Allen & Overy is representing the government of Cambodia in the country’s first-ever treaty-based Investor-State Dispute Settlement case brought by two Chinese nationals who are being counselled by Hui Zhong Law Firm and Arent Fox, according to reports.

Cambodian newspaper Phnom Penh Post reports that Qiong Ye and Jianping Yang are board chairman and director of telecom operator Kingtel Communications, respectively. The case is believed to be Cambodia’s first-ever treaty-based Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) case.

The newspaper added that the case is most likely due to the revocation of Kingtel’s Internet service provider licence in October last year over “inactivity, non-compliance of their revenue share and other obligations as required under their licences, or failure to provide necessary technical documents.”

Ye and Yan are said to have invoked their rights under the ASEAN-China Investment Agreement 2009. Article 14 of that treaty allows for “investment disputes between a party and an investor,” the Post reported.

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