Expedited Procedures In International Commercial Arbitration

International arbitration has enjoyed remarkable success. However, in recent years repeated concerns relating to the efficiency of the proceedings have emerged. These concerns have led to the introduction of provisions for expedited arbitral procedures. Through analysing various arbitration rules, this book will examine the require-ments under which expedited procedures are admissible, what the central char-acteristics of such procedures are, and how such procedures can be classified and described in comparison to a conventional arbitral procedure. A significant part will examine the tension between procedural efficiency on the one hand and on quality of the procedure and award on the other. In an excursus, early determination procedures will be examined to complete the tool box to increase procedural efficiency.

Foreword --Introduction --Expedited Proceedings in International Arbitration --Expedited Rules and the Possibility of Immediate Measures once a Tribunal is Constituted --The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy --Sports Arbitration and the Inherent Need for Speed and Effectiveness --Rediscovering the Lost Promise of International Arbitration --Expedited Institutional Arbitral Proceedings Between Autonomy and Regulation --Conclusion --About the Authors.

International arbitration has enjoyed remarkable success. However, in recent years repeated concerns relating to the efficiency of the proceedings have emerged. These concerns have led to the introduction of provisions for expedited arbitral procedures. Through analysing various arbitration rules, this book will examine the require-ments under which expedited procedures are admissible, what the central char-acteristics of such procedures are, and how such procedures can be classified and described in comparison to a conventional arbitral procedure. A significant part will examine the tension between procedural efficiency on the one hand and on quality of the procedure and award on the other. In an excursus, early determination procedures will be examined to complete the tool box to increase procedural efficiency.

Recalling its resolution 2205 (XXI) of 17 December 1966, by which it established the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law with a mandate to further the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade and in that respect to bear in mind the interests of all peoples, in particular those of developing countries, in the extensive development of international trade, Recalling also its resolution 31/98 of 15 December 1976 recommending the use of the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law1 and its resolution 65/22 of 6 December 2010 recommending the use of the Arbitration Rules as revised in 2010. Mindful of the value of arbitration as a method of settling disputes that may arise in the context of international commercial relations. Noting the value of expedited arbitration as a streamlined and simplified procedure for settling disputes that arise in the context of international commercial relations within a shortened time frame, and its increased use in international and domestic commercial practice for parties to reach a final resolution of the dispute in a cost- and time-effective manner.

The contributions in this book cover a wide range of topics within modern disputeresolution, which can be summarised as follows: harmonisation, enforcement andalternative dispute resolution. In particular, it looks into the impact of harmonisedEU law on national rules of civil procedure and addresses the lack of harmonisationin the US regarding the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. Furthermore,the law on enforcement is examined, not only by focusing on US law, but also onhow to attach assets in order to enforce a judgment. Finally, it addresses certain typesof alternative dispute resolution. In addition, the book looks into the systems andcultures of dispute resolution in several regions of the world, such as the EU, the US andChina, that have a high impact on globalisation. Hence, the book is diverse in the senseof dealing with multiple issues in the field of modern dispute resolution./div The book offers explorations of the impact of international rules and EU law on domesticcivil procedure, through case studies from, among others, the US, China, Belgium andthe Netherlands. The relevance of EU law for the national debate and its impact on theregulation of civil procedure is also considered. Furthermore, several contributions discussthe necessity and possibility of harmonisation in the emergency arbitrator mechanisms inthe EU. The harmonisation of private international law rules within the EU, particularlythose of a procedural nature, is juxtaposed to the lack thereof in the US. Also, the bookoffers an overview of the current dispute settlement mechanisms in China. The publication is primarily meant for legal academics in private international law andcivil procedure. It will also prove useful to practitioners regularly engaged in cross-borderdispute resolution and will be of added value to advanced students, as well as to those withan interest in international litigation and more generally in the area of dispute resolution. Vesna Lazić is Senior Researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Institute, Associate Professor ofPrivate Law at Utrecht University and Professor of European Civil Procedure at theUniversity of Rijeka. Steven Stuij is an expert in Private International Law and a PhD Candidate/GuestResearcher at the Erasmus School of Law, Rotterdam. Ton Jongbloed is Guest Editor on this volume./div

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration, the ASA decided to devote its annual conference in January 2014 to this topic. This volume of the ASA Special Series contains the written versions of all the presentations given during this conference. Most of the contributions were based on the verbatim protocol which was prepared on the conference day and thus retain their informal speaking style. In their 10 years of existence, the Swiss Rules have established themselves as modern arbitration rules, offering a user efficient and transparent arbitral proceedings. Probably the most distinguishing feature of the Swiss Rules with regard to the administration of the cases is their "light touch" as applied by the Swiss Chambers' Arbitration Institution, reserving however a supervisory function for its Court. This volume is structured along the panels of the conference. The first panel addressed the history and the background of the Rules as well as their main characteristics. The second and the third panels explore the key features of the revised Swiss Rules, namely the consolidation and joinder provisions, the set-off and counter-claim provisions, the expedited procedure, provisional measures and the emergency arbitrator as well as provisions on confidentiality and settlement facilitation. While the fourth panel provided the insiders’ view into how the Institution administers its cases, the fifth and last panel discussed the perspectives of the users, the arbitrators and counsel as well as their experiences with the Swiss Rules.

***NO SALES RIGHTS IN SWITZERLAND*** This second edition of the first comprehensive commentary on the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration covers the new version of these rules which entered into force on 1 June 2012. It is a practical guide for arbitrators, counsel, state courts and persons involved in the conduct and administration of arbitral proceedings under the Swiss Rules. This commentary presents the new version of the Swiss Rules from a double perspective. On the one hand, it emphasizes the relationship between these Rules and the Swiss legal regime governing international arbitration, namely the provisions of chapter 12 of the Swiss Private International Law Statute. On the other hand, it puts these Rules in an international perspective by comparing them with the corresponding provisions of the other major institutional rules (ICC, LCIA, SCC, DIS, VIAC, SIAC, HKIAC, CIETAC, AAA/ ICDR, WIPO and ICSID) and with the provisions of the former edition of the rules. Finally, it highlights the main differences between the Swiss Rules and the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules which were revised in 2010. This book is written by arbitration practitioners based in Switzerland who work with established law firms, widely experienced in international commercial arbitration. It is the work of a refreshing new generation of Swiss arbitration specialists. Two of the editors were members of the working group for the revision of the Swiss Rules and thus bring special insight into the book about the revision process.