The post-Cold War era has seen an unprecedented move towards more legalization in international cooperation and a growth of third-party dispute settlement systems. WTO panels, the Appellate Body and investor-state dispute settlement cases have received increasing attention beyond the core trade and investment constituencies within governments. Scrutiny by business, civil society, academia, and trade and investment experts has been on the rise. This book asks whether we observe a transformation or a demise of existing institutions and mechanisms to adjudicate disputes over trade or investment. It makes a contribution to the question in which direction international economic dispute settlement is heading in times of change, uncertainty and increasing economic nationalism. In order to do so, it brings together chapters written by leading researchers and experts in law and political science to address the challenges of settling disputes in the global economy and to sketch possible scenarios ahead of us.

'This excellent volume presents a comprehensive and unified investigation of dispute settlement institutions across trade and investment. The contributions from noted law practitioners and scholars, as well as political scientists, probe the many serious challenges facing the WTO DSM and ISDS, while also presenting solutions for the rejuvenation of existing institutions and the development of new ones.’

Todd Allee - Associate Professor of Government and Politics, University of Maryland