Challenges to the Legitimacy of International Tribunals

Last year a lawyer for Slovenia had ex parte communications with an arbitrator in a case involving Slovenia’s border with Croatia, which resulted in an abatement of the arbitration. A few years ago, a prominent Swiss arbitrator, who sat on the board of a Swiss bank, ruled in favor of an investor, which the arbitrator later learned had done business with the bank. The award remained intact. An arbitration award in favor of Yukos against Russia, totaling more than $50 billion, is being challenged on the grounds that an assistant to the arbitral tribunal performed work on the awards that went beyond providing administrative or logistical support. The panel discussed these and other developments and assessed best practices for international tribunals.

Chair

• Susan L. Karamanian, Associate Dean for International and Comparative Legal Studies

Speakers

• Hon. Charles N. Brower, GW Law; 20 Essex Street
• Professor Chiara Giorgetti, University of Richmond Law School
• Tom Snider, Greenberg Traurig