The traditional gathering of world experts in the field of arbitration took place in Belgrade this spring. The University of Belgrade Faculty of Law hosted the eight Belgrade Arbitration Conference on 11 March 2016, an ever-growing trademark event of our law school with a constantly increasing number of participants. This year the Arbitration Conference welcomed more than 250 participants – lawyers, judges, arbitrators, students from all over the world. The conference panels this year discussed a selection of emerging topics in international arbitration law.

The opening ceremony commenced with the warm welcome by the Dean of the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law, Professor Dr. Sima Avramović, who expressed the great satisfaction for the fact that the Faculty of Law is organizing such a prestigious gathering once again, underlining the success the conference had in the previous years. The conference participants were also greeted by the President of the Organizing Committee, Professor Dr. Mirko Vasiljević, the acting President of the Foreign Trade Court of Arbitration at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (the oldest arbitral institution in the region) who singled out series of efforts invested by the Faculty of Law in promotion of arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. On behalf of the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS), an honored partner in organization of the Belgrade Arbitration Conference, the participants of the conference were welcomed by Ms Kоrinna Von Trotha who expressed her satisfaction with the cooperation with the host institution on organization of the Belgrade Arbitration Conference. Prof Dr. Jelena Perović, member of the Board of the Serbian Arbitration Association, emphasized how highly important this event is for the legal community and the Association, and informed the participants of the recent developments in the field of arbitration in Serbia and the activities of the Serbian Arbitration Association in promotion of ADR.

The work of the first panel – discussing some of the “burning” topics in arbitration – was chaired by Steven Finizio, partner in the London office of WilmeHale. The panelists discussed about Interplay Between Procedural and Substantive Law in Arbitration, presented by Rolf Trittmann, partner in Frankfurt am Main office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, issues of Impact of Insolvency on Arbitration Proceedings – EU context, presented by Stefan Golubović from BDK Attorneys at Law from Belgrade, issues of Arbitrator’s Independence presented by Djordje Novčić, from Janković Popović Mitić law office, from Belgrade, while the questions of Res Judicata in International Arbitration were covered by Christoph Lindinger, partner in Schoenherr Vienna office.

The second panel focused on the issues of Taking of Evidence in Arbitration, was chaired by Jelena Bezarević Pajić, attorney Moravčević, Vojnović & Partners in cooperation with Schoenherr, from Belgrade. The discussions evolved around presentations on Document Production: Some Practical Issues by Tanja Planinić, attorney from Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law, Zürich office, issues of Interplay Between Document Production and Preliminary Determinations on Questions of Law presented by Duncan Speller, partner WilmerHale, London office, topic of Cross Examination in Arbitral Proceedings by Milan Samardžić, partner in Samardžić, Oreški & Grbović law office, from Belgrade and issue of Corruption in presented by Tobias Zuberbühler, partner in Lustenberger Attorneys at Law, from Zürich.

The third panel was chaired by Milan Lazić, partner from Karanović Nikolić law office, from Belgrade. The panelists discussed about Costs in Arbitration, presented by Philipp Habegger, partner in LALIVE, from Zürich, issues of Controlling Costs through Fee Agreements, presented by Brooks Daly, Deputy Secretary-General at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Hague, issues of Costs as a Case Management Tool, presented by Ivana Blagojević, Deputy Counsel at International Court of Arbitration International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, while the questions of Third Party Funding – Understanding the Issues were covered by Natascha Tunkel, Counsel in KNOETZL, Vienna office and the questions of Recoverability of Costs in International Arbitration were covered by Marija Šćekić, attorney from WilmerHale, London office.

As in the previous years, the organizing committee of this year’s arbitration conference was consisted of Professor Dr. Mirko Vasiljević, Professor Dr. Vladimir Pavić, Assistant Professor Dr. Milena Đorđević, Assistant Professor Dr. Marko Jovanović and Assistant Uroš Živković.

The organization of the conference was supported by Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, German Institution of Arbitration (DIS), Serbian Arbitration Association, law offices WilmerHale from London and local law offices from Belgrade – Moravčević, Vojnović & Partners in cooperation with Schoenherr, Karanović/Nikolić, Samardžić Oreški Grbović, Janković Popović Mitić, BDK Attorneys at Law, with the support of the American Chamber of Commerce – AMCHAM.

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