The lawyers representing the Sulu claimants have long faced scrutiny, but recent investigations and insider accounts suggest levels of connection with convicted former arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa that were previously unimaginable. Image Source: Pexels

Cohen’s presence may have reflected professional solidarity among arbitration lawyers, yet it also underscores broader unease over Stampa’s handling of the case and his relationships with the claimants’ legal team, both internationally and in Spain, the original seat of arbitration.

Stampa’s appeal against a contempt of court conviction carrying a six-month prison term was recently denied by a Spanish court. Even after this ruling, new information continues to surface suggesting that his independence as arbitrator may have been compromised from the outset. Attention has also turned to Stampa’s professional connections with the Spanish law firm B. Cremades & Asociados, which represented the Sulu claimants in Spain. Stampa previously worked at the firm and reportedly remains close to its founder, Bernardo Cremades Sr. Given his long stint inside the firm and subsequent work orbiting the same cases, he appears to have remained within Cremades’s professional circle.

“Stampa previously worked for the Sulu claimants’ legal representatives, Cremades, and reportedly remains close to the firm’s founder.”

While the international arbitration community is known to be relatively small and overlapping, this particular relationship stands out because of the direct role the firm played in the Sulu arbitration.

The concerning nature of this close relationship can also be seen in a youtube video uploaded on 11 May 2022, showing Bernardo Cremades Jr., also of the firm, openly describing how the team persuaded Stampa to continue the arbitration despite legal obstacles in Spain—and even taking credit for influencing the critical decision to illegally move the arbitral seat from Madrid to Paris.

“Bernardo Cremades Jr. openly mentions persuading Stampa to continue the arbitration despite legal obstacles in Spain and to illegally move the arbitral seat from Madrid to Paris.”

That decision, made after Spanish courts had annulled Stampa’s appointment as the sole arbitrator, effectively allowed the arbitration to proceed outside Spain’s jurisdiction and led to the massive $14.9 billion award against Malaysia in 2022.

This blatant defiance of Spain’s courts led to Stampa’s conviction, and questions have long surrounded why Stampa would take such a high-risk step. While speculation has focused on personal ambitions to financial motivations, his enduring connection to the Cremades firm now provides a further explanation, one rooted in professional alliances and potential bias.

A Shameful Display of Partiality

For many observers, the episode has become a cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities of international arbitration. Set against court-flagged procedural issues and open-source evidence of enduring ties, the process looks less than impartial—its trajectory seemingly steered, perhaps financially, by a tight circle of practitioners.

Though Stampa has now been sentenced, those who initiated, influenced, and financed the broader strategy that led to the controversial award remain untouched. The case raises difficult questions about accountability, ethics, and transparency in a field that often operates beyond the scrutiny of national courts.

As scrutiny deepens, the Sulu arbitration may come to represent more than just a single legal dispute, but as a test of whether the international arbitration system can confront conflicts of interest within its own ranks.

REFERENCES

Barra Mexicana, Colegio de Abogados, A.C. (2022, May 11). El caso de los herederos del Sultán de Joló y Malasia. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com

KnowSulu. (2025, July 4). What comes after the July 7 Sabah arbitration ruling? https://knowsulu.ph

KnowSulu. Spain’s top court upholds criminal conviction of arbitrator in Sulu case against Malaysia.https://knowsulu.ph

Zarzalejos, Á. (2025, October 21). Caso del Sultán de Joló: La nueva guerra judicial millonaria que esconde la condena penal a Stampa. El Confidencial. https://www.elconfidencial.com