advising professional services firms in their compliance with regulatory obligations.
While in law school, Alex was a member of the University of Pennsylvania Law School team that reached the World Championship Round of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Alex delivered oral arguments before judges of the International Court of Justice.
Recognitions
Recommended in The Legal 500 United States for Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration (2021, 2022)
U.S. National Champion, World’s Best Respondent Side, and World Overall Runner-Up, Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (2016)
Noyes E Leech Prize, awarded to the graduating student with the highest achievement in international law, University of Pennsylvania Law School (2016)
International Law Students' Association (ILSA) Student Desk Award, awarded to student author of best published article on a topic of international law (2016)
Pro Bono Recognitions
2020 Capital Pro Bono High Honor Roll, sponsored by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
2018 Capital Pro Bono High Honor Roll, sponsored by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
2017 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, sponsored by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Highlighted Publications
“Chapter II: Establishment of the Tribunal,” inThe 2022 ICSID Arbitration Rules – A Commentary, C.H. Beck/Hart Publishing (Happ & Wilske Eds.) (with James Boykin)
“U.S. Supreme Court Applies International Law Without Saying So: GE Energy v. Outokumpu Stainless,” Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 2020
“Place of the Arbitration, Jurisdiction and Applicable Law: Support for Bahrain’s Free Arbitration Zone and Current Best Practices” (with John Townsend), BCDR International Arbitration Review (2018)
"The Asymmetrical Fork-in-the-Road Clause in the USMCA: Helpful and Unique," Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 2018
“Do ‘Dual Hats’ Cause Arbitrator Bias? An Empirical Assessment of Decision making by Investment Arbitrators Who Also Work as Counsel,” World Arbitration and Mediation Review (10 World Arb. Mediation Rev. 625), 2016
“Adverse Inferences in International Arbitration: Toothless or Terrifying?” University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law (38 U. Pa. J. Int’l L. 241), 2016
“The Limitations of Tradition: How Modern Choice of Law Doctrine Can Help Courts Resolve Conflicts within the New York Convention and the Federal Arbitration Act,” University of Pennsylvania Law Review (164 U. Pa. L. Rev. 207), 2015
Highlighted Lectures
Panelist, “Ethical Considerations When Representing State Clients in International Disputes,” American Bar Association International Law Section’s Annual Conference, April 27, 2022
Panelist, “Accountability and Recourse under United Nations Treaty Bodies,” Armenian Bar Association, November 6, 2021
Highlighted Matters
Represented several Ukrainian investors in multiple UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings against the Russian Federation concerning the Russian Federation’s breaches of international law following the annexation of Crimea. All tribunals found in favor of and awarded damages to the investors. This was the first time that tribunals found that an investment treaty applied to investments on annexed territory.
Representing a U.S. investor in ICSID arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Turkey
Representing a French investor in UNCITRAL proceedings against the Dominican Republic
Representing an African state in proceedings to confirm an arbitration award in the United States
Representing a U.S. investor in ICSID arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Armenia
Representing a European state-owned company seeking to confirm foreign arbitral award in the United States
Tribunal Secretary in ICC arbitration proceedings involving European investor and Eurasian state
Represented a U.S. investor in ICSID arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Panama. The case ended in a favorable settlement.
Represented individual respondent in ICDR arbitration involving questions of French arbitral and substantive law. The claimant withdrew its request for arbitration following briefing on the individual’s motion to dismiss.
Represented respondent seeking to vacate and resist enforcement of arbitration award arising out of events in Central Asian state
Represented the Government of Canada in its ongoing trade dispute with United States concerning softwood lumber. Several international tribunals found the United States in breach of its international obligations.
Advised Latin American state of its potential claims under customary international law to be lodged in international court against a European state arising out of the enforcement of debt instruments that had been issued to the corrupt former head of the Latin American state.
Assisted in representation of European state-owned oil company in ICSID arbitration proceedings against Republic of Kazakhstan. The case ended in a favorable settlement for the company.
Represented an individual in a cross-border (Canadian-American) dispute over the distribution of a family trust. The court dismissed the case against the individual and awarded it full costs and attorneys’ fees.
Highlighted International Human Rights Law Matters
Counsel to petitioner in proceedings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Inter-American Court of Human Rights, arising out of culture of impunity that the respondent state allowed to develop towards violence against women and girls in the country
Represented petitioner in proceedings before the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concerning 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War
Counsel to applicant in proceedings before European Court of Human Rights
In partnership with Clooney Foundation for Justice, wrote report assessing compliance with international human rights law standards of arrest and trial of Mikhail Benyash in the Russian Federation
