The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), one of the most esteemed professional bodies in the arbitration world, will host its biannual Congress in Miami from 6th - 9th April 2014. Ahead of the ICCA Congress, The Bahamas Bar Association, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) - Bahamas Branch, the Ministry of Financial Services, The Bahamas Financial Services Board and the Bahamas Institute of Financial Services in collaboration with the University of Miami School of Law's International Arbitration Institute and other key stakeholders will hold a Pre-ICCA Conference on April 4, 2014 at The British Colonial Hilton in Nassau.
The theme for the Pre-ICCA Conference is "The emergence of The Bahamas as an international arbitration center - complementing the Americas".
Over 10 international panelists representing the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Panel of Recognized International Market Experts in Finance, CIArb, the London Maritime Arbitrators Association and leading law firms in the United States, Europe and Asia will be joined by Attorney General Sen. Allyson Maynard-Gibson; Minister of Financial Services Ryan Pinder, Justice Jacob Wit of the Caribbean Court of Justice and other prominent Bahamian professionals.
The morning sessions will center on the creation of The Bahamas International Arbitration Court and a case study on the Singapore International Commercial Court which will hear arbitration disputes, making The Bahamas a hub for complex finance arbitration, and maximizing The Bahamas' potential for maritime arbitration.
The afternoon sessions are dedicated to young professionals under 40 years or who have less than 10 years of practice in their respective disciplines. This segment of the conference will focus on practical steps for young professionals to become international arbitrators and ways in which they can access the international arbitration community.
Bertha Cooper-Rousseau, co-chair of the Bahamas Bar Association Arbitration Committee and Chair of CIArb, The Bahamas Branch said: "This significant conference is a think tank of pre-eminent practitioners in the arbitration community and seeks to gather professionals interested in going from the Caribbean region to international arbitration. The plethora of international speakers and institutions represented shows that The Bahamas is a space to watch for international arbitration in the Americas."
In addition, a competition is in place whereby college and university students, as well as young professionals who have less than 10 years of practice in their respective disciplines, are invited to draft an arbitration clause with the seat of arbitration being The Bahamas.
The winning arbitration clause will be selected by Marike Paulsson, director of the University of Miami School of Law's International Arbitration Institute, founder and chair of the Young ICCA - and panelist at the conference.
Two winners will be announced at the afternoon sessions. They will be awarded all-expense paid trips from Nassau to attend Young ICCA and Young Arbitration Professionals events which will be held in Miami from April 8-10. Submissions should be sent to BahamasArbitration@gmail.com and will be accepted no later than the close of business EST on April 1, 2014.
Attorneys, accountants, architects, engineers, insurance executives, medical practitioners, quantity surveyors, contractors and any other interested parties are invited to attend. Admission is free to the public. Email BahamasArbitration@gmail.com for further details and to RSVP.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
