News | 07 October 2016

Launch of toolkit for awards writing

A new guide designed for young arbitrators drafting their first awards was launched at the IBA’s Annual Conference in September 2016 by the IBA Arb 40 – the IBA’s Arbitration Committee’s subcommittee composed of leading arbitration practitioners under 40. The guide was conceived and spearheaded by LALIVE partner Noradèle Radjai, who worked with fellow committee members on this project: Rouven Bodenheimer, Sarah Grimmer, Gisela Knuts, Tunde Ogunseitan, Angeline Welsh and Swee Yen Koh. Tino Schneider and Thomas Brown, members of LALIVE’s arbitration team, also assisted in this project.

The Toolkit for award writing includes advice on the different types of awards and decisions arbitrators may be required to issue and the formal and procedural requirements that must be met to ensure they are enforceable. Speaking at the presentation of the guide, Noradèle Radjai said  “the key responsibility of an arbitrator is without question the writing of a reasoned and enforceable award. And yet there are strikingly few practical guides to assist arbitrators in performing what is not only their most important task, but arguably the most difficult one.” The guide is thus a compilation of tools which can be drawn upon for guidance and inspiration.  They include a discussion of the formal and procedural requirements to watch out for and a summary of the principal contents of a typical award.  On the practical side, the Toolkit includes drafting tips and techniques, and some practical suggestions about the planning of the award writing process.  All the tools are laid out in a well sign-posted chapters, which are summarized in a final checklist.

The guide has been put together by a younger generation of arbitrators who are sensitive to the issues faced by young arbitrators embarking on their first awards.

The Toolkit was enthusiastically received by the arbitration practitioners present in Washington. It is available on the IBA’s website here.

The launch of the toolkit was reported in GAR.

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