What does an early warning sign of a treaty dispute look like?
Almost always, a state does something to a foreign investment. It revokes a mining licence, cancels a concession, raises royalties after the fact, imposes a windfall tax, bans exports or takes over an asset outright. Some measures hit one company. Others, like Spain's 2013 cut to renewable subsidies, hit a whole sector at once.
Not every measure becomes a dispute, though. Plenty end in negotiation, a quiet settlement or an investor deciding the fight isn't worth it. The useful question is which ones carry the marks of a claim: a foreign investor with treaty protection, real money at stake and a state that has moved against it.
Why do registries and case databases come too late?
They record what has already happened. Under the UNCITRAL transparency rules, the first published details of a case appear at the notice of arbitration stage. By then counsel has been chosen and the claim is written.
Some disputes never surface at all. UNCTAD, which keeps the most complete count of treaty cases, says the real number is likely to be higher than its 1,463 known cases, because some arbitrations stay fully confidential.
What does DSPT Finder watch, and what does it send you?
It reads news, government publications and company disclosures from more than 2,100 sources in 32 languages across 159+ countries, and translates every headline into English. It is updated several times a day.
- Alerts on new measures against foreign investors, scored by how likely they are to lead to a treaty claim.
- A daily brief by email with the day's most important items.
- A map of where disputes are building, which you can filter by country, sector and priority.
- The full story behind each alert, including the investors affected and the treaties that might apply.
The score is only a starting point.
Who uses dispute early warning?
Arbitration lawyers use it to spot work before a claim is filed, which is why it doubles as a business development tool. Litigation funders use it to see claims early. Risk teams at companies with assets abroad can read the same alerts as political and regulatory risk monitoring across the 159+ countries it covers.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from Google Alerts?
Keyword alerts send everything that matches a word. DSPT Finder reads sources in 32 languages, picks out measures against foreign investors and ranks them, so you see a short list instead of hundreds of articles.
Does it cover local-language news?
Yes. The first report of a measure often appears only in the local press, so it reads 32 languages and translates every headline into English.
Can I follow only certain countries or sectors?
Yes. Alerts, the daily brief and the map can all be narrowed to the regions and sectors you care about.
How can I try it?
Ask for 10 free leads, or book a demo with the team.