Freetown, 17th November 2025 — The government of Sierra Leone has reached a settlement in principle with U.S. law firm Jenner & Block, resolving a high-profile dispute over $8.1 million in allegedly unpaid legal fees, according to a report from Reuters. The case, which stemmed from the firm’s representation of Sierra Leone in a billion-dollar arbitration battle, has been closely watched by legal and business observers.
U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey disclosed the settlement in a brief order issued last week in Washington, D.C., though specific terms were not made public. Representatives for both Sierra Leone and Jenner & Block declined to comment on the details.
The Chicago-based law firm filed suit against Sierra Leone in 2022, seeking to recover fees it claimed were owed for defending the country in a complex dispute with iron ore contractor Gerald International Ltd. The case involved an export ban and potential damages exceeding $1.8 billion, which were ultimately settled.
Jenner & Block argued that the scope of its legal work “turned out to be far more complex and voluminous than either party initially contemplated.” The firm said it received $3.6 million in payments between 2019 and late 2021, but maintained that an additional $8.1 million remained outstanding.
Sierra Leone contested the claim, asserting that Jenner had not demonstrated entitlement to any further compensation beyond what had already been paid. The government also argued that it was immune from such claims under sovereign immunity and that no valid contract existed between the parties.
However, in January, a federal judge rejected Sierra Leone’s defenses, ruling that the country was not shielded from the lawsuit and that the contractual relationship with Jenner & Block was enforceable.
The settlement brings closure to a legal standoff that raised questions about international contracting, sovereign obligations, and the cost of high-stakes arbitration. It also underscores the financial and reputational risks governments face when engaging foreign legal counsel in complex commercial disputes.
