Insights

World Arbitration Update (“WAU”) invites you to attend a 75-minute webinar discussion by leading practitioners in the international dispute resolution field on the recent developments concerning the intersection of dispute resolution and the Ukraine-Russia crisis. According to the Kyiv School of Economics, Ukraine has so far experienced economic damage amounting up to $600 billion. Over $10 billion in airplane assets have been reportedly stranded in Russia setting off potentially large insurance claims and related disputes. Yale School of Management has collected data showing that almost 1,000 companies have publicly announced they are voluntarily curtailing operations in Russia to some degree beyond the bare minimum legally required by international sanctions. The Russian parliament continues to consider the expropriation of foreign assets. International disputes involving Russia and Ukraine are arising from the crisis and more likely to follow. Our speakers will discuss related topics, including: the impact of sanctions, the proposed formation of an international claims commission for Ukraine, the impact of the crisis on the legal profession, the potential and current international forums in which Ukrainian businesses and investors could submit legal recourse to address the consequences of the war in Ukraine, as well as an update on the ICJ case, Ukraine v. Russian Federation.

The program is titled “Protecting Israeli Investors and Industries Doing Business Overseas: International Investment Law and Investment Treaty Arbitration” and Crowell & Moring is co-sponsoring with the Peres Academic Center in Rehovot, Israel.  The venue is at the 'Top-Duran' in Rehovot.

In these challenging times, tensions and operating risks are common features in owner-manager relationships.  An expert panel of hotel consultants, accountants and lawyers will discuss how these tensions can be reduced and how one can avoid expensive legal proceedings, specifically within the hospitality sector.

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), located in Washington, DC, is the leading international arbitration institution devoted to investor-State dispute settlement. In over forty years of operation, ICSID has been at the forefront of new developments in this fascinating and growing field of international law and dispute resolution. ICSID, like all international institutions, has been buffeted by the winds of change, and in particular by the exponential growth of international foreign direct investment. Although the past ten years has witnessed significant growth and developments in ICSID arbitration, some of the fundamental issues facing arbitrators, practitioners and academics continue to be the topic of heated debate. The future of ICSID, including its essential place in global economic development and its support for rule of law, is the topic of our fifth annual conference.

The UIA is proud to present its first international seminar organised in Syria, jointly with the Syrian Bar Association.

This year's program will cover Perspectives on Arbitration in the Middle East, a timely topic in light of the anticipated increase in disputes in the region following the world's economic crisis and the opening of the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution (BCDR-AAA). The keynote speaker will be John Townsend, Hughes Hubbard & Reed, LLP. The program will take the form of a moderated panel discussion.

Political risk refers to the threat that an investment will be adversely affected by governmental action or inaction. Political risk often involves actions ranging from nationalization or expropriation (both direct and indirect), to restrictions on currency convertibility, civil unrest, corruption, trade restraints and breach of state contracts (such as concession agreements). Political risk insurance (“PRI”) is one of the simplest, most direct methods of reducing exposure to political risk. It is offered not only by the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and government agencies in most major exporting nations, but also by several large private insurance companies.

Investment treaty arbitration remains one of the most dynamic and growing areas of international arbitration. The third annual conference continues the tradition of focusing on four of the most pressing issues before counsel – by establishing a dialogue between some of the brightest new stars in the field and some of its most seasoned practitioners. Eight up-and-comers are preparing papers on four of the most controversial and important issues in international investment law today. On April 30th our young authors will pair up to defend their positions before a panel of arbitrators and arbitration specialists.

This conference is presented by the Institute for Transnational Arbitration’s Academic Council and The American Society of International Law. In recent years, the arbitration community has shown a higher degree of confidence as the system establishes itself as the preferred method for the settlement of international disputes. At the same time, some of the criticisms become more prominent. This conference explores a few phenomena of pathology of the arbitration process and provides counsel, user, arbitrator, academic and state perspectives.

Organized by the American Bar Association's Section of International Law in collaboration with its Law Student, LLM, & New Lawyer Outreach Committee, the Section of Dispute Resolution, and Georgetown’s International Arbitration Group. This program will be the first one of the Section’s “Nuts & Bolts” series, which is designed to provide foundational (i.e., “bridge the gap”) programming to J.D. and LLM law students and young lawyers who are practicing, or want to practice, international law. Specifically, this program, which is being offered for CLE credit, will compare and contrast the basic substantive aspects and differences of arbitration conducted at international fora such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), NAFTA (Chapter 11- Investor-State), and the World Trade Organization. Also, speakers will focus on the most recent developments in international arbitration generally, as well as share insights on how to stay up to date on the latest developments in international arbitration, and what can be done to advance oneself early in a career. This event will be held at the Georgetown University Law Center, Hart Auditorium in McDonough Hall, from 2:00-3:30 p.m.

Jane Wessel will speak on Day Two on "Planning for and Successfully Resolving International Disputes through the Use of Arbitration" and on the Day Three Roundtable "International Transactions: Tips, Traps and Techniques." She will also co-host a Post Conference Workshop titled "A Step-by-Step Guide to International Commercial Arbitration."

Jane Wessel will speak on Day Two on "Planning for and Successfully Resolving International Disputes through the Use of Arbitration" and on the Day Three Roundtable "International Transactions: Tips, Traps and Techniques." She will also co-host a Post Conference Workshop titled "A Step-by-Step Guide to International Commercial Arbitration."

The Arab countries are experiencing a remarkable economic growth. This applies not only to the oil rich countries in the region, but also generally to the Arab World. Along with economic growth, however, there is a rapid increase in disputes. The Arab World will thus play a major role in international arbitration in the coming years. The Conference will deal with critical issues in international arbitration involving parties from the Arab World. • What are the options in the Arab countries and outside of them? • How do courts in the Arab countries deal with arbitral agreements, arbitrability issues, and enforcement of awards? • What are the arbitral procedures? • How is investment arbitration dealt with? • Which are the favoured venues outside the Arab countries and what factors determine the choice of arbitration.

A. Ali is speaking on October 20th in the First Session titled “History of Oil and Gas Disputes.” The session deals with the history and the primary issues of disputes in the international oil & gas business. Speakers will present an overview of leading cases over the last fifty years, focusing on the reasons why oil & gas disputes have been important in the development of international dispute resolution and the emergence of lex Petrolia.

Jane Wessel will speak on Day Two on "Planning for and Successfully Resolving International Disputes through the Use of Arbitration" and on the Day Three Roundtable "International Transactions: Tips, Traps and Techniques." She will also co-host a Post Conference Workshop titled "A Step-by-Step Guide to International Commercial Arbitration."

An exciting mix of a large number of cutting-edge programs with world class experts in a wide array of international law subjects providing valuable insights on important current developments. These programs will be organized into special tracks to assure that there is substantial content readily accessible to your specific area(s) of interest. These tracks include international dispute resolution, international business law, and public international law, among others. Three top flight evening networking receptions so that you can discuss the latest legal, ethical and international issues with contemporaries from across the United States and around the world. The meeting will also have special programming for young lawyers.

A half-day symposium preceding the second LCIA European Users’ Council Symposium for 2008.

The Arbitration Committee of the US Council for International Business (USCIB) and Crowell & Moring LLP are pleased to announce a Mock Arbitration Event for the Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF), taking place on September 16, 2008, at the New York Hilton Hotel , under the theme of " Advocating an International Dispute from Different Cultural and Legal Backgrounds - Bridging the Gap Between the U.S., Europe and the Middle East". This workshop event is designed to engage discussion and debate between the members of the panels and the audience on the unique legal and cultural issues arising from disputes between parties from different legal backgrounds.

The conference will explore cross-cultural issues that play an important role in international arbitration, and provide arbitration users and counsel with practical insights into how these differences should be understood and managed in order to ensure an efficient, functional, and successful international arbitration.