On January 26, 2019, seminar "Favorable Arbitrator vs Unfavorable Arbitrator–Nominations and Challenges of Arbitrators" con-sponsored by International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Arbitral Tribunals and Shanghai International Arbitration Center (SHIAC) was held in Shanghai Tower. Llinks Partner David Wu was invited to bring his speech at the seminar.
The seminar was themed by "Nominations and Challenges of Arbitrators", attracted nearly 100 scholars, lawyers and arbitration practitioners. Mr. Ma Yi, Vice Director and Secretary General of SHIAC, together with Mr. Fan Mingchao, Director of ICC North Asia Chapter were invited and delivered keynote addresses. Over 10 experts from the fields of academy and practice were present to give their own speeches and participate in the later round-table discussion.
As one of the few Chinese arbitrators appointed by Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Attorney Wu provided his speech focusing on the "Application and Causes of Challenges". In the recent years, with the number of worldwide arbitration increasing, as well as the rise of scale and coverage of the law firms through expansion and consortium, the topic concerning conflicts of interest and following arbitrator avoidance keep burning under the spotlight. For lawyers who are practicing both in the role of attorney and arbitrator, there comes along with higher demand for their risk awareness and professional ethics. In this regard, Attorney Wu combined the International Arbitration Rules of Switzerland with the CAS precedents and his further academic research so as to present a clearer image for the seminar. Experience was shared in the disclosure duties of arbitrators, and thorough interpretation was provided for determination of conflicts and resolution thereof. Lastly, Attorney Wu voiced his unique outlook, which aims at perfection of the system construction and procedure setup in domestic arbitration, which arouse heated discussion among the experts and scholars.
