REUTERS | Mike Blake
March 29, 2017

Russian Arbitration Reforms – a case for an attractive venue

“And you, Russia of mine… What does that awe-inspiring progress of yours foretell?” Gogol, Dead Souls.

On 22 March 2017, the Russian Arbitration Association in association with Stephenson Harwood LLP hosted an event entitled Russian Arbitration Reforms – a case for an attractive venue. Expressing their views were a distinguished panel including Alexander Muranov, Managing Partner and head of arbitration at Muranov, Chernyakov and Partners, Vladimir Khvalei in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of the Russian Arbitration Association, Angeline Welsh of Matrix Chambers, Anna Korneva, CIS Group Lead at Stephenson Harwood and event organiser, and Shai Wade, Partner and Head of upstream oil and gas disputes at Stephenson Harwood. Continue reading →

REUTERS | Henning Gloystein
March 29, 2017

Women in arbitration: Wendy Miles QC, Part 1/2: “to do” lists and the changing world of arbitration

To mark International Women’s Day on 8th March 2017, Practical Law Arbitration is carrying out a series of interviews with prominent women in arbitration.

In this, the second blog post in the series, we interview Wendy Miles QC, a partner in Debevoise and Plimpton’s London office. Wendy is a Vice President of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Court of Arbitration, and is a representative on various professional bodies, including the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, where she co-chaired the Task Force on Costs Allocation in Arbitration. She is also Vice Chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee and co-chair of the gender diversity initiative Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge.

In Part One, Wendy talks to us about her background, how she manages her time, and aspects of arbitration practice and procedure. In Part Two, Wendy discusses the changing landscape for women in arbitration, what the future holds in the world of arbitration, and gives her career tips for junior lawyers starting out. Continue reading →

REUTERS | Toby Melville
March 21, 2017

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: the LMAA Terms 2017

The London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) Terms 2017 come into force on 1 May 2017 and apply to all LMAA arbitrations commenced on or after that date. In truth, the new terms introduce very limited changes to the well-established and familiar LMAA procedures, and can probably be seen as more of a fine-tuning exercise than a root and branch reform. Indeed, the LMAA has been upfront about this: the committee tasked with reviewing and amending the terms wished to maintain the existing “light touch” approach of LMAA arbitration. Continue reading →

REUTERS |
March 20, 2017

Staying competition claims: a consideration of Microsoft v Sony

In light of the recent decision of Mr Justice Marcus Smith in Microsoft Mobile OY (Ltd) v Sony Europe Limited and others, the “one stop shop” approach to arbitration clauses may now be relied on in relation to claims pleaded only in tort if a related contractual claim would have been pleadable. If that is correct, what should the applicant for a stay be demonstrating? Continue reading →

REUTERS |
March 8, 2017

Women in arbitration: Dr Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof, LCIA Director General

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2017, Practical Law Arbitration is carrying out a series of interviews with women in arbitration. To kick-start this series, Practical Law Arbitration senior editor, Claire Lipman, speaks with Dr Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof, Director General of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). They discuss diversity in arbitration, LCIA procedure, costs, third party funding and what the future holds in store. Continue reading →

REUTERS |
March 2, 2017

LMAA 2017 terms decide not to cut down the courts’ powers

Deciding upon which institutional rules are incorporated into a contract may have its advantages. One consideration is whether the institutional rules cut down the power of the court to assist the parties in arbitral proceedings. In particular regarding flexibility, privacy, speed and whether a court order may be easier to enforce than a decision of an arbitrator. Continue reading →