Dr. Greg Lourie and Diego Alexandre-García on "ICC Arbitration"
On February 20, 2025, the IDR LL.M. students attended the final session of the ICC Arbitration guest lecture series, delivered by Diego Alexandre-García, Deputy Counsel at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). This session built on the foundation laid by the first lecture, presented by Dr. Greg Lourie, currently a Counsel at Schellenberg Wittmer’s International Arbitration Group and formerly a Counsel at the ICC Secretariat in Paris.
The first session, presented by Dr. Greg Lourie, introduced the fundamental structure of ICC Arbitration and outlined the supervisory role of the ICC Court and Secretariat. He discussed the constitution of arbitral tribunals, scrutiny of awards, and key procedural mechanisms such as prima facie jurisdiction assessments, joinder, and consolidation. Through practical examples, he demonstrated the flexibility of ICC arbitration while ensuring procedural safeguards for fairness and efficiency.
Building on this foundation, Diego Alexandre-García’s lecture expanded on these concepts, focusing on the financial and procedural aspects of ICC arbitration. He explained the ad valorem system for calculating arbitration costs and detailed payment structures involved. He also covered the Expedited Procedure Provisions (EPP), designed to streamline arbitration and reduce costs. Case studies illustrated when EPP is appropriate and what factors, such as case complexity, might justify objections. The lecture concluded with an in-depth look at the scrutiny of arbitral awards, reinforcing the ICC Court’s role in ensuring enforceability and procedural integrity.
Taken as a whole, the ICC Arbitration guest lecture series provided a comprehensive understanding of ICC arbitration procedures, the role of the ICC Court and Secretariat, and procedural aspects of arbitration under ICC rules.
As the winter semester’s guest lecture series comes to a close, this final session reinforced key takeaways from lessons and prepared students to engage with ICC arbitration in practice. We extend our gratitude to both lecturers for their insightful presentations.
- Muhammed Furkan Aslan, IDR LL.M. Candidate, Class of 2024/2025