Behind Closed Doors: What Your Arbitrators are Really Thinking

What is your arbitrator really thinking when they read your submissions? Who or what drives a tribunal when it matters most?

This session brings together experienced arbitrators from different backgrounds to offer something rarely available in practice: unfiltered insight from those on the inside. We examine how tribunals actually function, from the enduring appeal of former judges and what a judicial mindset genuinely means for the conduct of proceedings, to the tactical realities of chair selection and what happens when agreement proves elusive among the tribunal members.

We also confront the practical pressures that shape every tribunal: the over-commitment problem and its consequences for quality and timeliness, and the deliberations that practitioners never witness but that ultimately determine the outcome, including whether seniority is as influential as many assume.

In January, Taylor Wessing's offices in the UK, Ireland, Middle East, Netherlands, and Belgium announced that we'll be combining with Winston & Strawn to establish Winston Taylor, a new firm built for the businesses, people, and markets driving capital and innovation.

Upon completion, the combination will create one of the world's largest transatlantic law firms, with hubs in the US, UK, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.