Overview
FRANKFURT (December 2, 2016) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is delighted to announce the launch of “HKIAC Capacity Building Scholarship” by Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). The scholarship is a new programme realized by HKIAC in cooperation with McDermott. It aims to support the development of investment arbitration in Asia.
HKIAC will award up to two scholarships each year to selected students who have participated in the Hong Kong edition of the pre-moots for Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court, McDermott’s major pro-bono initiative.
As Hong Kong’s international arbitral institution, HKIAC has led the way for arbitration in Asia and has been at the forefront of cutting edge developments in the field. HKIAC has hosted the Hong Kong pre-moot for four years.
Arne Fuchs, member of McDermott’s international arbitration practice and of Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court’s organization committee, commented: “We are very proud of our close cooperation with HKIAC. The Hong Kong pre-moot has received nothing but praise from students and has proven tremendously successful in preparing them for the main event in Frankfurt. The new scholarship program is an excellent addition to the event which reflects HKIAC’s commitment to shaping the next generation of outstanding arbitrators.”
The Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court is the oldest and most prestigious student competition in the area of investment protection law. It focuses on the oral presentation of legal arguments before an arbitral tribunal composed of specialists in the field. The event is unique in that it combines the law of investment protection, one of the most modern and fastest developing areas of international law, with the history of international law and of international trade.
The moot court is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017. The case-study is based on a concession contract by Cleopatra VII which was administered by Herod the Great and rescinded by him when the tide turned in Octavian’s favour in the civil war (this echoes the competition’s very first case which was based on the so-called Cleopatra Papyrus of the Egyptian Museum of Berlin, “Berlin P 25 239”).
The final event in Frankfurt is accompanied by a number of conferences which McDermott organizes in cooperation with renowned partners. For the 2016/2017 edition of the moot court, this includes the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations Commission in International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). For more information on UNCITRAL’s involvement, please click here.
For more information on the HKIAC Capacity Building Scholarship, please click here. For more information on the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court, please click here.
McDermott’s pre-eminent international arbitration practice is globally recognized and regularly represents clients in investor-state arbitrations, as well as in international commercial arbitrations. The subject-matter of disputes handled by the team range from European energy infrastructure projects to Latin American offshore oil extraction and Middle Eastern property investment and from construction projects to complex insurance coverage disputes. The lawyers advise on all aspects of disputes, including strategic positioning, regulatory constraints and commercial options. Lawyers in the Group also regularly provide non-contentious advice to parties negotiating commercial agreements on dispute resolution options, strategy and risk management. The Firm’s international arbitration and mediation practice is comprised of an integrated team of lawyers spread across three continents. Members of this practice are situated in our offices in the United States, France, England, Germany, Belgium and Italy, as well as in China, through McDermott’s strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices, and Seoul.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.