International Law

After the fall of the Empire in China in 1912, and before the takeover of China by the Communists in 1949, there was a period in which a number of warlords controlled different areas of China. The United States felt that there was a need for certainty in the dealings of its citizens abroad therefore, for more than two decades in the early twentieth century, the United States maintained an unusual federal court on foreign soil—one that exercised full judicial authority over American citizens living and working in China.

Commercial litigation partner Jacques Semmelman joins Dateline NBC's True Crime Weekly podcast to demystify the complex world of international extradition law. Drawing on his experience as a former Assistant US Attorney, Semmelman explains the legal standards, treaty requirements, and diplomatic considerations that govern how individuals are transferred between countries to face criminal charges or serve sentences.

For foreign litigants and their counsel, a law in the United States known col- loquially as “Section 1782” (28 U.S.C. §1782) offers both an opportunity and a challenge. Section 1782 allows parties to existing or contemplated foreign pro- ceedings—or other persons with an interest in those proceedings—to obtain evidence located in the United States.

Western countries are increasingly using sanctions waivers as diplomatic bargaining chips to secure prisoner releases and achieve transactional geopolitical goals. Recent US-Belarus and France-Azerbaijan deals highlight this trend, raising questions about sanctions policy coherence, alliance coordination, and the long-term effectiveness of economic restrictions as foreign policy tools.

Our latest sanctions tracker update provides an overview of recent UK sanctions developments, including legislative developments, enforcement and judicial updates.

President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, introducing unprecedented tariff authority that could impose duties up to 100% on goods from countries purchasing Russian energy or facilitating sanctions evasion. The legislation creates a novel framework where tariffs stack on top of existing duties while codifying Russia sanctions into statute...

Western countries are increasingly using sanctions waivers as diplomatic bargaining chips to secure prisoner releases and achieve transactional geopolitical goals. Recent US-Belarus and France-Azerbaijan deals highlight this trend, raising questions about sanctions policy coherence, alliance coordination, and the long-term effectiveness of economic restrictions as foreign policy tools.

The India-Israel Bilateral Investment Agreement, which entered into force in July 2026, represents a significant shift in international investment treaty practice. As India's first BIT with an OECD Member since adopting its 2015 Model BIT, the Treaty reveals how States are recalibrating investor-State dispute settlement to balance investor protection with regulatory autonomy through jurisdictional constraints, narrowed substantive protections, and enhanced procedural safeguards.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act, establishing the legal framework for decades of civilian nuclear partnership. This agreement resolves years of debate over nonproliferation conditions and positions US companies to participate in Saudi Arabia's ambitious civil nuclear program. The deal carries significant implications for US engagement in the Middle East, international nuclear commerce, and the global competiti