London International Disputes Week 2025

9 – 9.30am BST: Opening remarks and keynote

• Opening remarks by Basil Woodd-Walker (Simmons & Simmons)
• Keynote from Sophie J. Lamb KC (Latham & Watkins)

9.30 – 11am BST: Arbitration in Corporate and Private Equity: Lessons from Asia

• Recent experiences from Asia demonstrate how jurisdictional nuances and cultural context influence the arbitration of corporate and private capital disputes. By examining these lessons, the panel will offer insights into best practices, strategic considerations, and the evolving role of arbitration in managing business risk and securing investment outcome.
• Speakers: Gourab Banerji (Essex Court Chambers) – moderator, David Blumental (Simmons & Simmons), James Nicholson (FTI Consulting), Kathryn Sanger (Herbert Smith Freehills) and Duncan Watson KC (Quinn Emanuel)

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11.30am – 1pm BST: An ideal seat? Perspectives from established and emerging seats

• What makes one jurisdiction stand out as the 'ideal' seat for international arbitration? Panellists will consider key factors such as legal infrastructure, judicial support, predictability, and enforceability, and debate whether one size truly fits all - or if the 'ideal' seat depends on the nature and nuances of each case.
• Speakers: Emilia Onymema (SOAS) – moderator, Stuart Dutson (Simmons & Simmons), Nadia Nicolaou (Opus2), Dipen Sabharwal (White & Case) and Catherine Schroeder (Schroeder Arbitration)

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2.30 – 4pm BST: Renewable energy projects and arbitration: diverging paths in the Americas

• As Latin America and North America embark on ambitious renewable energy transitions, arbitration proceedings are reflecting a growing divide in policy priorities, investor protections, and regulatory approaches. This discussion will illuminate the emerging fault lines, highlight evolving treaty trends, and explore how counsel and parties can navigate this complex and rapidly changing landscape.
• Speakers: Wendy Miles KC (Twenty Essex) – moderator, Gabriela Alvarez Avila (DLA Piper), Richard Sweeney (Cornerstone Research) and David Weiss (Mayer Brown)

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4.30 – 6pm BST: The impact of the EU's approach to ISDS: international perspectives

• In the wake of the Achmea decision, practitioners are grappling with the implications for the enforcement of intra-EU investment awards. This panel will examine the challenges involved in enforcing intra-EU awards, the treatment of Achmea across different jurisdictions, and the ultimate impact of Achmea on the investment dispute system.
• Speakers: Christopher Vajda KC (Monckton Chambers) – Moderator, Tariq Baloch (Essex Court Chambers), Chester Brown (7 Wentworth Selborne) and Sylvia Tonova (Pinsent Masons)

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9 - 10.30am BST: International Commercial Courts of the Gulf - their Chief Justices consider the challenges and opportunities ahead

• Co-hosting with Serle Court and Keidan Harrison: An interactive discussion between the Chief Justices of the DIFC, ADGM and QFC Courts considering how each has defined its jurisdiction, developed its substantive law having regard to the requirements of certainty and flexibility, and innovated in matters of procedure.
• Speakers: Wayne Martin KC AC (Chief Justice DIFC Courts), Lord Hope (Chief Justice ADGM Courts), Lord Thomas (Chief Justice QFC Court) and Co-chairs: Rupert Reed KC (BarMENA) and Ed Crosse (Simmons & Simmons)

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2 - 3.30pm BST: Beyond Billables: Training Disputes Lawyers for the Age of AI

• Co-hosting with Trialview: We are already almost comfortable with the idea that GenAI and automation will increasingly take on routine tasks in disputes, such as disclosure exercises and some legal drafting, but this is just the beginning...
• Speakers: William Dunning (Simmons & Simmons), Stephen Dowling and Eimear McCann (TrialView), Tara L. Waters (Wexler)

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4 - 5.30pm BST: Growth Unleashed? The Challenges Facing London as an International Disputes Hub

• Co-hosting with IPOS Mediation: Join the Lord Mayor of the City of London and former Government Ministers, hailing from the law, politics and business, who will debate both the opportunities and challenges that London faces as a global centre for dispute resolution. It promises to be a lively session!
• This session will be followed by networking drinks.
• Speakers: Alastair King DL (The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of the City of London), Patrick Boylan (Simmons & Simmons), Bim Afolami (HSBC), Seema Kennedy OBE (Fair Civil Justice) and Gill Mansfield (IPOS Mediation)

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11am - 12.30pm BST: Disputes in the age of Energy Transition and Net Zero - What will be significant areas for disputes in response to the drive for net-zero and the energy transition?

• Co-hosting with 4 Pump Court: What will be significant areas for disputes in response to the drive for net-zero and the energy transition? We discuss disputes that may arise from the decommissioning of fossil fuel infrastructure and the development of renewable generation and transmission.
• Speakers: Niall Clancy, Oli Macrae and Caitlin Lloyd (Simmons & Simmons), Rachel Ansell KC and George Woods (4 Pump Court).

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2 - 3.30pm BST: Construction Disputes in 2035

• Co-hosting with Ridge and Partners: Join our panel of industry-leading professionals as they explore how construction disputes might evolve over the next decade. Discover how factors such as climate change, the data centre construction boom, the PFI handback, and emerging technologies like AI, among other topics, could shape the future of construction disputes by 2035
• Speakers: Jonathan Spencer and Trevor Cosgrove (Simmons & Simmons), Lucy Osborne and David Pope (Ridge and Partners) and Steven Walker KC (Atkin Chambers)

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4 - 5.30pm BST: Fraud – International perspectives on court and regulatory actions

• Co-hosting with Taylor Wessing: Join us for an in-depth discussion on how civil and criminal procedures can be deployed in key jurisdictions to tackle international fraud. Our panel speakers will provide perspectives from the UK, US, Switzerland and UAE, with a particular focus on tackling crypto and digital assets fraud.
• This session will be followed by networking drinks.
• Speakers: Andrew Spink KC (Outer Temple), Emma Allen (Taylor Wessing), Clara Poglia (Schellenberg Wittmer), Steve Molo (Mololamken), Ayman Merdas (Global Advocates), and co-chairs: Ed Crosse (Simmons & Simmons), Parham Kouchikali (Taylor Wessing)

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