From Award to Recovery: Enforcing Against Sovereigns and State-Owned Enterprises in a Changing World

As sovereigns and state-owned enterprises play a role in global commerce, disputes involving state-linked parties continue to generate the world’s largest arbitration awards. Yet obtaining an award often marks the beginning, not the end, of the dispute. Aligned with New York Arbitration Week 2026’s theme, “Arbitration in a Changing World: The Road Ahead,” this interactive panel will examine what comes next for creditors when recovery is shaped by geopolitical volatility, sanctions and asset mobility, sovereign immunity defenses, enforcement venues, and funding cross-border recovery campaigns. The discussion will focus on the future of arbitral recovery against sovereigns and SOEs, and how practitioners, clients and funders are adapting strategies as the path from award to recovery becomes more contested and global. Attendees will gain insight into enforcement trends, sovereign counter-offenses, and considerations to maximize recovery prospects before, during and after arbitration.