The Recent Philip Morris v. Uruguay Decision

The Philip Morris v. Uruguay case pending before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ("ICSID") has been recently decided in favor of Uruguay, the Respondent. This lawsuit, filed by Philip Morris, was decided by the arbitral tribunal that was constituted by Piero Bernardini (Chairman), Gary Born (co-arbitrator appointed by the Claimant), and James Crawford (co-arbitrator appointed by the Respondent), on July 8, 2016.

This case is important, not only because it represents the first time that a tobacco company sued a sovereign state before an international forum, but also because it concerns very important issues, such as the limits of the regulations setting forth restrictions in the tobacco industry.