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Apr 15

The United States and its Place in the International Arbitration System of the 21st Century: Trendsetter, Outlier or One in a Crowd?

Organiser: Atlanta International Arbitration Society

Sunday, 15 April - Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Atlanta, USA

Overview
Speakers
Programme
Sponsors

As observed by the reporters for a project to restate the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration: “The United States occupies a unique place in the modern international arbitration system and in its historic evolution.… American lawyers, arbitrators and arbitration specialists have been important contributors to the growth and development of the international commercial arbitration system, from its very inception and within its most venerable institutions... On the other hand, U.S. parties and lawyers have sometimes taken atypical approaches towards arbitral procedures, particularly when contrasted to some European counterparts, on matters as diverse as arbitrator independence, discovery and the role of lawyers.”

What will be the role of the United States in international arbitration in the 21^st Century, as trendsetter, outlier, or simply one in a crowd? This two-day conference will examine that issue. Speakers from five continents will consider the following topics:

Restating the Law of International Commercial Arbitration in the United States: Views From Within and Without
The Federal Arbitration Act: In Need of a Tune-up or Better Left Alone?
Manifest Disregard of the Law: Truly a Sword of Damocles Hanging Over Arbitrations in the U.S.?
Changing the Cost and Time Dynamic in International Arbitration: The View From the User Community
Lawyer Ethics in International Arbitration: Prospects for a Level Playing Field
Judicial Assistance in International Arbitration: Striking a Balance Between Help and Hindrance
The Changing Face of Investment Treaty Arbitration
Disclosure and Discovery in International Arbitration: Do the Revised IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration Finally Bridge the Divide?

The conference registration fee will cover an Opening Reception, all luncheons and a Reception & Dinner at the High Museum of Art, featuring the Picasso to Warhol exhibition.

Cooperating entities include the American Arbitration Association/International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA/ICDR), the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of International Law, the Atlanta Bar Association, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the CPR Institute, the Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA), the Georgia State Bar Section of International Law and Dispute Resolution Section, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Law Society of England and Wales, JAMS, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the Vienna International Arbitration Centre (VIAC), among others.

Speakers will include all four reporters for the Restatement project on the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration; the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, the presidents of the AAA/ICDR, CIArb and LCIA; the secretaries-general of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID); the chairs of the ICC Court of International Arbitration and the international arbitration committees of the International Bar Association (IBA) and ABA; and leading practitioners, neutrals and in-house counsel from around the world.

Registration Rates

Registration fees include admission to the opening reception, Monday and Tuesday luncheons, the Monday night dinner and reception at the High Museum, and all CLE/CPD program sessions.

Regular Registration ($585 on or before Mar. 15, 2012, $700 after)
In-house Corporate Counsel ($285 on or before Mar. 15, 2012, $385 after)
Full-time Law School Faculty ($285 on or before Mar. 15, 2012, $385 after)
Full time Judges: Complimentary registration on or before Mar. 15, 2012
Additional guest ticket for Monday evening reception only ($150 each)

Refund Policy

Cancellations must be made in writing and received by ATLAS by March 16, 2012, for a full refund of fees, less a $100 administration fee. No refund of registration will be granted after that date except in the case of medical emergency or extenuating circumstances approved by ATLAS in its sole discretion.

Hotel

Should you require overnight hotel accommodations, a block of rooms is being held at the Loews Hotel in Atlanta at a special low per night group rate of $159/night. Reservations may be made here: Loews Hotel Reservations or by calling 888-563-9736 and asking for the ATLAS Conference block of rooms.

Register Online

Guillermo Aguilar-Alvarez, Partner, King & Spalding, New York, NY

Essam Al Tamimi, Senior Partner, Al Tamimi & Company, Dubai

Jose Astigarraga, Partner, Astigarraga Davis, Miami, FL

Hon. Dorothy Toth Beasley, Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service, Inc.; Chief Judge, Court of Appeals of Georgia (ret.), Atlanta, GA

John Beechey, Chairman, International Court of Arbitration, ICC, Paris, France

George A. Bermann, Professor of Law, Columbia University; Chief Reporter; ALI Restatement Third of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration, New York, NY

Hon. Stanley F. Birch, JAMS; Judge, 11^th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (ret.), Atlanta, GA

Lorraine M. Brennan, Managing Director, JAMS International, London, England

Charles H. Brower II, Professor of Law, University of Mississippi School of Law, Oxford, MS

A. Stephens Clay, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Atlanta, GA

F. Ramsey Coates, Director (and former Senior Vice President & General Counsel), Westinghouse Electric Co., Monroeville, Pennsylvania

Jack J. Coe Jr., Professor of Law, Pepperdine, Law School; Associate Reporter, ALI Restatement Third of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration, Malibu, CA

Christopher R. Drahazol, Professor of Law, University of Kansas Law School; Associate Reporter, ALI Restatement Third of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration, Lawrence, KS

Jeffrey P. Elkinson, President, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Partner, Conyers Dill & Pearman, Bermuda

Philip W. “Whit” Engle, Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Prenova, Inc., Atlanta, GA

Jeffrey D. Firestone, Vice-President/Litigation Counsel, United Parcel Service, Atlanta, GA

John H. Fleming, Partner, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, Atlanta, GA

Judith Gill QC, Partner, Allen & Overy, London, England

Joan C. Grafstein, JAMS, Atlanta, GA

Bernard “Ben” J. Greer, Adjunct Professor, Georgia State University; Partner, Alston & Bird LLP (ret.), Atlanta, GA

Shelby R. Grubbs, Partner, Miller & Martin PLLC, Atlanta, GA

Glenn P. Hendrix, Partner, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, Atlanta, GA

John W. Hinchey, JAMS, Atlanta, GA

Hon. Carol W. Hunstein, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia, Atlanta, GA

Yu Jianlong, Secretary-General, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Beijing, China

Meg Kinnear, Secretary-General, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, Washington DC

Jennifer Kirby, Partner, Kirby, Paris, France

Marielle Koppenol-Laforce, Partner, Houthoff Buruma, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Carolyn B. Lamm, Partner, White & Case, Washington DC

Barton Legum, Partner, Salans, Paris, France

Meghan Magruder, Partner, King & Spalding LLP, Atlanta, GA

William W. “Rusty” Park, Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law; President, London Court of International Arbitration, Boston, MA

Nikolaus Pitkowitz, Partner, Graf & Pitkowitz, Vienna, Austria

Matthew D. Richardson, Partner, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta, GA

Catherine A. Rogers, Professor of Law, Penn State University Dickinson School of Law; Associate Reporter, ALI Restatement Third of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration, University Park, PA

Teresa Wynn Roseborough, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, The Home Depot, Atlanta, GA

Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge, Professor of Law, University of Georgia Law School, Athens, GA

Hon. Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA

Valerie Strong Sanders, Counsel, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, Atlanta, GA

Richard N. Sheinis, Partner, Hall Booth Smith & Slover, PC, Atlanta, GA

John A. Sherrill, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Atlanta, GA

Christof Siefarth, Partner, GÖRG, Cologne, Germany

Richard H. Sinkfield, Partner, Rogers & Hardin, LLP, Atlanta, GA

William K. Slate II, President, American Arbitration Association, Washington DC

Thomas J. Stipanowich, Professor of Law, Pepperdine Law School, Malibu, CA

Edna Sussman, Principal, Sussman ADR LLC, New York, NY

Anthony C. “Tony” Walsh, Senior Litigation Counsel, GE Energy, Atlanta, GA

John L. Watkins, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Atlanta, GA

Brian A. White, Partner, King & Spalding LLP, Atlanta, GA

Douglas H. Yarn, Professor of Law, Georgia State University Law School, Atlanta, GA

Eduardo Zuleta, Partner, Gomez-Pinzon-Zuleta, Bogotá, Colombia

Sunday, April 15

Opening Reception (Loews Atlanta Hotel, Bar Eleven): 7 p.m.

Monday, April 16

Welcome and Opening Remarks: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Restating the Law of International Commercial Arbitration in the United States: Views From Within and Without: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Networking Break: 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
The Federal Arbitration Act: In Need of a Tune-up or Better Left Alone? 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Luncheon with speaker: 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Manifest Disregard of the Law: Truly a Sword of Damocles Hanging Over Arbitrations in the U.S.? 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Networking Break: 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Changing the Cost and Time Dynamic in International Arbitration: The View From the User Community: 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Reception & Dinner (High Museum of Art - Taylor Lobby, featuring the Picasso to Warhol exhibition): 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 17

Opening Remarks (Keynote Address): 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Lawyer Ethics in International Arbitration: Prospects for a Level Playing Field: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Networking Break: 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Judicial Assistance in International Arbitration: Striking a Balance Between Help and Hindrance: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Luncheon with speaker: 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Changing Face of Investment Treaty Arbitration: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Networking Break: 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Disclosure and Discovery in International Arbitration: Do the Revised IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration Finally Bridge the Divide? 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks: 6:00 p.m.