Summary procedures in international arbitration mean procedures by which the arbitral tribunal determines certain points of fact or law at an early stage of the proceedings, potentially dispensing with the need for further arbitration proceedings. Summary proceedings can be a blessing to a respondent facing frivolous claims that obviously lack merit, as a successful dismissal […]
Calculating Interest in International Arbitration: How Is Interest Determined?
In international arbitration, arbitrators enjoy a wide margin of discretion when assessing both damages and the awarding of interest. There is no uniform approach to determining the rate of interest that is awarded in arbitral awards. Often, arbitral tribunals award interest that reflects the position that a claimant would have been in, had respondent’s act […]
Depositions in International Arbitration
Depositions in international arbitration are rare but do occur. A deposition is defined as “[a] witness’s out-of-court testimony that is reduced to writing (usually by a court reporter) for later use in court or for discovery purposes”.[1] While depositions are generally associated with American pre-trial discovery, they are called for in a surprising number of […]
Initiating Arbitrations Under Multiple Arbitration Agreements
The filing of arbitrations based on multiple arbitration agreements, contained in two (or more) separate contracts, in a single arbitration proceeding may be possible, but must be done with caution. The development of major projects in the fields of engineering, construction, oil and gas, and mining often give rise to situations where related disputes regarding […]
Refusing to Participate in Arbitration Proceedings
Parties who signed a binding arbitration agreement are, in principle, bound by its terms. Once a dispute arises and a claimant commences arbitration proceedings against a respondent, a general assumption is that the parties will cooperate and actively participate in the proceedings. In practice, however, it can happen that the other party, usually the respondent, […]