International Dispute Resolution, International Debt Recovery, International Arbitration, International Litigation, International Commercial Debt Recovery
Law Offices of Charles H. Camp
Recognition.  Achievement.




A recognized specialist in international debt collection.



  News

On May 13, 2010, Mr. Camp was honored by the George Washington University Law School for serving as an adjunct professor for five years. Mr. Camp teaches International Negotiations and recently his students made the following comments in their evaluations of him: “Hands down the best class I've taken in law school. . . . A great asset for any students interested in international law, finance or relations. . . . Prof. Camp is an experienced negotiator with tons of real world experience and insight.” “This class was fantastic. I have never had so much fun learning so much. It was one of the most useful and enjoyable classes I have ever taken. Professor Camp is a great resource and runs an excellent class.”

At the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Washington Foreign Law Society, Mr. Camp, who served as the Society’s president in 2006, was elected president-elect for 2011. According to the WFLS’s website, “The Washington Foreign Law Society, founded in 1952, promotes knowledge and understanding of international legal matters, comparative legal issues, and foreign law. It is a non-profit, tax-exempt, educational organization located in the District of Columbia. . . . The Washington Foreign Law Society serves as a forum for the intersection of legal and non-legal professionals serving in public and private capacities to the many US Government agencies, foreign missions, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and national and global professional firms with a Washington presence. The Society encourages discussion and opportunity among its members to advance understanding of foreign law as well as its relationship to a host of non-legal areas affecting both public and private sector matters today.”

At the 2009 Annual Meeting of Meridian International Center, Mr. Camp, following in the footsteps of his late father, John C. Camp, was elected to Meridian’s Board of Trustees. According to Meridian’s website, it was “founded in 1960, is a non-partisan, not-for-profit public diplomacy institution dedicated to strengthening international understanding. Meridian builds sustainable global partnerships through leadership exchanges, international collaboration and cultural diplomacy. Meridian is the leading manager of the U.S. State Department’s premier professional exchange operation — the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)—and creates custom programs for other U.S. government agencies, and public and private sector organizations. Meridian’s 2,500 yearly exchanges foster sustainable partnerships by linking Americans and global visitors through communities of interest.” “Meridian convenes diverse decision-makers and high-level influencers from the U.S. and abroad, drawing from the public and private sectors, academia and the arts for face-to-face and virtual exchanges of ideas. Participants share information and seek areas of agreement, which serve as catalysts for solving challenges shared between U.S. and international leaders.” “Meridian combines international exhibitions of paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos and performances with exchanges that present the social and political dynamics of countries and cultures through the works of their artists. Meridian’s traveling exhibitions and programs have reached 44 U.S. states and 24 countries.” “Meridian is an active Washington hub for embassies and the international diplomatic corps. Briefings by foreign Ambassadors, forums, dinners and cultural events deliver unique insights on America’s relations with other countries.”

On September 15, 2009, on behalf of Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait KSC, Mr. Camp (through his local counsel) filed a Complaint seeking $125 million and alleging fraud and breach of contract against Maan Abdulwahed A. Al Sanea and Saad Trading, Contracting & Financial Services Co. in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. Click here to see the Complaint. [The Complaint is attached to this email.]

On July 6, 2009, on behalf of approximately 1,000 Taiwanese, Mr. Camp filed a Petition for Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court in Dr. Roger C.S. Lin, et al. v. United States of America, No. 09-33. Click here to see the Petition. [The Petition is attached to this email.] The main issue presented to the Supreme Court was, “Whether the Political Question Doctrine can validly bar a federal court from interpreting the San Francisco Peace Treaty (“SFPT”) to determine if the United States’ designation in the SFPT as the ‘principal occupying power’ over ‘Formosa and the Pescadores’ (now called Taiwan) means that the United States has de jure sovereignty over Taiwan and, if so, whether petitioners have certain fundamental rights under the Constitution.” Unfortunately, on October 5, 2009, the Supreme Court denied certiorari.

At the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law, Mr. Camp was appointed Chairman of the first Audit Committee of the American Society of International Law, also making Mr. Camp ex officio a member of the Executive Council and Executive Committee. According to the ASIL’s website, “ASIL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization founded in 1906 and chartered by Congress in 1950. ASIL holds Category II Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies. The Society is headquartered at Tillar House in Washington, D.C… . The Society’s 4,000 members from nearly 100 nations include attorneys, academics, corporate counsel, judges, representatives of governments and nongovernmental organizations, international civil servants, students and others interested in international law.” Mr. Camp also has been appointed to the ASIL’s 2010 Program Committee, which annually organizes one of the largest international law conferences in the world. The 2010 ASIL Annual Meeting will be held March 24-27, 2010, at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.

On October 1, 2008, Mr. Camp, on behalf of his client Laura Murray, filed an amended complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against Gary Mulgrew and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC. The amended complaint adds two RICO counts against Mr. Mulgrew. Click here to see the First Amended Complaint.

On September 5, 2008, Mr. Camp, on behalf of his client Laura Murray, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against Gary Mulgrew and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC. Click here to see the Complaint.

On November 7, 2007, Mr. Camp was elected President of Friends of the Law Library of Congress, a non-profit organization formed in 1932 by a group of prominent attorneys and jurists, led by former U.S. Attorney General George Wickersham to encourage awareness and support of the Law Library of Congress, contribute to its collections, and sponsor programs that promote a better understanding of law.

On May 1, 2007, the Washington Foreign Law Society held its Annual Gala Dinner in conjunction with the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. At the Dinner, Mr. Camp, currently the 50th president of the Society, presented Secretary James A. Baker, III with the Society's highest award, the Harry LeRoy Jones Award for International Law. At the Gala, Mr. Robert Neale Lyman and the University of Virginia Law School's Journal of International Law also were awarded the Justice Robert H. Jackson Award for the Best Published Student Writing on a Foreign Law Subject.

On November 13, 2006, in Mones v. Commercial Bank of Kuwait, S.A.K., the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit entered a Summary Order vacating two orders of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in which the District Court had found it did not have the authority to order CBK to turnover deposits held in Kuwait, and remanded the case to the District Court for further findings on personal jurisdiction. Download a copy of the Second Circuit Summary Order.

On November 1, 2006, Mr. Camp argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. The issue on appeal is whether the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York had the authority to order the Commercial Bank of Kuwait, S.A.K. over which the District Court has personal jurisdiction, to turnover judgment debtor funds held by the bank outside of the United States. Mr. Camp represents the appellant, Bruce E. Mones, in the appeal. Download a copy of the appeal brief filed by Mr. Camp.

On October 24, 2006, Mr. Camp filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The Complaint asks the Court to declare whether the Taiwanese plaintiffs, including members of the Taiwan Nation Party, have certain rights under the United States Constitution.

On June 28, 2006, Mr. Camp was elected the 50th president of the Washington Foreign Law Society. The Washington Foreign Law Society, founded in 1952, promotes knowledge and understanding of international legal matters, comparative legal issues, and foreign law. The Washington Foreign Law Society serves as a forum for the intersection of legal and non-legal professionals serving in public and private capacities to the many US Government agencies, foreign missions, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and national and global professional firms with a Washington presence. Since its founding in 1952, the Society has been served by a large number of prominent lawyers, jurists, and other legal professionals on its Board of Governors and has attracted an even larger number of distinguished lawyers, jurists, and other legal professionals and public policy makers as sustaining members.

A copy of the program from the June 28, 2006, Annual Meeting at which Mr. Camp was elected president may be viewed by clicking here.

On April 30, 2004, in Walker v. Mones (D.D.C.), Mr. Camp obtained an Order from United States District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan denying Mobile Telecommunications Company's Motion for Preliminary Injunction, for Leave to File Complaint in Intervention and Request for Hearing. Mobile Telecommunications Company of Kuwait was represented by Bryan Cave LLP. On April 30, 2004, Mr. Camp also obtained an Order from Judge Sullivan denying Judgment Debtor Hamzah M. Behbehani's Motion to Vacate Order of Contempt and Arrest that Mr. Camp obtained September 10, 2003, against Mr. Behbehani and Sheikh Mishal Y.S. Al Sabah of Kuwait. Mr. Behbehani was represented by Becker, Hadeed, Kellogg & Berry, PC.

On April 22, 2004, in Mones v. National Bank of Kuwait (S.D.N.Y.), Mr. Camp obtained a formal Turnover Order from United States District Court Judge Leonard B. Sand ordering the National Bank of Kuwait to "forthwith pay over to Petitioner . . . all funds . . . being held in Kuwait as are necessary to fully satisfy" the Kuwaiti judgment debtors' respective obligations to Mr. Mones. The National Bank of Kuwait was represented by Hogan & Hartson LLP.

On March 24, 2004, in Mones v. National Bank of Kuwait (S.D.N.Y.), Mr. Camp obtained a Memorandum and Order from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York holding that New York's separate entity rule was "inapposite" in this post-judgment proceeding where Mones' petition for a turnover order was served directly upon NBK in Kuwait (rather than upon NBK's New York branch).

On December 23, 2003, in Mones v. Commercial Bank of Kuwait (S.D.N.Y.), Mr. Camp obtained an Order requiring the Commercial Bank of Kuwait to turnover to Mr. Mones funds of certain judgment debtors held in Kuwait by C.B.K.

On September 10, 2003, in Walker v. Mones, 1:96CV02876 (D.D.C.), on behalf of his client, Mr. Mones, Mr. Camp obtained an Order of Contempt and Arrest directed against two judgment debtors. Under the Order issued by United States District Judgment Emmet G. Sullivan, the two judgment debtors were ordered to pay Mr. Mones $4,000 per day until their prior obligations to Mr. Mones are fully satisfied.

On August 27, 2003, in AlAhli Bank of Kuwait (KSC) v. Rafidain Bank and Central Bank of Iraq, 96 Civ. 690 (S.D.N.Y.), Mr. Camp obtained for his client AlAhli Bank of Kuwait, a Restraining Notice signed by United States District Judge J. Michael McMahon effectively freezing approximately $85 million in Iraqi funds held by an offshore bank.

May 22, 2003, The Wall Street Journal Europe, "J.P. Morgan Seeks to Recover Old Claims Against Iraqi Banks," states:

Charles Camp, a Washington lawyer who specializes in international debt recovery, estimates that U.S. judgments against Iraqi organizations may total billions of dollars. Original debts have nearly doubled because of interest accumulated over more than a decade....In four other cases during the 1990s brought to trial by Mr. Camp, U.S. courts upheld claims to $489 million in principal loaned to Iraqi banks. Mr. Camp said the principal and accrued interest now total $700 million. Most of the 19 institutions involved in the cases are based in France or the Gulf region. Three of the lawsuits included institutions claiming debts on their own behalf, including the National Bank of Kuwait and Gulf International Bank BSC, based in Bahrain. One involved a syndicated loan from the Banque Arabe et Internationale d'Investissement of France, which is now in administration. The bank led a syndicate that included French bank Lazard LLC and UBAF, an affiliate of Credit Lyonnais SA.

May 21, 2003, Dow Jones International News, "Some Foreign Creditors Move to Force Iraq to Repay Debts," states:

Charles Camp, a Washington lawyer who specializes in international debt recovery, estimates that U.S. judgments against Iraqi organizations may total billions of dollars...because of interest accumulated over more than a decade....In four other cases during the 1990s brought to trial by Camp, U.S. courts upheld claims to $489 million in principal loaned to Iraqi banks. Camp said the principal and accrued interest now total $700 million. Most of the 19 institutions involved in the cases are based in France or the Gulf. Three of the lawsuits included institutions claiming debts on their own behalf, including the National Bank of Kuwait and the Bahrain-based Gulf International Bank. One involved a syndicated loan from the Banque Arabe et Internationale d'Investissement of France....The bank led a syndicate that includes France's Lazard and UBAF, an affiliate of Credit Lyonnais SA....Camp said one strategy to collect debts will involve locating and seizing hidden assets or accounts of Saddam Hussein's regime. But that strategy could conflict with the hunt for Saddam Hussein's loot by the U.S. government.

 

 

Copyright