In his talk, Dr. Luke Nottage will discuss Asian approaches towards investment arbitration—a transnational procedure to resolve disputes between a foreign investor and a host state—setting it in the wider political economy and within domestic law contexts. Despite the introduction of anti-corruption laws and treaties, corruption remains a significant issue in Asia. The commitments outlined in international agreements, such as the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the UN Convention Against Corruption, are often ambiguous and lack effective enforcement measures both internally and between states. While countries in the Asia-Pacific have begun including anti-corruption measures in free trade agreements and international investment agreements, these instruments should be strengthened with further accountability mechanisms. Dr. Nottage will illustrate the extent to which significant states in Asia are, or could become, “rule makers” rather than “rule takers” regarding corruption and serious illegality in investor-state arbitration.

Dr Luke Nottage is Professor of Comparative and Transnational Business Law at Sydney Law School, specializing in arbitration, contract law, consumer product safety law and corporate governance, with a particular interest in Japan and the Asia-Pacific. From April 2026 he is cross-appointed as the senior tenured Professor of Anglo-American Law at the University of Tokyo. Luke is founding Co-Director of the Australian Network for Japanese Law(ANJeL). Luke also consults forJapanese Law Links Pty Ltd and retired in June 2025 as Special Counsel with Williams Trade Law. 

Luke studied at Kyoto University (LLM, LLD) and Victoria University of Wellington (BCA, LLB, PhD),and first taught at the latter and then Kyushu University Law Faculty, before arriving at the University of Sydney in 2001.

This event is cosponsored by the University of Chicago Law School's International Programs, Malyi Center for the Study of Institutional and Legal Integrity, and International Law Society.

Lunch will be provided. Please submit dietary requests eight business days prior to the program to Aican Nguyen at aican@uchicago.edu. Although we will try to accommodate dietary needs, it is not guaranteed.