The 4th edition of the Investment Arbitration Masterclass organised in Brussels by the Legal Affairs unit of the Energy Charter Secretariat concluded after four intense days (4-7 November 2019). The interactive exercises were focused on providing 20 government officials (from 10 countries and the European Commission) and legal practitioners with hands on training (including mock exercises) about the practicalities and intricacies of the investment arbitration process, the assessment of damages and strategic communication.  

The training modules were delivered by a fully fledged faculty from the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Versant and FTI consulting. Their expertise was further complemented by practitioners viewpoints from leading international law and consulting firms, including Shearman & Sterling, Cooley, Lalive, Westerberg & partners, Baker Botts, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Latham & Watkins, Mannheimer Swartling and Arent Fox. The training included an innovative session on strategic communication : how to manage the reputational, communication, diplomatic and political ramifications of the dispute. 

The Masterclass was preceded by the fourth edition of the Investment Mediator Training (1-3 November) co-organised with ICSID and CEDR, which was hosted by the Department of Justice of Hong Kong and the Asian Academy of International Law (AAIL). The training gathered government officials and experienced mediators from around 18 African and Asian countries. On 28 October, participants had a fruitful discussion on the Guide on Investment Mediation and the Model Instrument on Management of Investment Disputes (which was “highly commended” within the category of “creating a new standard – In house” for the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards in 2019).