Since arbitrator's impartiality and independence constitutes the bedrock of international arbitration, more and more recent arbitral awards have been annulled or vacated on the grounds of lack of arbitrator's impartiality. This work investigates whether a common international public policy core exists with regard to the concepts of impartiality and independence of arbitrators in international commercial arbitration. The book addresses the different constellations of arbitrator bias as considered by the courts of various jurisdictions, especially France, England, Switzerland, Greece and Germany. By introducing the 'justifiable doubts' to an arbitrator's impartiality criterion and analyzing the above-mentioned national case law, the book categorizes instances that constitute lack of impartiality with reference to and interpretation of the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration 2014. The work examines and systematizes how arbitrator impartiality can be contested at different stages of procedure: upon constitution of the arbitral tribunal, during arbitration proceedings, as well as after the rendering of the award at annulment, recognition or enforcement stage, while providing answers to the following questions: what must an arbitrator disclose; should an arbitrator investigate a possible fact or circumstance that may affect her impartiality, and to what extent; what is the relevance of the fact affecting arbitrator impartiality being obvious, well-known or easily accessible by the parties; under which preconditions could a party waive its right to contest lack of impartiality-implicitly or expressly. This study focuses specifically on the institution of waiver and analyses how it prevents a party from contesting arbitrator impartiality at the next procedural stage, should it fail to follow the specific procedures and preconditions - an issue that is unexamined in the literature to date.

Independence and impartiality are key to any judicial process. The dualistic nature of arbitration, i.e., being judicial and contractual, raises the question of how to set the standard of independence and impartiality in arbitration. On the one hand, arbitrators are decision makers similar to judges. On the other hand, they solve disputes outside the courtroom and are (often) appointed by the parties due to their individual expertise. Against this backdrop, this book analyses the state of play of independence and impartiality. It provides an overview of the current status of independence and impartiality applied in international commercial arbitration, focusing on case law from France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The core themes are possible grounds for finding dependence and partiality and their streamline in theoretical standards of independence and impartiality. Additionally, consequences of independence and impartiality are addressed, including the obligation to disclose. This book is useful for practitioners and scholars alike. It may help counsels preparing a challenge, arbitrators defining their obligation to disclose, and scholars analysing independence and impartiality on a more general basis.

The absence of a coherent body of case law on due process has increasingly motivated recalcitrant parties to use due process as a strategic tool, thereby putting at risk the prospect of obtaining an enforceable award in expeditious proceedings. Countering this inherent danger, here for the first time is a comprehensive study on due process as a limit to arbitral discretion, showing how due process applies in practice in key jurisdictions around the world. Based on country reports prepared by leading arbitration practitioners and academics, the book explores how courts in major arbitration jurisdictions apply due process guarantees when performing their post-award review. The contributors, driven by an interest in exploring the interplay between due process and efficiency, focus on those due process guarantees that set limits to arbitral discretion. Matters covered include the following: the right to be heard and how it may be affected by submission deadlines, evidentiary offers by the opposing party, and directions to the parties as to which aspects require further pleading; the right to be treated equally and its interplay with the duty to give each party full opportunity to present its case and to comment on submissions and evidence filed by the other party; the duty to effect proper notice, including delivery and language issues; the independence and impartiality of arbitrators with a focus on when an arbitrator’s conduct can become the basis for a successful challenge; and courts’ standards of deference when examining issues arising at the post-award stage. An introductory general report thoroughly analyses the normative basis of due process and its interplay with party autonomy, as well as applicable standards of review and commonalities among manifestations of due process across jurisdictions. A signal contribution to the debate regarding the so-called due process paranoia affecting arbitral tribunals – a topic relevant in every single arbitration proceeding – this book provides practical guidelines on how to maintain the balance between due process and efficiency and how to apply due process and counteract its misuse in arbitration proceedings. It will be welcomed by counsel, arbitrators, and judges from all countries, as well as by academics and researchers concerned with international commercial arbitration.

Shows how 'dirty' challenge tactics are made viable primarily by the prevalence of a judicially derived test for bias which focuses on appearances, rather than facts and He argues that the most commonly used test of bias, the 'reasonable apprehension' test, makes it easy to allege a lack of impartiality and independence.

This treatise describes the practice of international commercial arbitration with reference to the major international treaties and instruments, arbitration rules and national laws. It provides an analysis of the interaction between party autonomy and arbitration practice.

The legitimacy of investor-State arbitration is a much-debated topic, with arbitrators’ independence and impartiality being one of the core concerns. In The Independence and Impartiality of ICSID Arbitrators, Maria Nicole Cleis explores how unbiased decision-making is ensured under the ICSID Convention. Juxtaposing existing disqualification decisions in the ICSID system against corresponding requirements in related dispute settlement systems, the book convincingly argues that the current approach to disqualification requests against ICSID arbitrators is too exacting in light of the high stakes of investor-State disputes. The author’s nuanced analysis of the status quo is followed by novel suggestions for reforms (including a proposal for ICSID-specific guidelines on conflict of interest), making the book a valuable source of ideas on constructive paths forward.

The second edition of Gary Born's International Commercial Arbitration is an authoritative 4,408 page treatise, in three volumes, providing the most comprehensive commentary and analysis, on all aspects of the international commercial arbitration process, that is available. The first edition of International Commercial Arbitration is widely acknowledged as the preeminent commentary in the field. It was awarded the 2011 Certificate of Merit by the American Society of International Law and was voted the International Dispute Resolution Book of the Year by the Oil, Gas, Mining and Infrastructure Dispute Management list serve in 2010. The first edition has been extensively cited in national court decisions and arbitral awards around the world. The treatise comprehensively examines the law and practice of contemporary international commercial arbitration, thoroughly explicating all relevant international conventions, national arbitration statutes and institutional arbitration rules. It focuses on both international instruments (particularly the New York Convention) and national law provisions in all leading jurisdictions (including the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration). Practitioners, academics, clients, institutions and other users of international commercial arbitration will find clear and authoritative guidance in this work. The second edition of International Commercial Arbitration has been extensively revised, expanded and updated, to include all material legislative, judicial and arbitral authorities in the field of international arbitration prior to January 2014. It also includes expanded treatment of annulment, recognition of awards, counsel ethics, arbitrator independence and impartiality and applicable law. Overview of volumes: Volume I, covering International Arbitration Agreements,provides a comprehensive discussion of international commercial arbitration agreements. It includes chapters dealing with the legal framework for enforcing international arbitration agreements; the separability presumption; choice of law; formation and validity; nonarbitrability; competence-competence and the allocation of jurisdictional competence; the effects of arbitration agreements; interpretation and non-signatory issues. Volume II, covering International Arbitration Procedures, provides a detailed discussion of international arbitral procedures. It includes chapters dealing with the legal framework for international arbitral proceedings; the selection, challenge and replacement of arbitrators; the rights and duties of international arbitrators; selection of the arbitral seat; arbitration procedures; disclosure and discovery; provisional measures; consolidation, joinder and intervention; choice of substantive law; confidentiality; and legal representation and standards of professional conduct. Volume III, dealing with International Arbitral Awards, provides a detailed discussion of the issues arising from international arbitration awards. It includes chapters covering the form and contents of awards; the correction, interpretation and supplementation of awards; the annulment and confirmation of awards; the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards; and issues of preclusion, lis pendens and staredecisis.