OHADAC / International Arbitration / AAA-ICDR / ICC / ICSID Joint Colloquium / New York, November 18th, 2011 / Conflicts of Interest Law Firms / Tecnimont Ruling

• 14/11/2011
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Since 1983, three of the industry's leading international arbitration institutions (the International Centre for Dispute Resolution of the AAA, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the World Bank International Centre for Settlement for Investment Dispute) have co-sponsored a series of joint colloquia covering significant topics in the field of international commercial arbitration. And, each year, these organizations identify world-renowned international arbitrators and practitioners to present and discuss some of the prior year's most significant issues with attendees of this important event. The Colloquium will start with a discussion on recent developments throughout the world by John Beechey, Chairman, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, Meg Kinnear, Secretary General, ICSID, Washington D.C. and William K. Slate II, President and CEO, AAA & ICDR, New York. Among the discussed topics, please note “How Have the Traditional Boundaries of Arbitration Changed?”

• Arbitrator Immunity / Liability questions: James H. Carter, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, New York
• Amicus activity: Stephen L. Drymer, Norton Rose, Montreal
• Enforcement involvement by arbitrators and institutions: Klaus Reichert SC, Brick Court Chambers, London

Particularly relevant, the topic of the conflicts of interest of arbitrators and law firms to which they belong, the very strict obligations of disclosure and declaration of independence of arbitrators, and the sanctions for breaches in this area will therefore clearly be a major theme of this conference. The universal principles set by the "Tecnimont" ruling, -see our newsletter of November 8th, 2011 - which extends the scope of the disclosure to arbitrators' relationship with the counsel of the parties will be widely discussed at the conference. Conflicts of interest appeared recently in Northern American arbitration, one of them particularly evident involving a large law firm in Canada, and will necessarily be discussed as well as the immediate corrections that these conflicts of interest require to preserve the image and credibility of international arbitration. This conference will be an opportunity to educate all parties involved in arbitration dispute to the great importance of ensuring a comprehensive declaration of independence from the arbitrators, especially of course from the President of the Court or the sole arbitrator. It will also promote the system of arbitration of the Common Court of Justice and Arbitration of OHADA in Africa and to present the progress of the OHADAC project in the Caribbean. Both OHADA and OHADAC aim to build a fairer international arbitration by establishing regional mechanisms for alternative commercial dispute resolution, adapted to local economic and social realities, financially accessible to all parties. These reforms effectively contribute to the fair and equitable application of the rule of law, regardless of financial means of the parties and as close to the real context of litigation as possible. The conference will be held on November 18th at the New York Marriott Marquis. For more information about the conference: http://www.aaauonline.com/coursecalendar.aspx Contacts: Jason Cabrera, CabreraJ@adr.org or Jean Reale, jean.reale@acplegal.net