Washington, DC as a Place of Arbitration

WAW’s panel on Washington D.C as a place for arbitration will address the advantages and disadvantages of having Washington D.C. as a seat for international arbitration. It will go further by discussing whether it is even necessary to define a place where hearings take place given today’s virtual dynamics, and the issues on enforcement and recognition of the award that this might raise. The panel will focus on the following matters:

• Does a physical place for hearings and meetings of the tribunal still matter in the world of virtual arbitrations?
• Why choosing Washington D.C as a seat of international arbitration and not a different venue?
• Will virtual arbitration become the norm?
• What issues could virtual arbitration bring to the enforcement of an award?
• How does the recognition and enforcement of awards differ between the main seats of arbitration?