Franz J. Sedelmayer

Franz J. Sedelmayer is a German entrepreneur and an internationally recognized authority on sovereign debt recovery, investment arbitration, and the political and economic landscape of Russia under Vladimir Putin. In the mid-1980s, Sedelmayer developed and exported standardized equipment and training packages to counter-terrorist units in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Recognizing the opportunities presented by Glasnost, he moved to Russia and established the joint venture Kamenny Ostrov Company JSC with the USSR Ministry of Interior's Leningrad City and Regional Police Department to supply law enforcement equipment.

Sedelmayer worked with then-deputy mayor Vladimir Putin, equipping and training St. Petersburg's first Western-styled SWAT team for the city's Goodwill Games. He was a founder of the Saint Petersburg International Business Association and served as an advisor to the Kazakh government, the Leningrad Region Governor, the Ministry of Federal Security, the Russian Presidential Guard Service, and the Leningrad Police Department.

Following the expropriation of his holdings by Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Sedelmayer pursued compensation through ad hoc arbitration under a German-Russian bilateral investment treaty. The resulting case, "Sedelmayer vs. Russian Federation," produced the first international arbitration award against Russia. Sedelmayer successfully enforced the award, overcoming Russia's claims of sovereign immunity, and secured a settlement exceeding $7 million—nearly three times his original claim.

The Sedelmayer vs. Russian Federation case involved approximately 140 legal proceedings worldwide, highlighting the complexities of enforcing investment arbitral awards against sovereign states. Notable actions included efforts at the ILA air show in Berlin, which prompted the Russian delegation to depart on a $30-million Tu-204-300 aircraft, and a Cologne court ruling that allowed the sale of a former KGB apartment complex for Sedelmayer's benefit. He remains the only creditor to have collected on Russia's outstanding debt, setting a precedent for overcoming sovereign immunity in investment claims. The case has been cited in publications such as Oxford University Press, OECD, Stockholm International Arbitration Report, and Transnational Dispute Management Journal.

Sedelmayer is a subject matter expert in international investment, risk and dispute management, global enforcement of arbitration awards and judgments, sovereign immunity, money laundering, business intelligence, and political risk management. He is CEO of the US-based MARC LLC (Multinational Asset Recovery Company), specializing in international dispute management and worldwide claim recovery services, and serves as trustee, director, and consultant for entities involved in litigation and claim recovery against sovereigns and state-owned enterprises.

He is the author of "Welcome to Putingrad," a memoir detailing his experiences in Russia and his legal battle against the Russian Federation. Sedelmayer co-authored the book with John Weisman. He has contributed to the New York Times and Transnational Dispute Management Journal, and has appeared on BBC, NPR, CNN, ZDF, DW, SVT, and Russian State Television's RTR and NTV. Sedelmayer is recognized for his expertise on the rise of Vladimir Putin, Russia's political transformation, and the challenges faced by the West in addressing Russia's state-driven kleptocracy.