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Luka S. Misetic
Partner
Luka Misetic is an international lawyer with extensive experience before international tribunals. With more than 20 years of trial experience, Luka has a national and international practice that focuses on representation of individuals, corporations and governments in complex commercial, civil, international criminal and international arbitration cases.
Luka advises sovereigns in international legal matters pending before ICSID, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice and various other international tribunals. He also continues to represent clients in domestic litigation, including breach of contract, fraud and partnership disputes. In May 2018, he and his team secured a complete victory for the Republic of Kosovo in a €380 million claim brought before ICSID. In June 2019, Luka and his team secured a complete victory for the Republic of Estonia in a US$100 million investment treaty claim brought under the Netherlands–Estonia Bilateral Investment Treaty by Estonian water provider AS Tallinna Vesi and its Dutch shareholder United Utilities (Tallinn) B.V.
Luka’s work in The Hague (where he lived for two years) as lead counsel defending Croatian General Ante Gotovina led to General Gotovina’s full acquittal before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, garnering worldwide attention. He was the youngest lawyer ever to defend a case before an international criminal tribunal. An experienced trial lawyer, Luka currently represents the former President of Kosovo, Mr. Hashim Thaçi, in his international war crimes trial in The Hague.
He also represents clients in state, federal and international litigation, including commercial, civil, white collar criminal and international criminal cases. Luka represents corporations and partnerships, as well as their directors, officers and partners in breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims, regulatory matters, trade secrets claims, fraud and negligence suits, and a variety of other claims.
Globus Magazine (Zagreb, Croatia weekly) has named him “one of the 100 Most Influential Croatians in the World.” In addition, in 2013, Luka received the Croatian-American Bar Association’s Vinodol Code Award in recognition of his distinguished legal career and outstanding contribution to the Croatian-American community.
- Secured a complete victory as counsel for the Republic of Kosovo before ICSID in case of ACP Axos Capital GmbH vs. Republic of Kosovo, concerning alleged breaches of 1989 bilateral investment treaty between Germany and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The ICSID tribunal dismissed all claims and ordered the claimant to pay Kosovo all costs incurred as a result of the arbitration.
- Secured a complete victory for the Republic of Estonia before ICSID in case of AS Tallinna Vesi vs. Republic of Estonia, concerning alleged breaches of bilateral investment treaty between Estonia and the Netherlands.
- Represents the Republic of Kosovo in several investment arbitrations, including Bedri Selmani v. Republic of Kosovo (ICC Case No. 24443/MHM/HBH); IuteCredit v. Republic of Kosovo (ICC Case No. 25135/HBH); and Blerim Devolli v. Republic of Kosovo (ICC Case No. 25183/HBH).
- Represents the Republic of Croatia in a billion-dollar dispute over Energy Charter Treaty claim pending before ICSID in case of MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas vs. Republic of Croatia.
- Represents the State of Libya in a pending €183 million arbitration relating to a construction project filed by the company Guris Insaat ve Muhedislik before the ICC under the Turkey–Libya BIT.
- Represents the State of Libya in a pending €52 million arbitration relating to a construction project filed by the company Nurol Insaat ve Ticaret before the ICC under the Turkey–Libya BIT.
- Represents the State of Libya in a pending US$61 million arbitration related to a construction project filed by the company Ustay Yappi Taahhut ve Ticaret before the ICC under the Turkey–Libya BIT.
- Obtained full acquittal in representation of Croatian General Ante Gotovina as lead counsel before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
- Served as lead defense counsel in representation of Bosnian Croat Anto Furundzija before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, the Netherlands.
- Represented Croatia in dispute against Serbia before the International Court of Justice and obtained a dismissal of all claims against Croatia.
- Secured a multimillion-dollar recovery in US District Court for German plaintiff victimized in international fraud and money laundering scheme.
- Represented the former Soviet Republic of Tajikistan in defense of breach of contract action.
- Defended large US contractor in a case alleging violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
- Secured multimillion-dollar recovery for plaintiff in defamation action against major US law firm.
Education
- University of Notre Dame, J.D., cum laude, 1996
- Northwestern University, B.A., 1992
Admissions
- New York, 2014
- Illinois, 1996
Courts
- U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. of New York
- U.S. Dist. Ct., E. Dist. of New York
- U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Illinois
- Kosovo Specialist Chambers
- International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, The Hague, Netherlands
Languages
- English
- Croatian
- Presenter, “Interplay Between Local and International Law in the Definition of Investment, “ 6th Investment Treaty Arbitration Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, October 2016.
- Presenter, “Advocacy in International Arbitration,” 5th Annual GAR Live, New York, September 2016.
- Quoted, “ICTY Hague Court in Turmoil Amid Claims of Manipulation,” BBC, June 19, 2013.
- Quoted, “UN Fights Release of War Crimes Suspect,” The New York Times, August 23, 2007.
- Author, Op-Ed, “Try Gotovina in Europe,” The Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2005.
- Quoted, “What Did the CIA Know?” Newsweek, August 27, 2001.
- Speaker, “Sacrificing the Rights of the Accused for the Success of International Criminal Justice,” Conference on International Criminal Defence in The Hague, November 2000.
- Featured, “Rights of the Despised,” The American Prospect, August 14, 2000.
- Interviewee, “The World,” Public Radio International, March 3, 2000.
- Featured, “The Young Lawyers: Misetic Tackles War Crimes Case,” Chicago Lawyer, March 1999.
- Appearance, “All Things Considered,” National Public Radio, December 10, 1998.