The Court’s Secretary General emphasized the importance of the anticipated information technology system upgrade, which would allow the Secretariat to keep track in real time of the status of each case, this is part of an entire review of priorities and procedures internally and externally with a view to delivering a quality service.

The ICC International Court of Arbitration‘s work load continues to increase at a fast pace. The number of cases registered jumped to 663 last year from 599 in 2007. In addition 407 awards were rendered in 2008, compared with 349 in 2007, while there were 1,317 cases pending compared with 1,285 at the end of the previous year. The new Hong Kong office of the Court was up and running, with some 100 cases already registered.

Jason Fry, Secretary General of ICC International Court of Arbitration said that the ICC Court is delighted to welcome young arbitration practitioners and corporate counsel to learn from some of the worlds most distinguished arbitrators and professionals. This is the first of what we hope will be an ongoing programme of events tailored to the new generation of arbitration professionals.

The conference is an opportunity for young lawyers and in-house counsel working in international arbitration to receive training from world-renowned arbitrators, members of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and the ICC Secretariat. The weekend course will offer six hours of academic training with the stars and rising stars of arbitration. Plenary sessions, informal debates, and workshops held in parallel have all been designed for in-house counsel and lawyers.

The award followed four days of intense competition , as the team from Sao Paolo and the University of California Hastings College of Law were pitted against each other to mediate a complex business deal. The Brazilian team, made up of Gisela Ferreira Mation, Pedro Fida Fenelon Tibucheski, and Daniel Tabel Luis received a trophy, EUR 2 000 in prize money, an internship at ICC’s ADR Secretariat, and a set of legal reference books.

Every participant in this year’s competition received a year’s subscription to the ICC International Court of Arbitration Bulletin. The awards ceremony was officiated by Guy Sebban, ICC Secretary General, Jason Fry, Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and ICC Dispute Resolution Services Director and Pierre Tercier, Chairman of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.

This year’s competition involved an even bigger roster of contenders from 30 universities in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Morocco, Singapore, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK and the US.

Competitors acted as counsel and parties before professional mediators and used ICC’s ADR rules to solve business problems.

“What better way to educate tomorrow’s lawyers on the range mechanisms available for resolving international business disputes than through an international competition?” said Pierre Tercier.

The competition is part of ICC’s Dispute Resolution Services core mission: to educate the next generation of law professionals. Inaugurated in 2006, the annual ICC International Mediation Competition is organized by the Amicable Dispute Resolution (ADR) division. The competition brings together law schools from all over the world, giving students an opportunity to test their problem-solving skills in a mock international mediation, and to meet experts from diverse legal and professional backgrounds.

Next year, the 4th ICC International Mediation Competition takes place 12 to 16 February.

For more information contact:

Ms Emilie ROMEO
Project Coordinator
Email: iccmediationcompetition(AT)iccwbo.org

“This new course is a unique opportunity for participants to gain insight into the different stages of any amicable dispute resolution procedure. Bringing together individuals from widely diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, the training creates an exceptional forum for exchanging experience and viewpoints,” said Melanie Meilhac, Manager, ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Dispute Resolution Services.

ICC’s (International Chamber of Commerce) first ADR training session, held in Paris last April, attracted participants from 15 countries, reflecting the increased attention that the international legal community is giving to mediation and other methods of dispute resolution.

In recognition of the growing importance of the Asia Pacific region to ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Dispute Resolution Services and the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) International Court of Arbitration, ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) announced last week that it would open a branch of the Secretariat of the Court in Hong Kong with a case management team to administer cases in the region under the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Rules of Arbitration. ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) will locate the Director, ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Arbitration and Amicable Dispute Resolution Asia in Singapore, where it will open a liaison office dedicated to ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Dispute Resolution Services.

ADR operates under a set of rules that leaves parties free to choose the technique best suited to the circumstances. In addition to learning about mediation, participants in the new interactive course will become familiar with other amicable methods, such as neutral evaluation and mini-trial.

“The International Chamber of Commerce’s decision to set up branch of the Secretariat of the Court in Hong Kong is an endorsement of our position as a premier center for international arbitration services. Its presence will enhance the provision of arbitration services in Hong Kong, ” said Wong Yan Lung, secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

The ICC International Court of Arbitration is one of the world’s top international dispute resolution institutions. It is assisted by a secretariat located at the ICC headquarters in Paris. In 2007, it handled 599 domestic and international arbitration cases. The Court oversees the ICC arbitration process and, among other things, is responsible for appointing arbitrators and scrutinizing and approving all arbitral awards.

The court is part of the International Chamber of Commerce, the world business body that has been in the forefront of cross-border dispute resolution since 1923. The workshop is designed to provide a better understanding of ICC arbitration and the other dispute resolution services. Organizers aim to showcase practical strategies and tactics for those involved in international arbitration.

The workshop is being presented in cooperation with the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), ICC’s American national committee, which maintains an active regional subcommittee on arbitration chaired by Steven L. Smith, a San Francisco-based partner with O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

“This is a unique chance for participants from the U.S. business and legal community to gain hands-on training from experienced practitioners and to ensure that they have an understanding of what ICC services are available and how they work,” said Mr. Smith. He said the event is designed to appeal to anyone involved in international arbitration and dispute resolution — including practicing lawyers, corporate counsel, magistrates, and business people involved in international trade and dispute resolution.

The hands-on workshop, the first of its kind in the United States, will feature current and former members of the ICC court, corporate counsel, practicing arbitrators and representatives of the Court’s Paris-based international secretariat. It is part of a new strategic direction for promoting the ICC court under Josefa Sicard-Mirabal, ICC’s director of arbitration and ADR for North America. Since joining ICC last September, Ms. Sicard-Mirabal has sought to expand the court’s educational programming across the U.S. and Canada.

“As a Pacific gateway and major legal center, San Francisco was a natural choice when we were deciding where to introduce a more hands-on format to essential legal training,” said Ms. Sicard-Mirabal. “We believe the interactivity of this workshop really sets it apart.” She said a highlight of the conference will be a mock case, studied with small working groups where participants will take part in a step-by-step examination of the arbitration process.

Since its founding in 1923, the ICC court has handled over 14,000 cases. In 2005, more than 500 cases were filed, involving parties in over 100 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 latest international commercial challenges.

A brochure and registration form for the workshop is available at http://www.uscib.org/docs/arbitration_sf.pdf.

The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) is ICC’s American national committee. As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade. USCIB’s Arbitration Committee serves as the contact point for the ICC International Court of Arbitration and its multi-faceted dispute resolution services. More information is available at www.uscib.org.

The fourth volume of ICC Publishing’s Collection of ICC Arbitral Awards, covering cases over four years up to 2000, is now available from ICC Publishing.

The full series covers 26 years. Collection of ICC Arbitral Awards 1996 – 2000, co-published with Kluwer Law International, contains extracts of cases by the ICC International Court of Arbitration, one of the world’s most respected arbitral institutions.

The three previous volumes cover the periods 1974-85, 1986-90 and 1991-95. The collection is a practical reference tool, containing three types of useful indexes incorporating information from all the volumes:

- a consolidated analytical table, in both English and French, with extensive cross-references based on the terminology used in awards and case notes;
- a chronological index listing the awards with references to legal literature;
a key word index, also in English and French, allowing the reader to find material of interest quickly and easily;
- a cross-referenced index of cases referring to the Journal du droit international, the Yearbook Commercial Arbitration and to the International Construction Law Review for each of the awards published in the Collection.
In addition to providing a wealth of information in a highly accessible manner, the book includes case notes and expert commentaries on the awards.

To order visit The ICC Business Bookstore at http://www.iccbooks.com/

Year 2003