Ethics in International Arbitration Series

Overview

We hope you will join us for the First Webinar of the Ethics in International Arbitration Series of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA) on January 22, 2025. The program will begin at 8:00 am Houston / 9:00 am New York / 2:00 pm London / 3:00 pm Lagos / 3:00 pm Paris / 5:00 pm Dubai / 7:30 pm Mumbai / 10:00 pm Hong Kong.

This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE. Attendees may be able to request MCLE credit directly in additional jurisdictions, including New York State. If desired by attendees, CAIL will request accreditation in California, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Accreditation has not been sought or approved in these jurisdictions at this time.

This event is online only and is free for Correspondent Members and Members of the Advisory Board of ITA.

Duration: 1 hour

First Webinar: Freedom vs. Fairness: Arbitrators’ Words and Allegations of Bias

In international arbitration, arbitrators’ words and comments outside the proceedings have sometimes led to allegations of bias—and even disqualifications—in the proceedings. Today we have several examples. One arbitrator was disqualified from an investment case for skeptical but general remarks about Latin American governments. Others have been challenged (both successfully and unsuccessfully) for statements in support of Ukraine in cases involving Russia, or for joking (disparagingly) in a television broadcast about “burkini’s.” Other examples involve arbitrators who speak out—properly or improperly—to defend themselves against allegations of misconduct. These examples shine a spotlight on the tension between arbitrators’ public speech and their professional duties.

Join us to examine how statements, whether made in public or private, can impact an arbitrator’s perceived fairness. The webinar will be led by Catherine Rogers, Research Professor and Affiliated Scholar, University of California, College of the Law (San Francisco, CA, USA) and Full Professor of Law Università Bocconi (Italy), and Gábor Damjanovic, Chair of the IBA Professional Ethics Committee, Managing partner at Forgó, Damjanovic & Partners Law Firm (Budapest, Hungary). In addition to facilitating an interactive discussion, Professor Rogers and Mr. Damjanovic will also engage the audience to discuss how to develop best practices for navigating the delicate line between expressing legitimate views and crossing over into potential bias.

Speakers

Catherine Rogers
University of California, College of the Law
Università Bocconi
San Francisco, CA, USA/
Milan, Italy

Professor Catherine Rogers is a full professor of law at Bocconi University, and an Affiliated Research Professor at University of California Law, San Francisco. She teaches and writes on topics relating to international arbitration generally, and to ethics and professional regulation in global legal practice more specifically. Among other appointments, Catherine is a Reporter for the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the U.S. Law of International Commercial and Investor-State Arbitration, serves on the international advisory boards of several arbitral institutions and organizations, and co-chaired of the ICCA-Queen Mary Task Force on Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration together with William W. Park and Stavros Brekoulakis. She is currently working on the Second Edition of her book, Ethics in International Arbitration (Oxford University Press).

Gábor Damjanovic
mmediate Past Chair of the IBA Professional Ethics Committee
Forgó, Damjanovic & Partners Law Firm
Budapest, Hungary

Dr. Gábor Damjanovic is an international commercial arbitrator listed by over a dozen arbitral institutions worldwide and having conducted over 35 institutional and ad hoc arbitrations as chair and wing arbitrator. Additionally, Gábor is managing partner of one of the most highly regarded business law firms in Budapest, Forgó, Damjanovic & Partners Law Firm. He is very active in the International Bar Association (IBA), having attended conferences for well over two decades and is the immediate past chair of the IBA’s Professional Ethics Committee.

Registration Options

• $50 - Regular Registration Fee
• $0 - ITA Advisory Board Member
• $0 – ITA Correspondent Member
• $0 - ITA Supporting or Sustaining Member Employee
• $25 - Young ITA Member
• $25 - Full-time Professor
• $15 - Law Student

MCLE Credit

This online program has not been approved for MCLE credit in any other jurisdictions. If requested by attendees, CAIL will request accreditation in California, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Accreditation has not been sought or approved in these jurisdictions at this time. MCLE credit will not be requested in any other jurisdiction.

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