London International Disputes Week 2025

There has been an extraordinary run of global events and developments over the past decade, giving rise to possible insurance claims for Covid losses, losses from war and conflict, wide-spread cyber attacks, losses connected to climate change, more frequent natural catastrophes and environmental damage, and increasing insurance backed M&A risks. With new events and risks arising all the time our panel will consider how parties are looking to insurance to cover some or all of these risks, the approach of the courts (and arbitral tribunals) so far, as well as how insurance will be relevant to the risks businesses will face in coming years.

Date: Wednesday 4 June 2025

Time: 09:00 - 10:30

Venue: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, Exchange House

Hosts: Herbert Smith Freehills, 7KBW, Solomonic

Speakers: Sarah McNally - Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, David Edwards KC - Barrister, 7KBW, Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC - Barrister, 7KBW, Edward Bird - CEO, Solomonic

More information and registration

Global dealmakers expect more M&A deals and disputes in the remainder of this year as geopolitical turmoil, private equity involvement and other pressures cast a persistent shadow over the deal landscape, as revealed in BRG's M&A Disputes Report launched in March 2025. These conditions are wreaking havoc on business calculations, deepening the risk of disputes over purchase price adjustments, termination clauses and other provisions as parties seek to limit risk or recover value from transactions.

Join us for a panel discussion featuring lawyers and market experts discussing M&A deal and disputes activity, deal structure, and mitigation, as well as what potentially lies ahead.

• High-level findings about M&A deal trends
• Macroeconomic lay of land in 2025
• Industries where disputes are observed / expected
• Deal structures / mechanisms which increase the risk of disputes
• Mitigation

Date: Wednesday 4 June 2025

Time: 14:00 - 15:30

Venue: Lecture Theatre & Breakout Space, The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, Crown Office Row, London, EC4Y 7HL

Hosts: BRG, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, Latham & Watkins

Speakers: Danny Ryan – BRG, Matt McSheaffrey – BRG, Sophie Lamb KC - Latham & Watkins, Mike McClure KC - Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Manthi Wickramasooriya - Quinn Emanuel, Kevin Hagon - BRG

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A wave of competition class actions has been certified to proceed to trial in the UK in recent years, fuelled by a very low bar to certification, increased availability of litigation funding, broad disclosure rules and the willingness of the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) to engage in detailed consideration of complex legal tests and economic analysis. Join us as we examine the latest developments in this area, including:

• Riefa v Apple: the first outright refusal of certification by the CAT since Merricks v Mastercard and the first refusal of certification on the grounds of unsuitability of the proposed class representative
• Le Patourel v BT: the first substantive judgment in an opt-out competition class action - including the CAT's approach to excessive pricing as an abuse of dominance, and practical insights from BT's legal team
• Key themes emerging from settlement agreements approved by the CAT
• The CAT's approach to scrutinising funding arrangements at the certification stage

We will focus on the practical implications for future cases and the development of the UK regime going forward, and address critical questions relating to the effectiveness and balance of the certification process.

Date: Wednesday 4 June 2025

Time: 16:00 – 17:30

Venue: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, Exchange House

Hosts: Cornerstone Research, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Speakers: Sophie Thompson - BT Group, Charlotte Thomas - Brick Court, Tristan Jones KC - Blackstone Chambers, Kim Dietzel - Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Liam Colley - Cornerstone Research

More information and registration

International courts and tribunals are in increasing demand as the world navigates an era marked by growing geopolitical uncertainty and new challenges. Join us as we consider the roles of the International Court of Justice, ITLOS, and other international courts and tribunals during these turbulent times.

We will discuss the reasons for this growing demand for adjudication in international law, how these judicial bodies have responded, and the effectiveness of advisory opinions, provisional measures, and intervention. We will also look more broadly at the future of these international courts and tribunals, their capacity to adequately respond in the face of the new challenges, and the broader implications for states and non-state actors.

Schedule:

We will commence at 8:30 with a networking breakfast, followed by the seminar at 09:00.

08:30: Networking Breakfast

09:00 - 10.30: Panel Discussions and Interactive Q&A

Date: Thursday 5 June 2025

Time: 09:00 - 10:30

Venue: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, Exchange House

Hosts: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, Twenty Essex

Speakers: 

Chair - Judge Joan Donoghue, Arbitrator and former President of the International Court of Justice - Twenty Essex

Panel:

Hannah Ambrose - Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Sally Langrish – Director General, Legal, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Dr Federica Paddeu - Associate Professor of Law, Queens' College at University of Cambridge

Sir Michael Wood KC – Barrister, Twenty Essex

More information and registration

Use of expert evidence is an essential part of most construction disputes – quantum, delay and engineering experts are frequently instructed.  The role of the expert witness is meant to be objective and their effectiveness in persuading a Tribunal to accept their opinions will depend in large part on their credibility as genuine independent experts in their field, and not for example as just another advocate in disguise. This interactive panel session explores client, expert, tribunal and counsel perspectives on these issues.

Date: Thursday 5 June 2025

Time: 14:00 - 15:30

Venue: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, Exchange House

Hosts: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, Accuracy

Speakers: Tayo Okunade – Accuracy, Andrew White KC - Atkin Chambers, Daniel Gething – Uniper, James Doe - Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

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Is London still an attractive seat for Asian parties? Key international arbitration users from important Asian jurisdictions tell us what they want from seats and share their views of London as a seat. Champions for London and Singapore will then make their case and try to win them over. Will the champions succeed in swinging the needle? This will be an interactive discussion of what Asian parties want in neutral seats. The session seeks to serve food for thought laced with fun and humour! The audience will their chance to get into the melee too.

16:00 arrival for a 16:15 start, followed by a drinks reception.

Date: Thursday 5 June 2025

Time: 16:00 – 17:30

Venue: TBC

Hosts: 39 Essex Chambers, Secretariat

Speakers: 

• Steven Lim (Co-Moderator) - 39 Essex Chambers
• Amit Garg, Head of APAC (Co-Moderator) - Secretariat
• Myung Ahn Kim - Yoon & Yang
• Mr Justice Foxton
• Mr Vivek Neelakantan - Registrar SIAC
• Mr Abhijit Mukhopadhyay - Hinduja Group
• Gitta Satryani - Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

More information and registration

Led by ArbitralWomen’s London based Board Members, this event focuses on bringing together representatives of major arbitral organisations and initiatives and members of the wider International Arbitration community, to network and brainstorm ideas and actions aimed at working together to make our community more inclusive. Speed network with representatives from:

• ArbitralWomen
• Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge (ERA)
• Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses (ERE)
• The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
• Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers (REAL)
• Open Arbitration  

Register to find out more about their work and how we can collaborate together to accelerate action.

All allies welcome!

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a proud signatory of both the ERA and ERE pledges. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer's CEO, Justin D'Agostino, is currently Co-Chair of the ERA Pledge. Of Counsel Louise Barber is the co-founder of the Young Practitioners' Subcommittee of the ERA Pledge and is a member of the LCIA's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Working Group. Patricia Nacimiento sits on the Advisory Council of ArbitralWomen.

Date: Wednesday 4 June 2025

Time: 09:00 - 10:30

Venue: WilmerHale London, 49 Park Lane, London W1K 1PS

More information and registration here.

Climate Change and Construction: The Evolving Landscape of Disputes and Regulation explores how climate change is transforming construction disputes and professional practice. Our panel will also consider the causes of disputes relating to green infrastructure projects.

Date: Wednesday 4 June 2025

Time: Registration and welcome 11:00-11:15. Panel presentation to start by 11:20, with lunch to follow.

Venue: The Ned, Members' Club & Hotel

Hosts: MASIN, 39 Essex Chambers

Speakers: 

• Rohit Singhal (Moderator), CEO - MASIN
• Camilla ter Haar, Barrister - 39 Essex Chambers
• Fatma Guney, Partner - Hamish Lal Partners
• Dr Laura Lintott FCIArb, Counsel - Watson Farley Williams
• James Doe, Global Co-Head of Construction & Infrastructure Disputes - Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

More information and registration