According to Reuters, the Government of Sierra Leone has reached a settlement in principle with the U.S. law firm Jenner & Block in its long‑running dispute over more than US$8 million in legal fees, a U.S. judge disclosed on Thursday.
The development came through a brief order from U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey in Washington, D.C., though the terms of the agreement were not made public.
Jenner & Block originally sued Sierra Leone in 2022, alleging it was owed US$8.1 million for representing the country in a major arbitration against iron-ore trader Gerald International Ltd.
According to court filings, Sierra Leone paid about US$3.6 million between 2019 and late 2021 — leaving a large outstanding balance. The firm argues its work “turned out to be far more complex and voluminous than either party initially contemplated.”
Sierra Leone, on its part, had challenged the claim, arguing that Jenner had not shown it was due more than what had already been paid, and even disputing that any valid contract existed. The country also asserted sovereign immunity. But earlier this year, a U.S. court rejected those defenses, allowing the case to proceed.
The original arbitration involved Gerald International seeking more than US$1.8 billion in damages after Sierra Leone imposed an export ban on iron ore, a dispute that was eventually settled.
Both the Sierra Leone government and Jenner & Block have so far declined detailed comment on the resolution.
