London International Disputes Week 2021 comes at a significant period for the UK legal sector, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, post-Brexit and amid an uncertain global political environment. Through a programme of virtual sessions, you will have the opportunity to hear leading experts discuss and debate the ever-changing landscape of international dispute resolution. You will also be taking part in the biggest celebration there is of the heritage of London as a leading centre for handling international disputes.
The programme for 2021 will draw on current global issues facing the sector. Themes include: the role of London in a decentralised world, digital advocacy, social and environmental responsibility and issues, the mental health challenges faced in the legal profession and the role of technology. Using London’s position as a major international seat for the dispute resolution business, LIDW21 will engage with international perspectives across all sectors and explore how the industry can adapt, evolve and progress.
LIDW21 builds on the success of its inaugural year in 2019. LIDW strives to be forward-thinking and inclusive, demonstrating legal London’s commitment to diversity. London holds international appeal as a global centre for dispute resolution – whether through its courts or by arbitration, mediation, expert determination or negotiation – built upon a rich tradition of English law dating back to the Magna Carta.
4 New Square speakers at LIDW
10.05.21: The rise and rise of state power in global disputes (Can Yeginsu co-chair)
State parties are increasingly involved in international disputes, not only in the “traditional” role as respondents but also as claimants. The involvement of states and state-owned enterprises as well as sovereign wealth funds in cross-border commercial activity and investment has mandated that there many more commercial and investment disputes involving state parties. This session will look at how state parties engage in disputes, how the procure legal services, whether “in-house” or external counsel and how the use the range of various dispute resolution methods. The session will also address recent trends in investor-state dispute settlement and the recent drive for investor-state mediation in light of the current global pandemic crisis. Can Yeginsu of 4 New Square will co-chair a panel with Ruth Byrne of King & Spalding.
11.05.21: Funding access to justice including group claims and collective redress (Sir Rupert Jackson chair)
One of the main concerns in dispute resolution is the level of legal costs and how they are funded. There has been much criticism of the traditional hourly rate. The last 20 years, however, have seen considerable innovation by lawyers with the use of conditional fee agreements, damages based agreements, litigation funding and the assignment of claims. There have also been developments in the collective redress system including opt out class actions in competition claims, test cases and technology to manage large volumes of claimants enabling large volumes of smaller claims to be managed together sharing risk and costs. As lawyers have innovated, the courts been had to address the issues raised by the different funding arrangements and their impact on costs. This session will focus on traditional and alternative fee arrangements. It will look at issues such as the adequacy of pricing and funding of international dispute resolution, taking into account how the improved use of funding and technology may have an impact on the proportionality of legal costs.
For more information and for tickets to LIDW, please visit: https://2021.lidw.co.uk/
