Midstream Makeover – Innovating Procedure from Case Management to Evolving Expert Roles

International arbitration has long been promoted as a forum offering procedural flexibility, yet in practice many cases still follow a familiar, largely standardized playbook. Recently, however, new trends have begun to emerge that challenge this default approach. Tribunals and practitioners from different legal traditions are experimenting with midstream conferences, tribunal led settlement initiatives, and more tailored methods for working with experts—all in the search for greater efficiency and more effective case management. This dynamic discussion will bring together stakeholders from across the arbitral community to explore which innovations are genuinely reshaping practice, which have struggled to take hold, and why. Viewed through both common law and civil law perspectives, the panel will examine what is changing, what works in practice, and where further procedural evolution may be heading.