Borzu Sabahi -
Washington D.C. is the epicenter of investment arbitration. It has the headquarters of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), law firms specialized in investment arbitration, public international law and international commercial arbitration, international organizations, United States federal agencies specialized in investment arbitration, embassies, vibrant law schools, NGOs and think tanks. Washington D.C. Arbitration Week (WAW) is being launched to provide an organic D.C. forum in international arbitration for its legal community and the international and foreign community connected to it. WAW will further advance the analysis and discussion of developments reflected in arbitral awards, treaties and international instruments at the forefront of international arbitration.
The first edition of WAW is being held virtually by video conference during a five-day period from November 30th to December 4th, 2020. As set out in its brochure, this edition of WAW consists of 15 sessions and networking events connecting the members of Washington D.C.’s international arbitration community to the rest of the world.
These panels will follow a dynamic format and foster an open discussion about the future of international arbitration. They will shed light on new arbitration techniques, focus on developments and evolving interpretations and views, and discuss the best practices for international arbitration in the new virtual reality.
WAW 2020 will be a showcase of international arbitration in Washington, DC. On behalf of all of our supporters, panel speakers and moderators, we welcome newcomers and experienced practitioners alike to our city and arbitration community.
WAW Founders,
José Antonio Rivas & Ian A. Laird
Since its inaugural edition in 2020, the Washington Arbitration Week – WAW – has had a total of 54 panels with 262 speakers and 5,000 attendees becoming one of the biggest forums and arbitration weeks in the globe, a place to learn and discuss the latest developments of international arbitration related to Washington DC and its extended international community, and a platform for practitioners, arbitrators, academics, public officials, and students. In 2022 WAW moved to hybrid events, with 3 solely virtual panels and 18 in-person plus virtual panels splendidly hosted by various Washington DC-based law firms. In 2023 we will keep connecting the international arbitration community through in-person substantive and innovative panels, and we will expand the opportunities for networking during WAW.
