19th Annual Bar Leaders' Conference
20 May - 21 May 2026
Session information
Ethics and international arbitration: what bars need to know
Wednesday 20 May (1130 - 1230)
Description
International arbitration is a gigantic global operation, both in terms of number of cases and their commercial value. It takes place in institutional and non-institutional settings, involving both lawyers and non-lawyers. In certain cases, such as in Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) cases, lawyers have come in for criticism from the UN and the EU. In other cases, there is a patchwork of ethical obligations, sometimes conflicting. The IBA has taken a central role in promoting ethical guidelines. This panel will look at some of the ethical issues arising, which do not appear to be on the radar of the Bars whose members are participating in international arbitration.
Session / Workshop Chair(s)
| Jonathan Goldsmith | Member, Bar Issues Commission Policy Committee |
Speakers
| Petr Bříza | Bříza & Trubač, Prague, Czech Republic |
| Nadine Debbas Achkar | Independent Arbitrator, Beirut, Lebanon |
| Dietmar Prager | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, New York, USA; Co-Chair, Arbitration Committee |