QUARTERLY DISPUTES BAROMETER: JAN-MAR 2026
From sanctions-driven trade tensions and energy-sector upheavals to the rise of climate litigation, cyber risks and artificial intelligence (AI) governance challenges, businesses are navigating an environment where contractual certainty is increasingly elusive.
This edition of our Disputes Barometer examines the key trends shaping dispute resolution strategies worldwide. It explores the growing complexity of enforcement, the evolution of arbitration frameworks, and the surge in multi-tiered dispute resolution clauses, alongside insights into risk management practices that can help organisations anticipate and mitigate exposure.
As macroeconomic pressures and technological disruption converge, early preparation and strategic agility have become essential.
Global disputes in a fractured world: sanctions, trade and emerging risks
The landscape of international disputes has become increasingly complex, shaped by geopolitical shocks, regulatory interventions and technological disruption. Businesses operating across borders now face a convergence of risks that challenge traditional dispute resolution strategies and demand proactive risk management.
Sanctions and trade restrictions have emerged as dominant catalysts for disputes, hitting global supply chains and long-term contractual arrangements. The effects are forcing parties to reassess their positions and, in many cases, resort to litigation or arbitration as a means of exit.
“Commercial and investor-state disputes remain driven by macro shocks and their ripple effects, notably unexpected shifts in tariffs and trade policies, sanctions including the European Union (EU’s) recent 19th sanctions package against Russia, persistent supply‑chain fragility, and the reversal of green incentives,” says Shreya Ramesh, an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP. “The commercial reality of attempting to re‑price or renegotiate long‑term offtake and supply arrangements has increasingly resulted in the deployment of litigation or arbitration as an exit strategy.”
Jan-Mar 2026 issue
Ashurst
Latham & Watkins LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP