New Developments in Pacific Rim Arbitration: Perspectives from Hong Kong, Singapore, and California

On November 7, 2022, California Arbitration and The Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) hosted a panel at UC Law San Francisco featuring speakers Mariel Dimsey (Secretary General, HKIAC), Adriana Uson (Head of Americas, SIAC), Sally Harpole (Independent Arbitrator), and Dan Tan (Principal, Dan Tan Law and International Arbitrator).

Moderated by Professor and CNDR Director Hiro Aragaki, the panel focused on the rise of arbitration throughout the Pacific Rim and the implications of recent developments in law, politics, and business for the future of Pacific Rim arbitration and for California’s attractiveness as a seat. Panelists from HKIAC and SIAC also offered a rare glimpse into their institutions’ case statistics, which included data about the number of cases involving U.S. parties, the number of cases governed by California law, and the rate at which U.S. arbitrators are selected compared with arbitrators of other nationalities.

After some lively Q&A with an audience of professionals, students, and faculty, both in person and virtually, attendees enjoyed a reception in UC Law SF’ new Deb Colloquium Room overlooking San Francisco’s civic center.

The event was co-hosted by California Arbitration and supported by Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC), California Lawyers Association (CLA), Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), American Arbitration Association (AAA-ICDR)JAMS, and Fed-Arb.