• Période d'application

• Taux d'intérêt

• Intérêts simples/composés

La demanderesse, société américaine, et la défenderesse 1, société des Caraïbes, ont signé un contrat de coopération régi par le droit de l'Etat du Texas aux Etats-Unis. La défenderesse 2, également une société des Caraïbes, à laquelle la défenderesse 1 avait cédé le contrat, a intenté une action en justice à l'encontre de la demanderesse, en alléguant que celle-ci avait violé le contrat en prenant une participation dans une tierce société. La demanderesse a engagé une procédure d'arbitrage sur le fondement de la clause compromissoire contenue dans le contrat signé entre les parties : elle a demandé à l'arbitre de conclure que cette prise de participation ne constituait pas une violation du contrat signé entre les parties et que la cession du contrat par la défenderesse 1 en faveur de la défenderesse 2 était nulle. La demanderesse a également demandé à être indemnisée par les défenderesses pour l'ensemble des préjudices, intérêts et honoraires d'avocat que l'action en justice lui avait occasionnés. L'arbitre unique s'est prononcé en faveur de la demanderesse et a statué comme suit en ce qui concerne les intérêts.

'123. Two types of interests merit consideration in the case at hand and are hereby awarded: (a) pre-award interest; and (b) post-award interest.

A. Pre-award interest

124. Pre-award or "compensatory" interest is the sum of money payable as compensation for the temporary withholding of money. It is the standard form of compensation for the loss of the use of money.

125. None of the parties have provided indicia of the rates that should be used in determining this interest. Nonetheless, having made an examination of legislation in certain states of the United States of America, the statutory interest range between 6% to 12%.1 Therefore, I believe awarding nine (9%) is appropriate for purposes of pre-award (compensatory) interest which shall be counted as of the date of the submission by [Claimant] of its Request for Arbitration on October 4, 1999 since it is only as of such date that the amount was indicated by [Claimant] as having been expended in pursuing the claims in [country X].

B. Post-award interest

126. Post-award or "moratory" interest compensates a prevailing party for the loss of the use of money, and further attempts to discourage an unsuccessful party from frivolous appeals, encouraging the prompt payment and eliminating unnecessary judicial proceedings.

127. In this regard, [Claimant] has referred to § 38.003 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code which establishes a formula in the event that the (postjudgment) interest is not specified in the agreement which fluctuates between 10 and 20%, depending on the auction rate quoted on a discount basis for 52-week treasury bills issued by the US government as most recently published by the Federal Reserve Board.

128. Bearing in mind such range, and given the circumstances of this case as well as the nature and objectives of post-award interest, and the incentives it is designed to create, I believe that the post-award interest for the monies awarded in this award in favor of [Claimant] should be in the middle of the band, i.e., at fifteen percent (15%) per annum, which shall begin to be computed thirty (30) calendar days after this Award is notified to Respondents in order for Respondents to have a reasonable opportunity to effect payment, and shall continue to accrue until the entire award is satisfied.

C. Compounding of interest

129. Both pre-award and post-award interest shall be compounded annually until the date of effective satisfaction of the award.2

130. . . . the Sole Arbitrator, in light of the analysis of facts and legal considerations addressed above, renders the following award:

. . . . . . . . .

(a) [Respondent 1] was at no time the exclusive representative of [Claimant] in [country X].

(b) [Claimant] did not breach the [agreement] as alleged by Respondents, and, therefore, [Claimant] does not owe Respondents any monies as a consequence of such allegations.

(c) The attempt to assign the [agreement] from [Respondent 1] to [Respondent 2] was unauthorized by [Claimant] and, hence, is null and void.

(d) Respondents are ordered to pay [Claimant] the amount of . . . dollars on account of damages, essentially the cost of litigating the lawsuit brought by [Respondent 2] in [country X] courts.

(e) Respondents are ordered to pay [Claimant] the amount of . . . dollars on account of attorneys' fees incurred during the present arbitration.

(f) Respondents are ordered to pay [Claimant] the amount of . . . dollars on account of arbitration costs.

131. The amount awarded under (d) above shall bear interest at the rate of 9% (nine percent) per annum commencing on October 4, 1999, which coincides with the date of filing of the Request for Arbitration and ending on the date this Award is notified to Respondents by the ICC Court.

132. The amounts awarded under (d), (e) and (f) above shall bear interest at the rate of 15% (fifteen percent) per annum commencing on the thirty first day after this Award is notified to Respondents by the ICC Court.'

1
For instance, in Alaska it is 10.5% (1994), in Washington DC 6% (1991), Indiana (8%), Massachusetts 12% (1995), New York is 9% (1995).

2
As set forth in § 304.006 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code.