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The Sun Has Finally Set on NAFTA: Investor-State Arbitration Under the USMCA

The Sun Has Finally Set on NAFTA: Investor-State Arbitration Under the USMCA

On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) took effect, replacing the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The USMCA provides a three-year sunset period for investors to submit arbitration claims related to foreign investments established or acquired under NAFTA. Now that the practical deadline of April 1, 2023 has passed, investors can no longer access NAFTA’s dispute resolution mechanism and must file investment claims under the USMCA regime. A new article by SHJ managing partner Andy Hicks and associate Fatima Aslam outlines key changes that investors should look out for.

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Texas Vineyards Win Significant Procedural Victory in Chemical Drift Litigation

In June 2021, SHJ filed suit on behalf of 57 Texas High Plains vineyards seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Bayer-Monsanto and BASF. While Bayer-Monsanto and BASF removed the lawsuit to a federal multidistrict litigation pending in Missouri, a U.S. district judge announced that the case would be sent back to the Texas state court where it was originally filed.

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On the Right Track: From BigLaw to Boutique

On the Right Track: From BigLaw to Boutique

Partner Persis Dean joined SHJ in 2015 after six years as in-house counsel for Exxon Mobil Corporation and three at Vinson & Elkins. Recently elected to the partnership, she is poised to help lead the firm through its most rapid growth period yet. Here, Dean discusses what it’s like to be a working parent in corporate law, her approach to mentoring, and the benefits of boutique firm life.

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The firm is a Houston-based litigation and arbitration boutique with an exceptional track record.

Chambers USA 2022