Opening Lecture of the Center for International Dispute Resolution

Reform Efforts in German and U.S. Arbitration Law

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On 14 February 2018, the Opening Lecture of the newly founded Center for International Dispute Resolution (CIDR) took place in the Helmut Schmidt-Auditorium of Bucerius Law School.

The CIDR was founded in December 2017 at Bucerius Law School in order to bundle research and teaching in the field of international dispute resolution and to drive it forward. It is headed by Professor Dr. Karsten Thorn, chair holder at the Bucerius Law School, and Professor Dr. Stefan Kröll, an international arbitrator and honorary professor at Bucerius.

After a welcome speech by Thorn, in which he thanked the various participants and supporters of the CIDR, Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Katharina Boele-Woelki, Dean of Bucerius Law School, emphasised the importance and topicality of international dispute resolution. Thereafter, Friedrich-Joachim Mehmel, President of the Hamburg Constitutional Court, highlighted the benefits of Hamburg as a place for arbitration.

The welcoming speeches were followed by a topical introduction by Professor Dr. Stefan Kröll to the changes in arbitration law. The guest speaker Professor George Bermann of Columbia University, who had been invited to Hamburg by the CIDR for the Opening Lecture, presented the Restatement (Third) of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration and linked his observations to the various phases of arbitral proceedings. In the course of his lecture, Bermann gave detailed insights into the development of the Restatement, in which he was and is significantly involved as the chief Reporter. Afterwards, Professor Dr. Gerhard Wagner, chair holder at Humboldt University of Berlin, spoke about German reform efforts; only a few regulations are to be changed, but some are to be added in order to take account of current developments. After the presentations, the participants had the opportunity to continue discussing while enjoying snacks and wine.

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Franziska Mauritz, student