The ABILA Book Award for a First-time Author was given to David Attanasio for International Investment Protection for Global Banking and Finance: Legal Principles and Arbitral Practice (Wolters Kluwer, 2021), co-authored with Arif Ali. David Attanasio is an Associate at Dechert LLP and a member of the American Branch’s Board of Directors.

This book is a comprehensive guide to international investment protection in the banking and finance sector and provides the first complete discussion of how international investment law applies to investors and investments in the sector. Global banking and finance is a complex and specialized field with sector-specific investment forms, subject to distinctive legal and regulatory frameworks and unique kinds of political risk. This trailblazing book paves the way for the future consolidation of international investment protection as a critical tool for managing the political risk confronting global banking and finance. Featuring expert guidance on the vital legal protections for cross-border finance and banking investments, along with exhaustive and up-to-date coverage of investor-State cases, the book crystallizes a set of field-specific legal principles for the sector.

The 2022 Selection Committee was composed of Mark Janis, Peggy McGuinness, Fernanda Nicola, and Mortimer Sellers (Chair).