Looking back on the Humboldt Advocacy Workshops & Panel Discussion
To kick-off the 2024 Berlin Vis Premoot, mooties, arbitrators, practitioners, and legal academics were invited to partake in a day of workshops and panel discussions regarding all things Vis and arbitration. If you missed it, we hope that this report will be enlightening and that it will paint a nice picture of the events of the day. Make sure to also check out the weekend's programme!
The Workshop “The Power of Storytelling for Advocacy” took its participants on an insightful and interactive journey. The workshop guides Tobias Strecker and Sebastian Feiler highlighted the value of a good story and taught the participants all they needed to know to be a master storyteller. From Aristoteles to modern behavioural economics, and back again, this workshop covered it all.
Free sodas, watching videos, and groupwork is an infallible recipe for success. Especially when it is accompanied by a fascinating and engaging presentation on “The Art of Oral Advocacy” given by the cheerful David Weiss and Marine de Bailleul. The workshop culminated in an ad hoc oral pleading where freshly learned skills from the workshop were implemented by the participants through arguing both sides of the infamous Leonard v. Pepsi Case. The workshop was conducted with such skilful delivery that it left no doubt as to the presenters’ absolute competency in their choice of topic.
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. In line with this neat aphorism, participation in Deborah Keller’s and Vasileios Regkakos’ workshop on “Dealing with Difficult Arbitrators” was invaluable to all those seeking to mitigate the effects of a toxic arbitrator. By confronting the participants with a number of possible scenarios, the newly learned defences against difficult arbitrators were immediately put to action.
In the late afternoon hours, the participants assembled to attend the intriguing Panel Discussions. Panel I brought together three legal mavericks who shared their experiences of what it means to work outside of one’s home jurisdiction. Eveli Lume, Marine de Bailleul and Kanwar Vivswan imparted their wisdom on overcoming obstacles that are faced by many arbitralians.
There is no one career path in arbitration, and Panel II embodies this phrase. Ole Jensen, Sebastian Feiler and Aina Hannisa, all successful lawyers, albeit with vastly different backgrounds, are a testament of this. However, there are some clear “Do’s and Don’ts in International Arbitration,” and the panellists unanimously reinforced the priceless difference that a strong network, a trusted mentor, and a passion for your field can make in your career.
A sincere and deep THANK YOU goes out to all the people involved in creating this wonderful experience! Especially to all the sponsors without who this event could not be possible.
See you next year!