IntLaw Cup
The 2025
IntLaw Cup
IntLaw Cup (FDI Pre-Moot)
The Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot (FDI Moot) is the leading global competition on investor-State arbitration, a field of international law that addresses disputes between foreign investors and host States. The FDI Moot offers future lawyers a practical opportunity to engage with these complex issues, while also serving as a global forum where academics and practitioners exchange insights and identify emerging talent. ​Building on this foundation, the IntLaw Cup serves as a pre-moot to the FDI Moot.
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The 2025 IntLaw Cup took place from 16 to 19 October 2025 via Zoom, bringing together 16 university teams from 15 different jurisdictions for four days of advocacy and engagement with leading figures in international law.
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The IntLaw Cup Experience
Competition Structure
​​From Thursday to Saturday, teams participated in general rounds, arguing both claimant and respondent sides of the case. Each round was heard by panels of experienced practitioners who offered feedback on advocacy technique and legal reasoning.
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The highest-ranked teams advanced to Sunday’s elimination rounds, which included the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final round.
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​In addition to the competition itself, the 2025 edition featured two open sessions:
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a public conference on investment arbitration
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a moot-oriented advocacy workshop
Investment Arbitration Conference & Advocacy Workshop
Investment Arbitration Conference
The Investment Arbitration Conference gathered experts from the FDI Moot Global Advisory Board to explore current challenges and innovations in international dispute settlement.​​​​​​​
Dimitrios Ioannidis
The Future of Arbitration in the World of Artificial Intelligence
Diego Brian Gosis
State Succession and Bilateral Investment Treaties Continuity
Advocacy Workshop
The Advocacy Workshop was conducted by Michael G. Karnavas, an international criminal defense lawyer with renowned experience before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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The session addressed practical strategies for oral pleadings, including how to lead with strong arguments, maintain control of the tribunal’s attention, and turn questions from the bench into opportunities for persuasion.
Final Round & Closing Ceremony
Final Round
The final round, contested between the University of Belgrade and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, was arbitrated by highly distinguished professionals in the field of international law. Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University secured first place.
Presiding Arbitrator
O. Thomas Johnson Jr.
Judge | Iran-United States Claims Tribunal
Co-Arbitrator
Iulia Motoc
Judge | International Criminal Court
Co-Arbitrator
Emb. Mario Oyarzábal
Chair | Drafting Committee of the ILC
Closing Ceremony
​​​The closing ceremony featured a keynote address by Judith Knieper, Legal Officer at UNCITRAL, where she discussed UNCITRAL’s work regarding investment dispute settlement.
