After a long legislative process that began in March 2021, the new Arbitration Act has received Royal Assent. The 2025 Arbitration Act codifies established case law and introduces some practical improvements to the arbitration framework set by the 1996 Act.

Since April 2024 the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative ("USTR") has been conducting an investigation into acts, policies, and practices of the People’s Republic of China in relation to the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.

Can an arbitral tribunal undertake its own research? The answer is ‘ “it depends” – as is often the case in international arbitration. The question of whether a tribunal has gone beyond the scope of the arbitration will often arise in a challenge to the enforcement of an arbitral award.

International arbitration as a method for resolving cross-border disputes continues to gain popularity. However, when considering which of the arbitral institutions’ rules to include in an arbitration agreement, there are two practical points to consider: (i) the likely duration and (ii) the likely cost of any arbitration.

With sufficient time and resources, an in-house counsel can ensure that each arbitration clause their organisation signs onto is carefully crafted and reviewed. But we recognise that time and resources are rarely sufficient and believe that these three rules of thumb can help ensure that arbitral clauses do not create an unacceptable level of risk.

In this article we discuss challenges to arbitration awards in the context of alleged ‘serious irregularity’ in the award given by the arbitral tribunal. This was addressed in the recent decision by the Privy Council in London, on appeal from the courts of the Bahamas, in RAV Bahamas Ltd and another v Therapy Beach Club Incorporated [2021] UKPC 8.

The referral of a dispute to arbitration does not mean parties have to be stuck on a straight track to a hearing with an award issued by the tribunal. Very often, arbitration can lead to or support parties in reaching a negotiated settlement in advance of any hearing or award. In some cases, commencing arbitration can be used as a strategy to encourage parties to negotiate. The fact of arbitral proceedings getting underway should certainly not lead parties to automatically forgo all hopes of settling the dispute.

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Shawn er partner ved Wikborg Reins londonkontor. Han har betydelig erfaring innen prosedyre og tvisteløsning, med fokus på komplekse kommersielle tvister i forskjellige jurisdiksjoner. 

Han har erfaring fra voldgiftsinstitutter som ICC, LCIA, SIAC, LMAA og UNCITRAL, i tillegg til ad hoc voldgift. Shawn bistår også i forbindelse med saker for engelske domstoler og som rådgiver i rettsprosesser over hele verden. 

Shawns praksis omfatter også bistand i forbindelse med forhandlinger av kontrakter med høy verdi, særlig innen entreprise, fabrikasjon og skipsbygging. 

Han ledet Wikborg Rein-teamet som vant årets «Deal of the Year: Disputes» i Latin Lawyer Awards 2021. Han er anbefalt og trukket frem i Legal 500-rangeringen, hvor han er beskrevet som «ekstremt pragmatisk og løsningsorientert» (Legal 500, 2023: Projects, Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas). 

Shawn er kvalifisert som advokat både i England & Wales (solicitor) og New Zealand (solicitor og barrister).

London

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Shawn spesialiserer seg innen internasjonal tvisteløsning, og er kvalifisert som advokat både i England & Wales og New Zealand.

Shawn Kirby

Associate/Senior Associate/Managing Associate