2019年12月20日,在The Republic of Korea v Dayyani & Ors [2019] EWHC 3580 (Comm)一案中,英格兰与威尔士高等法院(以下简称法院)认为:(1)存在BIT所定义的“投资”;(2)仲裁申请人Dayyanis是BIT所定义的“投资者”,有权根据BIT提出索赔请求;(3)涉案争端在“缔约一方投资者与缔约另一方”之间产生,故仲裁庭对涉案争端具有管辖权。法院还认为,行为归属问题并非管辖权问题。在本案中,仲裁庭认定股权出让方和/或韩国资产管理公司(KAMCO)的行为归属于韩国政府,韩国政府不能就仲裁庭的此种认定提出异议。因此,法院裁定驳回韩国政府根据《1996年仲裁法》第67条提出的异议。
一、背景介绍
本案原告(仲裁程序的被申请人)为韩国政府,本案被告(仲裁程序的申请人)为Mohammad Reza Dayyani、Abbas Dayyani、Mohammad Hossein Dayyani、Ali Dayyani、Fetemeh Dayyani、Kosar Dayyani(以下统称Dayyanis)。
2010年8月17日,为收购一家在韩国注册的家电企业Daewoo的资产和债务,本案被告Dayyanis在新加坡成立了D&A。没有争议的是Dayyanis持有并控制D&A。
2010年11月7日,Daewoo的出让方与D&A签订了《股权与债权收购协议》(以下简称SPA)。当事人在SPA中就股权转让金额、定金的支付、交易期限、法律适用等内容作出约定。此外,SPA约定由D&A以投资者名义向出让方提交一份确认函,若D&A未及时提交确认函,出让方有权没收合同定金。
2010年11月9日,D&A支付了合同定金。2010年12月7日,D&A提交了确认函。出让方未接受该确认函,并要求D&A在2010年12月10日前提交令人满意的确认函。2010年12月13日,出让方发出声明立即终止SPA。此后,当事人展开了一系列谈判。
2015年9月10日,Dayyanis根据1998年10月31日的《大韩民国政府和伊朗伊斯兰共和国政府关于促进和保护投资的协定》(以下简称BIT)第12条争端解决条款的向韩国政府提起仲裁,仲裁地为英国伦敦。Dayyanis认为Daewoo由韩国资产管理公司(KAMCO)指挥和控制,KAMCO的行为等同于韩国政府的行为。Dayyanis指控韩国政府未提供公平公正待遇,违反BIT第4条;没收Dayyanis的资产,违反BIT第6条。
2018年6月5日,仲裁庭作出裁决:(1)一致认定仲裁庭对Dayyanis所提交的请求有管辖权,认为该请求可以受理。(2)一致认定韩国政府违反BIT第4条中关于提供公平公正待遇的义务。(3)多数决定韩国政府应返还所支付的合同定金以及单利利息。(4)多数决定韩国政府应支付仲裁费用。(5)驳回Dayyanis的其他请求。
2018年7月3日,韩国政府请求英格兰与威尔士法院根据《1996年英国仲裁法》第67条以仲裁庭缺乏管辖权为由撤销裁决。
二、法院认定
《英国仲裁法》第67条规定:“(1)仲裁程序的一方当事人(经通知其他当事人和仲裁庭)可向法院申请:(a)就仲裁庭的实体管辖权对裁决提出异议;或(b)因仲裁庭无实体管辖权,要求法院裁定宣布仲裁庭就实体方面作出的裁决全部或部分无效。”(67(1) A party to arbitral proceedings may (upon notice to the other parties and to the tribunal) apply to the court— (a) challenging any award of the arbitral tribunal as to its substantive jurisdiction; or (b) for an order declaring an award made by the tribunal on the merits to be of no effect, in whole or in part, because the tribunal did not have substantive jurisdiction.)
韩国政府根据上述规定就仲裁庭的实体管辖权对裁决提出异议。在本案中,仲裁庭是否具有实体管辖权取决于仲裁条款的范围。
BIT第12条为争端解决条款,其中规定:“1. 缔约一方投资者与缔约另一方之间直接因投资产生的任何法律争端,应由双方友好解决。2.如果该争端在一方书面通知另一方之日起六个月内未得到解决,则应根据投资者的请求和选择,将该争端提交给:(a)投资所在地的缔约一方的有管辖权的法院;或(b)临时仲裁庭;或(c)根据《解决国家和其他国家国民之间投资争端公约》成立的国际投资争端解决中心(ICSID),如果缔约方均为该公约的签署国。”
(1 Any legal dispute arising directly out of an investment between an investor of one Contracting Party and the other Contracting Party shall be settled amicably between the two parties concerned.
2 If this dispute has not been settled within a period of six (6) months from the date at which it was notified in writing by one party to the other, it shall be submitted, at the request and choice of investors for settlement to: (a) The competent court of the Contracting Party in the territory of which the investment has been made; or (b) an ad hoc arbitral tribunal; or (c) the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes established by the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of other States, if both Contracting Parties are signatories to the Convention.")
BIT第1(1)条对投资作出定义:“‘投资’一词是指各种财产或资产,尤其是包括但不限于缔约一方投资者根据缔约另一方(以下简称东道国缔约方)的法律、法规在缔约另一方境内投资的:(a)动产和不动产以及与之相关的权利,如抵押权、留置权、租赁权或质押权;(b)股权或任何其他形式的参股;(c)货币和/或应收款项;(d)知识产权,如著作权、专利权、商标权、商名、工艺流程、专有技术和商誉;(e)勘探、耕作、提炼或开发自然资源的权利。”
BIT第1(2)条对投资者作出定义:“‘投资者’一词是指在本协定框架内在缔约另一方领土内投资的下列人员:(a)根据缔约任何一方的法律被认为是缔约另一方的国民,但没有缔约东道国的国籍的自然人……”
"1 The term 'investment' refers to every kind of property or asset, and in particular, though not exclusively, including the following, invested by the investors of one Contracting Party in the territory of the other Contracting Party in accordance with the laws and regulations of the other Contracting Party (hereinafter referred to as the 'host Contracting Party'): (a) movable and immovable property as well as rights related thereto, such as mortgages, liens, leases or pledges;(b) shares or any kind of participation in companies; (c) money and/or receivables; (d) industrial and intellectual property rights such as patent, utility models, industrial designs or models, trade marks and names, know-how and goodwill; (e) rights to search for, extract or exploit natural resources.
2 The term 'investors' refers to the following persons who invest in the territory of the other Contracting Party within the framework of this Agreement: (a) natural persons who, according to the laws of either Contracting Party, are considered to be its national and have not the nationality of the host Contracting Party …"
1. 是否存在BIT第1(1)条所定义的“投资”
由上述仲裁条款可知,应提交仲裁的争端是缔约一方投资者与缔约另一方之间“直接因投资产生”的法律争端。法院首先需要审议是否存在BIT第1(1)条所定义“投资”。为此,法院审议了如下三个问题:(1)终止前的SPA和/或合同定金,是否分别或共同构成BIT第1条所指的“投资”?(2)D&A是否有权利参与Daewoo的收购过程?若有权,任何此种权利是否构成BIT第1(1)条所指的“投资”?(3)综合考虑,Dayyaniss和/或D&A在签订和履行SPA中所花费的努力是否构成BIT第1(1)条所指的“投资”?
To recap, Questions 1-3 are in these terms:
(1) Do the SPA before Closing and/or the Contract Deposit, individually or together, constitute an "investment" within the meaning of Article 1(1) of the BIT?
(2) Did D&A have a right to participate in the acquisition process of Daewoo? If so, did any such right constitute an "investment" within the meaning of Article 1(1) of the BIT?
(3) Taken together, do the efforts expended by the Dayyaniss and/or D&A in the conclusion and carrying out of the SPA constitute an "investment" within the meaning of Article 1(1) of the BIT?)
Dayyaniss认为其持有三项投资,即:(1)SPA及其权利;(2)合同定金;(3)投资的整体运作,其中任何一项都足以使仲裁庭具有管辖权。韩国政府则认为,这些所谓的投资都不构成BIT第1(1)条所指的“投资”:(1)所谓的投资并非“财产或资产”;(2)所谓的投资缺乏“投资”的特征;(3)所谓的投资并非“在韩国进行的投资”。
法院针对韩国政府的上述三个论点依次展开分析。
(1)所谓的投资是否属于“财产或资产”
首先,法院认为,BIT第1(1)条关于“投资”的定义非常宽泛,它是指“各种财产或资产”。法院认为,在所列举类别的句首使用了“包括”,“尤其是不限于”的措辞,这表明“投资”的定义不受所列举类别的限制。(In my judgment, the definition of "investments" is a very wide one. It is in terms of "every kind of property or asset" (emphasis added). I do not consider that it can be said to be limited by the enumerated categories. The chapeau identifies the definition as "including", "in particular, though not exclusively", the identified categories.That language clearly indicates that the definition in the chapeau is not limited by the enumerated categories.)法院承认,在语境中,“资产”一词包含了拥有的和有价值的东西,“资产”一词隐含的价值要求是某种经济价值。但是,法院不认为第1(1)条所指的“资产”必须具有“商业或交换价值”。BIT第1(1)条没有作此种要求,该要求会不公平地限制“各种……资产”的宽泛措辞的含义(I do not, however, consider that an asset, as the term is used in Article 1(1), needs to have a "commercial or exchange value" if that is intended to suggest that it need be marketable. That is to read in a requirement which is not expressed, and which would unjustifiably restrict the meaning of the wide phrase "every kind of … asset")。另外,第1(1)条将“投资”定义为“财产或资产”。对“财产”含义的良好表述,是指对某物的一种权利或利益,该权利或利益可以被第三方定义,可以被第三方识别,在性质上可以由第三方承担,并且具有一定的持久性或稳定性(Furthermore, in Article 1(1) of the BIT, the definition of "investment" is in terms of "property or [an] asset". A good general statement of the meaning of "property" is a right or interest in something which is definable, identifiable by third parties, capable in its nature of assumption by third parties, and having some degree of permanence or stability)(参见National Provincial Bank v Ainsworth [1965] AC 1175)案)。但是,并不要求该权利或利益具备价值,即“财产”无需具备价值。确实,为赋予BIT第1(1)条中的“财产”和“资产”使用效力,通过这样的措辞,投资还包括另一个类别,即持有的但可能具有也可能不具有价值的投资(Indeed, to give effet utile to the use of "property" as well as "asset" in the chapeau to Article 1(1), an obvious additional category included by the use of the term is something which is owned which does or may not have value.)。
随后,法院就Dayyanis所声称的三项投资,即(1)SPA及其权利;(2)合同定金;(3)投资的整体运作,是否构成“财产或资产”展开分析。
Dayyanis所声称的第一项投资是SPA及其权利,法院认为,SPAS是当事人签署的有约束力的合同,赋予了D&A在韩国法下的权利,D&A对Daewoo股权没有既得的权利并不意味着不存在可执行的权利(The fact that there was not a vested right on the part of D&A to the shares in Daewoo did not mean that there were no enforceable rights)。
如前所述,法院认为BIT第1(1)条不要求“投资”具有价值,但即使法院的该结论有误,法院还认为SPA确实对D&A有经济价值。在投标竞争程序后,SPA赋予D&A收购Daewoo的独家参与权,出让方承诺尽最大努力完成整个过程,且在此期间不改变标的的现状。这是一项具有经济价值的资产,D&A支付合同定金就证明了这一点。(The SPA was awarded to D&A after a contested tender process. It secured to D&A the exclusive right to participate in the process which could lead to the acquisition of Daewoo, a commitment by the Sellers to using Best Efforts to see the process through, and an undertaking by the Sellers not to change the status quo of the target during that period. That this was an economically valuable asset is demonstrated by the fact that D&A paid over US$ 50 million by way of the Contract Deposit.)SPA是一份双边合同,根据合同规定,D&A既受约束又享有权利。法院认为,它既是财产又是资产,其中有D&A的投资,通过D&A的投资形成对价(The SPA, being a bilateral contract under which D&A was both bound by and entitled under contractual stipulations, was in my judgment both an asset or property into which there was investment by D&A and which constituted a contribution by way of investment put in by D&A.)。
Dayyanis所声称的第二项投资是合同定金,法院支持仲裁庭的观点认为合同定金显然属于“投资”的含义范围,因此构成了“投资”。合同定金满足“缔约一方投资者根据缔约另一方(以下简称东道国缔约方)的法律、法规在缔约另一方境内投资的……各种财产或资产”的定义。合同定金是根据韩国法律为公司收购之目的而支付,属于BIT第1(1)(c)条所指的“货币和/或应收款项”。
Dayyanis所声称的第三项投资是投资的整体运作,即在韩国境内的和与韩国有关的运作。法院认为,只要这些事项不包含在前两个类别中(即SPA和合同定金),法院不认为它们能构成任何正常的、通常被描述为资产或财产的东西。无论如何,鉴于法院对前两个类别的结论,第三个类别是否属于“投资”没有真正的意义。(Insofar as those matters are not embraced within the two categories already considered (the SPA and the Contract Deposit), I was unconvinced that they amounted to anything which could properly and ordinarily be described as an asset or property. In any event, given my conclusion in relation to the first two categories, this point is of no real significance.)
(2)所谓的投资是否缺乏“投资”的特征
韩国政府认为,即使Dayyanis所声称的投资构成“财产或资产”,但仍不构成投资,因其不满足“投资”的以下特征:(1)对价;(2)投资风险,而不仅仅是合同风险;(3)持续时间。(The Republic's second argument under this head was that, even if the matters relied on by the Dayyaniss (and in particular the SPA and the Contract Deposit) constitute "property or assets" they nevertheless do not constitute an "investment" because an "investment" must have certain objective characteristics, namely (i) a contribution, (ii) investment risk as opposed to mere contractual risk, and (iii) duration.)法院认为,在BIT没有明文规定的情况下解读出对投资构成的要求,这缺乏依据。BIT第1(1)条对“投资”作出宽泛定义,如果当事人约定对构成投资的类别作出比“各种财产或资产”更狭窄的限制,当事人应当明确表达出来。(In my judgment, and putting on one side for the moment the argument based on the words "invested by", there is no basis for "readingin to" the BIT requirements as to what may constitute an investment which are not specified. There is a broadly-expressed definition of "investment" in Article 1(1) of the BIT. Had the Contracting Parties agreed to limit what might qualify as an investment to a category narrower than that embraced by the words "every kind of property or asset", that would have been expressed.)
法院补充道,即使“投资”必须具备韩国政府所称的前述三个特征,法院认为,SPA和合同定金已经具备这三个特征。SPA规定了D&A的各种义务,包括支付合同定金,以及购买Daewoo股权的或有义务和权利,这满足了对价的要求。其次,SPA设想立即支付合同定金,并在3个月内完成交易,如果交易完成,获得的Daewoo股权没有期限,满足了持续时间的要求。再次,由于这种安排的性质和持续时间,收购交易面临巨大的政治风险,满足了风险的要求。
(3)所谓的投资是否是“在韩国作出的投资”
韩国政府认为,Dayyanis所声称的投资不是在韩国作出。法院反驳道,既然SPA和合同定金被认定为“投资”,很明显,它们必须被认为是在韩国领土上作出的投资。对于SPA,该协议受韩国法律管辖,故其中的权利都是韩国法下的权利。这是一份收购韩国公司的协议,一方的重要付款义务和另一方的股权转让义务将在韩国履行。而对于合同定金,这笔款项被打入韩国账户,至今没有归还。因此,SPA和合同定金是在韩国作出的投资。
综合以上理由,法院认为,终止前的SPA和/或合同定金,分别或共同构成了BIT第1(1)条所指的“投资”。
2. Dayyaniss是否有立场根据BIT第1(1)条和第1(2)条提出索赔请求
韩国政府认为,所谓的资产属于D&A,而不是Dayyaniss,后者不是直接持有人,无权提出索赔请求,故仲裁庭不具有管辖权。法院认为,BIT未明确要求“投资者”在构成“投资”的财产或资产中持有或拥有直接的法律利益。当事人约定作出此种限制时应当予以明确,否则就不能从条约中解读出此种限制,这在法院看来是对条约的重写。(Any analysis of this issue must commence with the terms of the BIT. The terms of the BIT, whether Article 1 or Article 12, do not include any express requirement that the "investor" own or have a direct legal interest in the property or asset which constitutes the "investment". Nor do I consider that any such limitation, which could have been expressed if agreed between the contracting states, can be read into the treaty wording. That would appear to me to be a rewriting of the treaty.)为此,法院援引Mobil Corporation, Venezuela Holdings B.V. v Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB/07/27; 10.6.2010)案,CEMEX Caracas Investments B.V. v Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB/08/15; 30.12.2010)案,以及 Mera InvestmentFund Ltd v Republic of Serbia (ICSID Case No. ARB/17/2;30.11.2018)案等诸多判例以支持其观点。
因此,法院认为,Dayyaniss是BIT第1(2)条所指的“投资者”,可以就由D&A直接持有或拥有的“投资”提出索赔请求,故Dayyaniss有权根据BIT第1(1)条和第12条就SPA和合同定金提出索赔请求。
3. 韩国政府提出的行为归属问题,即就BIT第12条的目的而言,出让方和/或KAMCO的行为是否归属于韩国政府,是否是《1996仲裁法》第67条所指的管辖权问题
韩国政府认为,出让方和/或KAMCO的行为不能归属于韩国政府。就BIT第12条的目的而言,因出让方和/或KAMCO的行为所导致的争端并非“缔约一方投资者与缔约另一方之间”的争端,一个国家可能需要负责的行为是其在国家法下应当负责任的行为,这并不包括KAMCO的行为。涉案争端是Dayyaniss与KAMCO之间的争端,不属于BIT第12条的范围。因此,根据BIT第12条任命的仲裁庭对涉案请求缺乏属人管辖权。(Underlying this point is that the Republic denies that any acts of the Sellers and/or KAMCO are attributable to it. It says that because of this, a dispute arising out of an act of the Sellers and/or KAMCO is not a dispute "between an investor of one Contracting Party and the other Contracting Party" for the purposes of Article 12 of the BIT. The only acts for which a State may be answerable are those for which it is responsible under international law. Those do not include the acts of KAMCO. The dispute here is therefore to be regarded as between the Dayyaniss and KAMCO and that does not fall within Article 12. The Tribunal appointed pursuant to Article 12 of the BIT accordingly lacked jurisdiction ratione personae over such claims.)
法院认为,就BIT第12条的目的而言,毫无疑问韩国政府是BIT的缔约方。如果投资者就投资向缔约方提出请求,并主张该缔约方应对某些行为负责,但该缔约方以这不是其所为而否认此种责任,那么在这点上,投资者和该缔约方之间就存在争端。(There is no doubt that the Republic is a Contracting Party for the purposes of Article 12. If an investor makes a claim against a Contracting Party arising out of an investment, and as part of that claims that the Contracting Party was responsible for certain acts, and the Contracting Party denies that it had any such responsibility because the acts were not its, then there is a dispute between the investor and the Contracting Party on that issue.)国际法中的“争端”一词的意思是“两方在某一法律或事实上的分歧,在法律观点或利益上的冲突”(参见Mavrommatis Palestine(Greece v UK) (1924) PCIJ Ser a No. 2, 11案)。此外,BIT第12条还包括直接由投资者和东道国缔约方之间的投资引起的“任何法律争端”。这些措辞的范围很宽泛,足以把关于特定行为是否归属于东道国缔约方的争端包括在内。因此,法院认为,在某些实体的行为并非明显与国家无关的情况下,此种争端属于仲裁庭的管辖范围。(Accordingly, at least in a case where it is not manifest that the entity whose acts are sought to be attributed had no link whatever to the state[1], such a dispute falls within the jurisdiction of the arbitrators.)
另外,法院认为,将行为归属问题视为管辖权问题,既令人惊讶又极不方便。此种争端在投资仲裁中很常见,通常在事实和法律上都很复杂。如果行为归属问题自动被视为管辖权问题,仲裁地所在法院也需要解决那些与许多索赔请求的实体问题不可分割的问题。法院注意到,有许多投资仲裁裁决都将该问题作为实体问题处理。(I would regard it as both surprising and highly inconvenient if issues as to attribution were regarded as jurisdictional. Such issues are a commonplace in investment arbitrations, and are often both factually and legally complicated. If they were matters which were automatically jurisdictional it would involve the municipal courts of the seat resolving issues which are integral to the merits of many claims under bilateral investment treaties. I note that there are a large number of investment arbitration awards which deal with the issue as one of the merits.)
因此,法院认为,行为归属问题并非管辖权问题。
鉴于上述结论,即行为归属问题并非管辖权问题,就仲裁庭对出让方和/或KAMCO的行为归属所作的决定,韩国政府不能提出异议。仲裁庭将出让方和/或KAMCO的行为归属于韩国政府的行为,结合仲裁裁决的其他认定,此种归属足以使韩国政府对Dayyaniss承担责任(the Republic cannot challenge the decisions of the Tribunal as to the attributability to it of acts of the Sellers and/or KAMCO. Such attribution is sufficient for the Republic to have been liable to the Dayyaniss, given the rest of the Tribunal's findings)。
此外,法院还指出,独立于KAMCO和/或出让方归属于韩国政府的行为之外,仲裁庭多数意见认定韩国政府违反了BIT并需为此承担责任(In my judgment it is clear that the majority of the Tribunal did find that the Republic was directly responsible for a breach of the BIT independently of the attribution of acts of the Sellers and/or KAMCO)。显然,对于韩国政府须直接负责的违反BIT的行为,仲裁庭根据BIT第12条具有管辖权。
综上所述,法院认为:(1)存在BIT第1(1)条所定义的“投资”;(2)Dayyaniss是BIT第1(2)条所定义的“投资者”,有权根据BIT提出索赔请求;(3)涉案争端是在“缔约一方投资者与缔约另一方”之间产生。法院还认为,行为归属问题并非管辖权问题,韩国政府不能就仲裁庭在行为归属方面的认定提出异议。因此,法院裁定驳回韩国政府根据《1996年仲裁法》第67条提出的异议。
三、评论
在本案中,韩国政府根据《英国仲裁法》第67条以仲裁庭缺乏管辖权为由对裁决提出异议。法院需要处理的问题是仲裁庭是否具有管辖权,而仲裁庭是否具有管辖权取决于仲裁条款的范围。根据BIT第12条的争端解决条款,仲裁庭对“缔约一方投资者与缔约另一方之间直接因投资产生的任何法律争端”具有管辖权。BIT第1(1)条和第1(2)分别对“投资”和“投资者”作出定义。从这些条款可知,确定仲裁庭是否具有管辖权需解决如下三个子问题:(1)是否存在第1(1)条所指的“投资”;(2)仲裁申请人Dayyaniss是否是第1(2)条所指的“投资者”;(3)涉案争端是否在“缔约一方投资者与缔约另一方”之间产生。
对于第一个问题,法院认为,股权收购协议(SPA)和合同定金,符合BIT第1(1)条对“投资”的定义,故存在BIT第1(1)条所指的“投资”。对于第二个问题,法院认为,BIT没有明确排除间接投资,Dayyaniss通过D&A进行投资,属于BIT第1(2)条所指的“投资者”。对于第三个问题,法院认为,如果投资者根据BIT向东道国缔约方提出请求,并主张该缔约方应对某些实体的行为负责,但该缔约方否认此种责任,那么在这点上,投资者和该缔约方之间就存在争端。综合以上理由,法院认为,仲裁庭对涉案争端具有管辖权。
另外,法院还指出,特定行为是否归属于国家并非管辖权问题,就仲裁庭对行为归属所作的决定,当事人不能提出异议。因此,在本案中,仲裁庭将出让方和/或KAMCO的行为归属于韩国政府的行为,结合仲裁裁决的其他认定,此种行为归属足以使韩国政府对Dayyaniss承担责任。