Headquartered in Detroit, a global center of manufacturing, Miller Canfield's International Disputes Group has considerable experience enforcing our clients' rights through international arbitration and transnational litigation. We are well known for our aggressive yet nuanced advocacy in cross-border disputes, especially in the global manufacturing industry.
We Lead the Field
Clients choose Miller Canfield because we have an extraordinary depth of expertise in the field, not only as advocates, but also as arbitrators, authors, speakers, and law professors. We are well-known internationally by leading arbitrators and advocates alike.
We hold leadership positions in the International Bar Association, the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, the American Society of International Law, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and the American Bar Association.
We regularly publish books and articles on international arbitration. One article received the prestigious Smit-Lowenfeld Award.
Our peers frequently invite us to speak on international arbitration topics at local, state, national, and international venues.
We also teach the practice of international arbitration to law students, experienced lawyers, judges, and arbitration specialists.
We Handle Disputes in Every Forum
We have presented or defended a wide range of arbitration claims, conducted under most institutional rules, in every major region of the world.
- Matters have included energy disputes, intellectual property disputes, construction and engineering disputes, merger and acquisitions disputes, supply chain management disputes, as well as disputes involving sales agency and distribution agreements.
- Conducted in Europe, North America and Asia, the arbitration proceedings have involved application of the AAA, ICDR, ICC, SCC, KCAB, and SIAC rules.
- Amounts in controversy have ranged from a few million to several hundred million U.S. dollars.
We have also handled international litigation matters involving discovery in the United States for use in foreign proceedings (and vice versa), enforcement of arbitration agreements, and judicial review and enforcement of arbitration awards, at the trial and appellate levels.
We Have a Global Client Base
Despite our U.S. roots, we routinely represent companies from other jurisdictions, most commonly from Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
We Are Trusted Advisers
Most importantly, we advise clients before disputes arise. In particular, we provide deal-specific advice on dispute resolution provisions in a manner that advances our clients' objectives.
- We successfully defended a $1/3 billion international arbitration claim involving the largest reserve of brown coal in the world. The reserve was located in New South Wales, Australia. The arbitration was seated in the U.S. and administered by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
- We defeated a bet-the-division intellectual property claim brought by a Swiss corporation headquartered in the Isle of Jersey, UK, against a U.S.-based engine manufacturer. The arbitration was seated in London and administered by the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
- We successfully defended a German automotive interior manufacturer in a multi-million dollar automotive supply chain dispute. The arbitration was seated in London and administered by the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
- We defeated a multi-million dollar intellectual property claim arbitrated under the Swedish Arbitration Act. The arbitration was seated in Stockholm and administered by the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
- We defended a Hong Kong corporation in an automotive supply chain dispute seated in the U.S. and administered by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
- We convinced the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to order that a terminated distributor's claims under the Illinois Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act be arbitrated in Poland. We then obtained an arbitration award dismissing those claims, which was confirmed by the U.S. courts.
- We defended a Chinese corporation in a $20 million international automotive supply chain dispute. The arbitration was seated in Singapore and administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
- We defended a wide-ranging dispute over business interests located in Europe, Latin America, South America and the United States. The arbitration was seated in New York and administered by the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
- We successfully appealed a Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act case in Global Technology, Inc. v. Yubei (XinXiang) Power Steering System Co., Ltd., 807 F.3d 806 (6th 2015).
- We were appellate counsel in Stawski Distributing Co. v Zywiec Breweries, PLC, 349 F.3d 1023 (7th Cir. 2003), in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit enforced a contract requiring arbitration in Poland, notwithstanding the fact that Illinois law required arbitration in Illinois, and despite the fact that the substantive claim involved alcoholic beverage regulation reserved to the states by the 21st Amendment.
- We were appellate counsel in M&C Corp. v Erwin Behr GMBH & Co., KG, 143 F.3d 1033 (6th Cir. 1998), in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that an order remanding an international arbitration award to the arbitrator was immediately appealable.
- We defended a Chinese buyer in an $80 million post-M&A dispute with a Mexican company. The matter was seated in the U.S. and administered by the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
- We defended a U.S. seller in a post-M&A dispute with a Chinese buyer. The amounts at issue exceeded $45 million. The matter was seated in New York and administered by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
- We defended a Chinese buyer in a post-M&A dispute with a Dutch seller over business interests in Europe and North America. The matter was seated in Hong Kong and administered by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre.
- We defended a Mexican car parts manufacturer in a multi-million dollar automotive supply chain dispute. The matter was seated in New York and administered by the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
- We represented a U.S. distributor in a supply chain management dispute with a Korean manufacturer. The matter was seated and Seoul and administered by the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board.
- We defended Chinese investors in a dispute with a U.S. company over a construction projected in Los Angeles. The matter was seated in Los Angeles and administered by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
- We represented a U.S. seller in a post-M&A dispute with a Chinese buyer. The matter was seated in New York and administered by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
