The ICC Institute of World Business Law has set 1 July 2009 as the deadline for submissions for its bi-annual prize rewarding outstanding legal writing and contributions to international commercial law.

The prize winner, which will be announced in November, will receive a €10,000 cheque and be invited to Paris to attend the award ceremony   on 8 December 2009 on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Institute of World Business Law.

The prize aims to contribute towards the understanding and progress of international commercial law around the world and to support those in focused research on legal issues affecting international business.

It is also designed to recognize excellent writing in the field of international commercial law, including arbitration. The competition is open to unpublished doctoral dissertations and long essays of about 250 pages which can be written in English or French, the two ICC official languages.

Demonstrating the interest and investment law practitioners have in the advancement of research on international commercial law, five law firms are sponsoring the award: Bonelli Erede Pappalardo (Italy), Bredin Prat (France), Hengeler Mueller (Germany), Slaughter & May (UK) and Uria Menendez (Spain).  

The first edition of the prize, launched in 2007, saw 11 entries in both English and French from six countries. Among the topics covered were the Vienna Convention, international contract negotiations, international global disputes at the World Trade Organization, and a variety of global issues in arbitration.

Vincent Chantebout received the first award last year for his submission: “The prohibition of the review on the substance of the arbitral award.” Mr Chantebout’s paper was chosen unanimously by the five-member jury, made up of ICC Institute of World Business Law Council members.  

The competition is open to any person except members and former members of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, members of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and its Secretariat, employees or colleagues from jury members’ companies. Candidates cannot be older than 40 years on the closing date for the entries.  

The ICC Institute is a think tank composed of 44 members of 23 different nationalities. It was created 30 years ago to provide research, training and information to the legal profession concerned with the development of international business law.

For more information about the ICC Institute of World Business Law, please click here 

For more information, please contact:

Katharine Bernet
Project  Coordinator
Tel: +33(0) 1 49 53 28 91