Sovereign countries face unique legal problems when they engage in commercial activities. White & Case has helped more countries resolve these problems than any other law firm in the world.

We have over 25 years of experience assisting sovereigns in all aspects of commercial activities, including infrastructure development, project financings, foreign investments, debt reschedulings, privatizations, and public-private partnerships, tax, trade-related matters, capital markets activities, and resolving disputes. And we translate that unequaled experience into results for our clients.

Practice Highlights Representation of more than 55 sovereign governments. Particular expertise in assisting governments of developing countries. White & Case has helped to: complete more than 100 privatization transactions around the world reschedule foreign debts of 20 nations resolve disputes on behalf of more than 30 sovereigns in local courts, arbitral tribunals, and negotiated settlements

Premier Advice for Privatizations and PPPs
We’ve helped establish many of the fundamental principles of privatizations and we continue to successfully assist sovereigns in the most significant recent privatizations, and public-private partnerships. Examples include Poland’s mass privatization program and the recent privatization of Berlin’s municipal waterworks system.

Building Better Development Projects
No one does a better job helping governments maximize their returns from infrastructure and other development projects, and in helping private sector participants meet their business goals. Governments, developers, lenders, and all other parties to these transactions rely on our broad insight and understanding of the objectives of each deal’s many participants.

Capitalizing on International Trade
We help sovereigns around the world boost their countries’ benefits from international trade. European and Asian countries have relied on White & Case to help draft their trade laws, advise on WTO accession, and negotiate their multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade treaties. 

Easing Debt Burdens
We help governments reschedule their external debts through negotiations with banks and other creditors. Twenty nations have taken advantage of our lawyers’ authoritative knowledge of the full range of debt-reduction techniques.

Resolving Difficult Disputes
We help sovereigns and state-owned entities in all types of dispute resolution procedures. We have particular expertise in disputes arising from construction projects and major investment deals.

Sovereign Wealth Funds
We have significant experience representing sovereign wealth funds, including some of the most high-profile investments of recent times.  Our global reach and longstanding presence in key financial centers and emerging markets enables us to understand the local environment in which sovereign wealth funds operate, while at the same time providing them with advice regarding their investments, which often involve the laws of multiple jurisdictions.