USCIB Hosts Marquee Program During New York Arbitration Week

USCIB held a marquee program on November 20 under the auspices of New York Arbitration Week titled, Evolving realities: from the governing law of arbitration agreements to investment contracts. Hosted by USCIB member firm Norton Rose Fulbright and co-organized with ICC Dispute Resolution Services (DRS), the event featured two panel discussions.

In Part I, moderator Kevin O'Gorman (Norton Rose Fulbright) led a conversation on the law governing arbitration agreements. Panelists Erika Levin (Fox Rothschild), Daniel Schimmel (Foley Hoag), Mark McNeill (Brick Court) and Diora Ziyaeva (Dentons) examined how recent court decisions in different jurisdictions are impacting the choice-of-law analysis for arbitration clauses. They offered practical guidance for parties to ensure predictability when drafting arbitration agreements, addressing a gap that can otherwise lead to uncertainty and disputes.

In Part II, moderated by Jason File, Director of Legal Affairs and General Counsel at USCIB, the focus shifted to the future of international investment contracts. Mélida Hodgson (Arnold & Porter), Kiera Gans (DLA Piper) and Miriam Harwood (Independent Arbitrator) discussed efforts to modernize and standardize the framework of investment contracts-notably a joint ICC-UNIDROIT project aimed at developing model provisions. The panelists also highlighted emerging issues and practical solutions related to next-generation investor-state agreements.

"New York Arbitration Week is a flagship event for the international arbitration community," File said. "As always, we were thrilled to collaborate with ICC DRS in convening leading practitioners to tackle both longstanding and emerging challenges in the complex field of international arbitration."