Arbitral Insights

London-based international arbitration partners Suzie Savage and Patrick Beale team up for another investment treaty arbitration update. This episode includes commentary on the status of ECT modernization and State withdrawals, a U.S. court’s refusal to enforce an ECT award, and Ecuador’s signing of a Host State Agreement with the PCA. The duo then go on to discuss the Law Commission’s Second Consultation Paper on reform of the Arbitration Act, updates to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, and UNCITRAL Working Group III’s approach to double hatting. 

Miami-based counsel Eduardo De la Peña Bernal welcomes CISG Advisory Council member, law professor, arbitration practitioner, and author Edgardo Muñoz to discuss international arbitration and the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). The duo provide an introduction to the CISG and explore the impact that its different provisions might have in arbitration disputes.

Leading Caribbean arbitrator, mediator, and advocate Shan Greer is our next guest for our “Spotlight on…” series with host Gautam Bhattacharyya. Shan shares what first interested her in the law, her transition to being a full-time arbitrator and mediator, and the importance of believing you deserve a seat at the table.

The duo then explore what more arbitral institutions can do to champion female and ethnically diverse arbitrators before discussing potential commercially focused improvements for the arbitral process.

Global chair of our international arbitration practice Peter Rosher welcomes ICC Court President Claudia Salomon to celebrate the ICC Centenary in our 100th Arbitral Insights episode. Sharing 100th-related milestones, the duo discuss what the ICC has achieved so far in its century-long dispute resolution journey, its aims for the future, and its client-centric strategy. They then focus on ways in which the ICC is encouraging parties to become more engaged in the arbitral process and what challenges may impact the ascendance of international arbitration as a dispute resolution method of choice for international business.

Gautam Bhattacharyya welcomes SIAC Director and South Asia Head Shwetha Bidhuri for the next instalment of our ‘Spotlight on…’ series. The duo discuss what initially drew Shwetha to the law and international arbitration, the evolution and success story of arbitration in India, and the rise and strategy of SIAC in South Asia. They then explore what more needs to happen to maximize India’s role on the global arbitration stage and, in their capacity as IWIA Advisory Board members, the importance of true diversity in international arbitration.

Reed Smith international arbitration lawyers Daniel Ávila (Houston) and Bridgette Lehman (Philadelphia) host Megan Paget-Brown, CEO and co-founder of the Cayman International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CI-MAC), for an exclusive interview regarding the CI-MAC's recent opening and its rules. The group also discuss the history of arbitration in the Cayman Islands, recent arbitral law, the demand for arbitration in the Caribbean, and future goals of the institution.

International arbitration partner and Astana Office Managing Partner, Suzie Savage, welcomes Head of International Dispute Resolution at Lamb Chambers, Dr. Natalia Perova, to discuss Natalia’s background, what led her to the law, and her career mentors. The duo then explore the positives that come from having diverse arbitral tribunals, how things have improved for women in arbitration in general, and how they see the practice of arbitration changing in the next 10 years.

Host Gautam Bhattacharyya welcomes the founder of the Indian Women in International Arbitration (IWIA) group Niyati Ahuja to discuss the genesis of this initiative, the IWIA’s objectives, and plans for the future. The duo then discuss Niyati’s career, her inspirations and mentors, and what more can done to ensure better recognition and awareness of Indian women in arbitration in India and internationally, both as practitioners and arbitrators.  

This International Women’s Day (IWD), Lucy Winnington-Ingram (London) is joined by international arbitration practitioners Antonia Birt (Dubai), Cheri Leung (Hong Kong), Mathilde Adant (Paris), Rebeca Mosquera (New York), Alison Eslick (Dubai) and Joyce Fong (Singapore) to discuss the IWD theme of “embracing equity.”

This episode explores the initiatives our lawyers are involved in that help embrace equity, ways in which they try to incorporate Reed Smith’s commitment to the ERE and ERA Pledges in their practice, and what the biggest challenges – perceived and real – are to embracing equity in arbitration. They then celebrate the role models who they believe best embody the “embracing equity” theme.

Senior associates Jane Miles (Dubai) and Bartek Rutkowski (London) set the scene for the Law Commission of England and Wales’ consultation on the Arbitration Act 1996. The duo discuss some of the key areas under review and in relation to which recommendations for legislative change may be on the horizon later this year. Topics include confidentiality, independence and impartiality, immunity, discrimination, scope for national court intervention, emergency arbitrations, challenges to arbitration awards, and Section 69 appeals.