The prestigious White & Case International Arbitration lecture series hosted two prominent individuals in fall 2023.
The lecture series began when the global law firm White & Case LLP, in 2014, committed to supporting the continued excellence and impact of the International Arbitration Institute at the University of Miami School of Law. That gift also provided essential resources for developing the LL.M. degree program, an endowed scholarship, and an annual lecture series to bring leading scholars and practitioners in international arbitration worldwide to campus.
Meg Kinnear, Secretary-general of ICSID
Meg Kinnear, the secretary-general of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, delivered the lecture "ICSID Arbitration: Past, Present and Future" on September 21, 2023. ICSID is an international arbitration institution established in 1966 for legal dispute resolution and conciliation between international investors and States.
This lecture examined the origins of investment protection, highlighted recent reforms to investor-state dispute settlement procedure, addressed some of the misunderstandings about the topic, and discussed some of the challenges ahead. It will also consider the role of ISDS in attracting and retaining foreign direct investment as governments seek to establish policy, legal, and institutional environments conducive to mobilizing private capital.
Kinnear is considered the most successful Secretary-General of ICSID. She is also a vice president of the World Bank. Regarding Kinnear, Carolyn Lamm, J.D. '73, Distinguished Faculty Co-Chair of the International Arbitration LL.M., said, "she is a star in the field, renowned and applauded for her leadership at ICSID at a time of significant change."
Claudia Salomon, President ICC
Claudia Salomon, President of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration, will speak on "Awards and Rewards: Back to the Future" on November 15, 2023. The ICC is an institution for resolving international commercial disputes that operates under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce and consists of more than 100 arbitrators from roughly ninety countries.
Salomon is an independent arbitrator specializing in international, investor-state, and complex commercial disputes. She is widely recognized as one of the leading arbitration practitioners of her generation. In July 2021, Ms. Salomon became the President of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration, the first woman President of the ICC Court in its almost 100-year history.
On the occasion of the Centenary of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the President of the ICC Court considered the characteristics of arbitral awards in the early days of the Court, the most common issues that arise during the Court's scrutiny of awards, and how arbitral awards may be drafted in the future.
Salomon was formerly Partner and Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins' International Arbitration Practice, where she was engaged in some of the most complex, high-value, and significant disputes. She has acted as arbitrator and counsel in arbitrations around the globe under all of the major arbitral rules governed by common law and civil law.
Salomon is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is a sought-after speaker and writer on international arbitration and is the co-editor of Choice of Venue in International Arbitration, published by Oxford University Press.
Both lectures were co-hosted by Miami Law's International Arbitration Society student organization.
Sandra Friedrich, assistant dean for the international graduate law programs and director of the International Arbitration Institute, described the lectures as a "don't-miss event for those practicing in the international arbitration environment," and "a valuable opportunity to connect with other practitioners in the field."
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