Providing an informed understanding of arbitration and other means of international dispute resolution under the Rules of the ICC International Court of Arbitration is the objective of a three-day conference the Court is holding in Charleston, South Carolina in March.
The conference, from 26-28 March, will feature members of the Court, corporate counsel, practising arbitrators and representatives of the Court's Paris-based International Secretariat. Speakers will examine why arbitration is increasingly becoming the preferred means of resolving international business disputes.
Entitled International Commercial Dispute Resolution: Understanding the ICC System, the programme is designed to appeal to practising lawyers, corporate counsel, arbitrators, experts in the techniques of amicable dispute resolution (ADR), ADR users and business persons who want to learn more about the dispute resolution mechanisms that the International Chamber of Commerce offers.
The ICC Court is the world's most widely known arbitral institution, having handled more than 14 000 cases since it was founded in 1923. In 2005, more than 500 cases were filed. They involved parties from 117 countries and independent territories. The Court itself has an exceptionally broad representation, comprising members from 86 countries. Over the years, ICC has developed a full range of other dispute resolution rules in addition to arbitration, to meet the challenges of international commerce today.
For the past eight years, US parties have been the most numerous of all nationalities in ICC arbitration. Hence the decision to make a special effort to ensure that US business and legal communities have the opportunity to improve their knowledge of its workings.
On day one of the conference, at the Charleston Place Hotel, a panel of ICC arbitration experts will discuss how the Court functions and provide insights into the arbitration process, from drafting the Request to obtaining a final award. The next session will be about drafting the arbitration clause in a contract, the first step in securing an efficient arbitration. Sessions will follow on the arbitral appointment process and the effective use of the discovery process in international arbitration.
On day two, international experts will explore the various dispute resolution mechanisms that ICC offers, including the ICC Pre-Arbitral Referee, Appointing Authorities, ADR, Expertise and Dispute Board Rules. The following session will examine a party's ability to file counter-claims, cross-claims and claims for set-off in international commercial arbitration. A panel will then discuss the types of damages that are commonly sought in international arbitration.
Another final panel will provide an overview of key decisions in US circuit courts regarding the recognition and enforcement of international arbitral awards under the New York and Panama Conventions.
The conference will conclude with closing remarks by Lorraine M. Brennan, Director Arbitration and ADR North America, of the ICC Court and Anne Marie Whitesell, Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
Click here for full programme and to register.