"The challenges facing all members of the construction industry are enormous, but not unachievable... I am confident that the ACE Client Guide 2000 will help all members of the construction industry, whether consulting engineers, architects, surveyors, contractors and their clients, better understanding the challenges facing us and encourage appropriate actin to be taken" Jim Dawson, ACE Chairman 1999-2000. Providing an overview of the market, its structures and external influences, this invaluable guide will help members of the construction supply chain to understand their clients' business needs and equip them to invest appropriately for current and future market developments and take advantage of emerging opportunities. The ACE Client Guide 2000 has been prepared in the ligth of feedback on the first edition, which was published in November 1998, and developments both within the construction industry and in the wider economy over the past 12 months, the facts, perceptions, commentary and sources set out in the ACE Client Guide 2000 provide a basis for individual firms to examine: - What to do - Why they do it - How they do it - How well they do it - Where improvements could be made - How such improvements could be achieved

Theory, Law and Practice of Maritime Arbitration The Case of International Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Sea Eva Litina It is estimated that over 80% of global trade by volume is carried by sea, making maritime transport a cornerstone of the global economy. Most disputes in the shipping industry are settled by distinctive, private arbitral proceedings that are best understood by a close examination of the standard form contracts that are used in practice and of the case law arising therefrom. Extrapolating insightfully from these sources, the author of this book examines in depth the phenomenon of maritime arbitration with a specific focus on contracts for the carriage of goods by sea. She offers the first comprehensive and comparative analysis of arbitral practice in the three jurisdictions where the most frequently selected maritime arbitral seats are located: London, New York, and Singapore. An analysis of the applicable rules and relevant case law in each jurisdiction provides the basis from which a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats is achieved. The book addresses the following key aspects of maritime arbitration: maritime arbitration’s definition, origins, theoretical underpinnings, socioeconomic context, and significance; the maritime-specific reasons for wide use of ad hoc versus institutional arbitration; the international instruments governing arbitration in contracts for the carriage of goods by sea; the shipping industry’s pursuit of self-regulation via standard form contracts; the arbitration agreement contained in standard form charterparties and bills of lading; maritime arbitration’s unique approach to judicial review, confidentiality, and arbitrator impartiality; the specific dispute resolution objectives that compel a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats; and the future of maritime arbitration in light of international political, financial, and technological developments. In addition to the three main maritime arbitral seats, the analysis touches on maritime arbitration in other relevant jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong, Greece, Japan, and Korea, thus affording a comparison of the process in common and civil law jurisdictions. The book concludes by considering the potential impact of the current international political landscape, and suggesting future perspectives and research in international maritime arbitration. An important addition to scholarship in this field of law, the book’s thorough assessment of the merits of the competing maritime arbitral seats—and its specific focus on maritime disputes—will prove of significant importance to arbitrators, law firms, in-house counsel of shipping companies, international organizations, and arbitration institutions and associations. Practitioners will discover all tools necessary to examine any case before the main maritime arbitral seats with full awareness of each applicable legal regime and its distinguishing features.

In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect economic development. In addition, due to the changing global situation, international competition was increasingly fierce. Under the circumstances of major changes and a pandemic unseen in a century, commercial dispute resolution in China is confronting new challenges, facing new changes and ushering in new developments. In the field of commercial arbitration, the promulgation of the Arbitration Law (Revision) (Draft for Comment) brought about many reforms to China’s current arbitration system, aroused widespread attention and discussion in the industry, and boosted arbitration research and the arbitration legal system to new levels. Arbitration institutions, including the Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Center (hereinafter referred to as the “BAC/BIAC”), have duly issued new rules according to the needs of case handling and pandemic prevention and control in order to guide new arbitration practices, and the highlights of China’s judicial supervision and opening-up of arbitration are eye-catching. In the field of commercial mediation, the Supreme People’s Court has continuously promoted the development of a “one-stop” diversified dispute resolution system to support international commercial mediation organizations in providing mediation services in free trade zones; the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court has innovatively introduced third-party mediation organizations to participate in bankruptcy reconciliation; and practices in coordination between arbitration and mediation have been constantly enriched. Commercial mediation is playing an increasingly important role in alternative dispute resolution in China. In key professional fields, while actively responding to the impacts of the pandemic and focusing upon the resumption of work and production, legal construction and dispute resolution have also been developing.

The application of construction dispute procedures has changed dramatically in the last decade. This has resulted in an increased use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in many countries, and mediation in particular. Construction is one of the major industries using mediation, in the UK and in many other countries such as the US, China, Australia and New Zealand. This expansion in mediation has been helped by encouragement from governments, although it takes diverse forms in different legal jurisdictions, for example: court rules to encourage this use (as in the US and UK); the courts’ own mediation schemes or programmes, or legislation-backed programmes; or the use of industry driven mediation clauses in standard form contracts. These developments have taken place extremely rapidly. They represent significant changes to the legal environment within which the international construction industry conducts its business but, to date, there has been little research on their impact. All these initiatives have inevitably led to a developing legal jurisprudence concerned with the validity of contract clauses or with providing statutory interpretation of the rules requiring or governing practice. This has important consequences for the construction industry because legal uncertainty increases the likelihood of dispute, which is not only costly for the disputants but can be damaging to national and global economies. This book identifies the emerging international practices within construction mediation, and seeks solutions to the many legal and commercial challenges which they pose. It presents an international collection of reviews by experts, and allows a comparative commentary on the practice of construction mediation and the legal challenges facing its development.

Twenty-eighteen marked the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy. Profound changes have been seen internally and externally, prior to 2018, during 2018, and continuing beyond 2018, which echo China’s great quest for reform and engaging with the world and shape the future of the dispute resolution industry in China. “Economic stability”, “economic restructuring and upgrading”, and “Sino-US trade friction” are clues to internal and external changes in 2018. Reviewing changing conditions in dispute resolution across a wide range of industries, the authors of Commercial Dispute Resolution in China: An Annual Review and Preview (2019) [hereinafter referred to as the “An Annual Review and Preview (2019)”] preview challenges that are yet to come. In Annual Review on Real Estate Dispute Resolution in China (2019), for example, the authors present a case study on the Linkage of the First and Second Level Projects and preview potential disputes of Securitization of real estate. In Annual Review on Investment Dispute Resolution in China (2019), the authors describe the arrangement of fixed income and equity repurchase under the backdrop of a slowing economy. In Annual Review on Energy Dispute Resolution in China (2019), the author focuses on policies and cases relating to Chinese transnational M&As, illustrating opportunities and challenges for future “Going Global” transactions in the energy sector. In Annual Review on International Trade Dispute Resolution in China (2019), the authors analyze the challenges posed by the China-US Trade War, and call for better compliance, industrial upgrading, and better understanding of the legal environment and trade protection measures in different jurisdictions in the process of “Going Global.” Decentralization and a continuing opening-up of China’s markets are also key in understanding economic and international changes. In Annual Review on Construction Dispute Resolution in China (2019), the authors introduce two examples, namely the promulgation of the Interpretation II on Issues Concerning the Application of Law for the Trial of Cases of Dispute over Construction Contracts by the Supreme People’s Court, and cancellation of construction contract record-filing by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, which reflect the ongoing transformation of social governance and the reforms of “delegate power, improve regulation and optimize services” (“DIO” reform) in the construction sector. In Annual Review on Financial Dispute Resolution in China (2019), the author describes the opening of the futures market, clearly demonstrating the Chinese government’s determination to open financial and capital markets.

2020 marked a remarkably unusual year for all, tough and impressive enough. Along with the prevalence of COVID-19 and the deepening of economic globalization, work and production in China were resumed in an orderly manner, bringing positive economic growth against the trend. In this context, commercial dispute resolutions in China were faced with new challenges and endured new reforms while embracing new developments. The promulgation of new laws and regulations in 2020, including the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China and the Supplementary Arrangements on Mutual Implementation of Arbitral Awards in Mainland China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, has elevated the arbitration system to a higher level. Arbitration institutions such as the Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Center (hereinafter referred to as “BAC/BIAC”) carried out anti-pandemic measures in a timely manner to ensure the well-functioning of the arbitration procedures. Meanwhile, China’s judicial supervision on arbitration and arbitration disclosure have undergone impressive developments. In 2020, the procedural standards of commercial mediation were further optimized, and commercial mediation institutions continued to expand and grow, while the number of mediation cases increased steadily. The “one-stop” diversified dispute resolution system was fully advanced, and the systems of litigation-mediation and arbitration-mediation have been constantly improved. Online mediation mechanism was rapidly developed in response to the new norms of pandemic prevention and control. Sino-foreign joint mediation mechanism has been gradually established, and international commercial mediation rules and systems are continuously refined. While rolling out countermeasures in full scale to mitigate impacts of pandemic, China achieved some eye-catching accomplishments in terms of legal system development and dispute resolution practices in 2020. To present an in-depth and systematic report on the 2020 practices and developments in the aforementioned fields, BAC/BIAC has called upon industry experts to contribute to the Annual Review and Preview of Commercial Dispute Resolution in China (2021) (“2021 Annual Review”), and released it in both Chinese and English to facilitate a better understanding of the status quo of China’s commercial dispute resolutions among interested parties at home and abroad. The 2021 Annual Review is compiled based on the following principles: First, focus on the state of the art. The 2021 Annual Review strives to showcase the latest developments in relevant industries and the leading trends in legal systems and judicial practices. It selected annual hot topics for in-depth analysis, aiming to deliver timely observations and cutting-edge contents while providing detailed information thereof. Second, focus on consistency and systematises. By inheriting previous compilation rules, the 2021 Annual Review presents an annual overview of various industries, crucial laws and policies, typical cases, analyses of heated issues and prospects, such that the readers are able to grasp the practices and developments of key industries from a multi-angle, holistic perspective. Third, focus on practicability. The 2021 Annual Review pays attention to the pragmatic value in order to help commercial entities improve their abilities of risk prevention and dispute resolution. The Editorial Committee is composed of seasoned professionals who deliver observations and opinions based on their rich experience on the industry’s frontline, providing practical references for the readers.

The Developing World of Arbitration studies the recent emergence of Asia Pacific jurisdictions as regional or international arbitration centres, thanks to various reform efforts and initiatives. This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the ways in which arbitration law and practice have recently been reformed in Asia Pacific jurisdictions. Leading contributors across the Asia Pacific region analyse twelve major jurisdictions representing varying patterns and degrees of development, whether driven from top down, bottom up, or by some hybrid impetus. Setting the arbitration systems and reforms of each investigated jurisdiction in the context of its economic, political, and judicial dynamics, this book presents, for the first-time, a cross-jurisdiction comparative and contextual study of the developing world of arbitration in the Asia Pacific and contributes to comparative international arbitration literature from an Eastern perspective. It also aims to identify an Asia Pacific model of arbitration modernisation, one that may be distinct from a Western model, and predicts future trajectories of development and challenge in light of the ever increasing competition between Eastern- and Western-based arbitration centres. This edited collection will be an invaluable addition to the libraries of academics and practitioners in the field of international commercial arbitration.