ANNOUNCEMENTS

The team of undergraduate Law students of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens ranked second in the world for their written and oral performance (2nd Highest Ranked Team) among all teams participating in the World Round of the international university mock arbitration competition Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot 2025 (FDI Moot – http://www.fdimoot.org) in Boston (United States of America) between October 29 and November 2, 2025.

The FDI Moot international investment arbitration competition focuses on the constantly evolving international law governing the protection of foreign investments and simulates the process of arbitration in international investment disputes. It is organized annually under the auspices of the Centre for International Studies (Salzburg, Austria), the Law Schools of Suffolk University (Boston, Massachusetts) and Pepperdine (Malibu, California), the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS) (Frankfurt/Cologne, Germany), and the Centre of European Law at King's College London.

Each participating team of students must defend in writing (memorials) and orally (with formal pleadings) both the side of the foreign investor and the side of the host state of the investment, in a fictitious case before a panel of international arbitration experts.

A total of 155 universities from around the world participated in this year's FDI Moot 2025 competition, of which 65 qualified for the global rounds held in Boston. Renowned academics, executives from international law firms, and independent arbitrators participated as judges.

This year, the University of Athens Law School Team consisted of undergraduate students Anna-Anastasia Boutou, Elvira Logothetidi, and Maria-Anna Georgiou. The team was coached by lawyer Maria Paschou and trainee lawyer Vasilina Stamatopoulou. The team was prepared under the scientific supervision and guidance of Associate Professor Anastasios Gourgourinis. This year's FDI Moot competition topic was particularly timely and concerned an appeal by a foreign investor operating in the pharmaceutical research sector.

This year's FDI Moot competition topic was particularly timely and concerned an appeal by a foreign investor, who was active in the field of pharmaceutical research and production, against the host state of his investment, in the context of international arbitration under the Arbitration Rules of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The students had to deal with a series of complex legal issues, such as, among others, the consequences of a region seceding from a state and the creation of a new independent state in terms of succession to international treaties and attribution of international responsibility, objections to jurisdiction based on the principle established in the Monetary Gold case (ICJ 1954),  allegations of a breach of the obligation to provide protection and security (FPS) in the field of cybersecurity, as well as allegations of a breach of the obligation to provide free transfer of funds and the obligation of non-discrimination.

The Athens Law School team performed exceptionally well:

It ranked second worldwide in the overall standings, which combine the results of the written and oral phases.

It emerged victorious in all four preliminary rounds, achieving the highest score among all participating teams. As a result, it qualified first (1st) in the knockout rounds and reached the quarter-finals (Round of 8), finishing 7th in the oral proceedings.

It also distinguished itself in the written proceedings, as the team's pleadings ranked 6th for the Claimant's pleadings and 4th for the Respondent's pleadings.

In addition, two members of the team, Elvira Logothetidi and Maria-Anna Georgiou, received special individual distinctions, ranking 2nd and 3rd respectively in the global rankings and receiving the "Honorable Mention for Best Advocate" award.

The participation of the University of Athens Law School Team in this year's FDI Moot 2025 competition would not have been possible without the generous support of the following sponsors: Apostolos Georgiades & Associates, Bernitsas Law, Calavros Law Firm – Filios – Kloukinas, Dacoronia Law Offices, Dryllerakis Law Firm, EODID Athens Mediation & Arbitration Organization, Fraport Greece, Georgaki and Partners Law Firm, Ioannis Vassardanis & Partners Law Firm, Karatzas & Partners, Koutalidis Law Firm, Lambadarios Law Firm, LCI Law, POTAMITISVEKRIS, Rokas Law Firm, Zepos & Yannopoulos, and the Piraeus Bar Association, whom we warmly thank for their generous support.