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Luka S. Misetic
Partner
Luka Misetic is an international lawyer with extensive experience before international tribunals. With more than 25 years of trial experience, Luka has a national and international practice representing individuals, corporations and governments in complex commercial, civil, international criminal and international arbitration cases.
Luka advises sovereigns in international legal matters before ICSID, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice and other international tribunals. He has represented clients in domestic litigation, including breach of contract, fraud and partnership disputes. Since 2018, Luka has secured four consecutive victories in international investment arbitration for the Republic of Kosovo, defeating claims valued at more than half a billion euros. He recently assisted Croatia in securing the dismissal of a €200 million claim at ICSID. Luka was part of a team that secured a complete victory for the Republic of Estonia in a US$100 million investment treaty claim brought under the Netherlands-Estonia Bilateral Investment Treaty by Estonian water provider AS Tallinna Vesi and its Dutch shareholder United Utilities (Tallinn) B.V.
Luka also represents individuals in high-profile international criminal cases. He currently represents the former President of Kosovo, Mr. Hashim Thaçi, before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague (Netherlands). Before that, he spent years in The Hague as lead counsel defending Croatian General Ante Gotovina. He secured General Gotovina’s full acquittal before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, garnering worldwide attention. At the time, he was the youngest lawyer to defend a case before an international criminal tribunal.
Globus Magazine (Zagreb, Croatia weekly) named Luka “one of the 100 Most Influential Croatians in the World.” In addition, in 2013, he received the Croatian-American Bar Association’s Vinodol Code Award for his distinguished legal career and outstanding contribution to the Croatian-American community.
- Secured a complete victory as counsel for the Republic of Kosovo before ICSID in the case of ACP Axos Capital GmbH vs. Republic of Kosovo, concerning alleged breaches of 1989 bilateral investment treaty between Germany and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The ICSID tribunal dismissed all claims and ordered the claimant to pay Kosovo all costs incurred as a result of the arbitration.
- Secured a complete victory for the Republic of Estonia before ICSID in the case of AS Tallinna Vesi vs. Republic of Estonia, concerning alleged breaches of bilateral investment treaty between Estonia and the Netherlands.
- Secured complete victories for the Republic of Kosovo in defeating several investment arbitrations, including Bedri Selmani v. Republic of Kosovo (ICC Case No. 24443/MHM /HBH); IuteCredit v. Republic of Kosovo (ICC Case No. 25135/HBH); and Blerim Devolli v. Republic of Kosovo (ICC Case No. 25183/HBH).
- Represented the Republic of Croatia in securing dismissal of an investment arbitration claim before ICSID in the case of Marko Mihaljevic v. Republic of Croatia.
- Represented the Republic of Croatia in a billion-dollar dispute over Energy Charter Treaty claim before ICSID in the case of MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas vs. Republic of Croatia.
- Represented the State of Libya in a pending €183 million arbitration relating to a construction project filed by the company Guris Insaat ve Muhedislik before the ICC under the Turkey-Libya BIT.
- Represents the State of Libya in a pending €52 million arbitration relating to a construction project filed by the company Nurol Insaat ve Ticaret before the ICC under the Turkey-Libya BIT.
- Represents the State of Libya in a pending US$61 million arbitration related to a construction project filed by the company Ustay Yappi Taahhut ve Ticaret before the ICC under the Turkey-Libya BIT.
- Obtained full acquittal in representation of Croatian General Ante Gotovina as lead counsel before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
- Represents the former President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, in the case of Prosecutor v. Hashim Thaci, et al., pending before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
- Served as lead defense counsel in representation of Bosnian Croat Anto Furundzija before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, the Netherlands.
- Represented Croatia in dispute against Serbia before the International Court of Justice and obtained a dismissal of all claims against Croatia.
- Secured a multimillion-dollar recovery in US District Court for German plaintiff victimized in international fraud and money laundering scheme.
- Represented the former Soviet Republic of Tajikistan in defense of breach of contract action.
- Defended large US contractor in a case alleging violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
- Secured multimillion-dollar recovery for plaintiff in defamation action against major US law firm.
Education
- University of Notre Dame, J.D., cum laude, 1996
- Northwestern University, B.A., 1992
Admissions
- New York, 2014
- Illinois, 1996
- U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Illinois
- International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, The Hague, the Netherlands
Languages
- English
- Croatian
- Presenter, “Interplay Between Local and International Law in the Definition of Investment,” 6th Investment Treaty Arbitration Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, October 2016.
- Presenter, “Advocacy in International Arbitration,” 5th Annual GAR Live, New York, September 2016.
- Quoted, “ICTY Hague Court in Turmoil Amid Claims of Manipulation,” BBC, June 19, 2013.
- Quoted, “UN Fights Release of War Crimes Suspect,” The New York Times, August 23, 2007.
- Author, Op-Ed, “Try Gotovina in Europe,” The Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2005.
- Quoted, “What Did the CIA Know?” Newsweek, August 27, 2001.
- Speaker, “Sacrificing the Rights of the Accused for the Success of International Criminal Justice,” Conference on International Criminal Defence in The Hague, November 2000.
- Featured, “Rights of the Despised,” The American Prospect, August 14, 2000.
- Interviewee, “The World,” Public Radio International, March 3, 2000.
- Featured, “The Young Lawyers: Misetic Tackles War Crimes Case,” Chicago Lawyer, March 1999.
- Appearance, “All Things Considered,” National Public Radio, December 10, 1998.