Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP SkyTerrace
1105 W Peachtree St NE #1000, Atlanta, GA 30309

Business partnerships built on trust and mutual interest can unravel into high-stakes disputes where the very closeness of the relationship complicates resolution. This session explores the unique strategic, procedural, and relationship challenges that arise when parties who once shared boardrooms and balance sheets find themselves on opposite sides of an arbitration. Panelists will examine how confidentiality concerns, access to shared information, and ongoing commercial entanglements, among other issues, shape advocacy and tribunal decision-making in these disputes.

Moderator: Christopher Smith, Smith, Gambrell & Russell
Panelists:
Anthony C. Walsh, GE Vernova
Mark Stadnyk, thyssenkrupp nucera
Kate Gonzalez, Airbus
Eugenie Rogers, King & Spalding

Few topics generate more friction in cross-border arbitration than the scope of document production — where U.S. expectations of broad discovery collide with more restrained civil law traditions. This session examines how tribunals and practitioners are navigating these competing philosophies, the tools available to calibrate disclosure, and the practical impact on cost, efficiency, and fairness. Panelists will debate where the line should be drawn and how parties from different legal cultures can find common ground.

Moderator: Glenn Hendrix, Hendrix Dispute Resolution
Panelists:
Jorge Mestre, Rivero Mestre
Daniel García Barragán, García Barragán Abogados
Simon Hems, McGuireWoods
Jess Sabbath, McDermott Will & Schulte

Session #1, Arbitrating Against Business Partners and Former Partners:
Giorgio Sassine, Gavrilov & Brooks
Eric Ives, Chaffetz Lindsey

Session #2, Discovery in International Arbitration (U.S.-Style vs Non-U.S. Approaches):
Mohamed F. Sweify, Whiteford Taylor & Preston
Cherine Foty, Covington & Burling

The tribunal secretary occupies a singular position in international arbitration, but the lines of authority, communication, and trust between secretary, tribunal, and institution are not always well understood, even by experienced practitioners. Getting this relationship right is essential to the integrity and efficiency of every arbitration. This session examines how these three players actually work together in practice: what tribunals expect from their secretaries, how institutions define and monitor the role, and where friction or ambiguity tends to arise. The panel will also look ahead to how the role may evolve as AI tools take on tasks long performed by secretaries, and what that shift could mean for the future shape of the position itself.

Moderator:
Wheaton Webb, Smith, Gambrell & Russell
Introduction by Abbey Hawthorne, ICC Arbitration and ADR
Panelists:
Isabel Fernandez de la Cuesta, Independent Arbitrator
Camille Ramos-Klee, Mascarenhas Law
Rosey Wong, AHALI Dispute Resolution
Angélica María Perdomo Luna, LLM Candidate

Artificial intelligence promises to reshape every stage of international arbitration — from case assessment and legal research to drafting and decision-making — yet its adoption raises profound questions about transparency, reliability, and professional responsibility. This session examines how practitioners and arbitrators are integrating AI tools into their work while safeguarding the procedural fairness and intellectual rigor the field demands. Panelists will confront the tension between innovation and integrity head-on, offering practical frameworks for responsible adoption.

Moderator: Usher Winslett, Independent Arbitrator
Panelists:
Alejandra Barros Noriega, Jus Mundi
Lidia Rezende, AAA-ICDR
Laura Abrahamson, JAMS
David MacArthur, Yulchon LLC

Session #3, AI in International Arbitration: Innovation vs. Integrity
Abbey Hawthorne, ICC Arbitration and ADR

Moderator: Katie Gonzalez, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Panelists:
Bo Rutledge, Taft
James Castello, Independent Arbitrator

Location to be announced

(Please note that this event is open to speakers or by invitation only.)

The traditional boundary between domestic and international arbitration — once defined by distinct rules, norms, and practitioner communities — is increasingly blurred. This session interrogates whether convergence in procedure, institutional practice, and the globalization of commercial relationships is rendering the distinction obsolete, or whether meaningful differences persist. Panelists will explore what this evolving landscape means for practitioners, institutions, and the parties they serve.

Moderator: David Gallo, Krevolin & Horst
Panelists:
Brian King, Independent Arbitrator
Eva Spahn, Greenberg Traurig
Martha Conlin, Troutman Pepper Locke
Joe Profaizer, Linklaters

Settlement resolves the vast majority of commercial disputes, yet the arbitrator's role in facilitating it remains one of international arbitration's most debated questions. This session examines the spectrum of approaches — from passive neutrality to active mediation — and draws comparisons with the more interventionist judicial settlement culture in U.S. litigation. Panelists will consider whether international arbitration should embrace a greater role for arbitrators in promoting resolution, and what safeguards are needed to preserve impartiality.

Moderator: Alex de Gramont, Womble Bond Dickinson US LLP
Panelists:
Hon. Tim Batten (Ret.), Independent Arbitrator
Remy Gerbay, Hexagon Advocates
Christof Seifarth, Bodenheimer

Session #1, Domestic and International Arbitration: Is the Divide Shrinking?
Carson Bennett, King & Spalding

Session #2, Settlement in International Arbitration
Aaron Haines, Schindler Cohen & Hochman
Michael Sullivan, Womble Bond Dickinson US LLP

While monetary damages remain the default remedy in international arbitration, parties increasingly seek specific performance, injunctive relief, and declaratory orders, raising complex questions about tribunals' authority and the enforceability of such awards. This session examines the evolving landscape of available relief, how tribunals approach requests for non-monetary remedies, and the practical obstacles parties face when seeking to enforce these awards across jurisdictions. Panelists will assess when non-monetary relief is worth pursuing and how to maximize the likelihood of meaningful enforcement.

Moderator: Sebastian Feiler, Bodenheimer
Panelists:
Estefania San Juan, White and Case
Jennifer Ersin, Bradley Arant
Juan Rodriguez, Guidepost Solutions