Venezuela’s Oil Company is Up For Grabs – and the Absence of Ten Words in its Governing Law Clause May Decide Who Gets it

The governing law clause is perhaps the most basic provision in every contract. Yet, it is so routine that few pay attention to it. Failure to pay attention to its precise wording though can bite one in the backside as the ongoing litigation between investors in Venezuelan bonds and the government-in-exile of that country demonstrates. Mark and Mitu discuss the Venezuelan governing law clause drama, as well as a number of other similar situations that have cropped up in recent years, including with Ukraine, Puerto Rico, and Mozambique.

Producer: Leanna Doty