Webuild SPA, the Italian construction firm formerly known as Salini Impregilo SpA, has filed a motion in the D.C. federal court seeking enforcement of a $54 million arbitral award from a dispute with Argentina over a water and sewage service concession. This motion follows the court’s rejection of Argentina’s statute of limitations defense. Webuild is now asking for judgment on the pleadings or summary judgment for the award, which includes the principal sum of $21.29 million and compounded interest.
The dispute, dating back over a decade, revolves around an award Webuild won in 2011 from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The company argues that the court has jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), citing both the arbitration and waiver exceptions. Argentina had agreed to arbitrate under a bilateral investment treaty with Italy and had ratified the ICSID Convention, which mandates that ICSID awards be enforced in contracting states’ courts.
