Winning an arbitration does not necessarily end a dispute. Where an award debtor refuses to pay and is alleged to have moved assets through foreign corporate structures, the real contest may begin only after the tribunal has rendered its decision.
On 7 August 2026, the High Court of Justice, Commercial Court addressed the issue. The State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (“SOCAR”) and three affiliated companies alleged that Mubariz Mansimov and five related persons and entities (together, the “Defendants”) had undertaken a series of corporate restructurings designed to place assets beyond the reach of creditors, in connection with claims that later resulted in two London-seated arbitral awards. The immediate question was therefore procedural: could the Defendants set aside an order permitting the SOCAR Parties to serve their claims outside England and Wales?1
