Guest speaker
James Kwan, Partner, Baker & McKenzie

12:00-14:00, Wednesday,11 June 2014
Venue: Far Eastern Plaza, West Gate (B1)/ 台北香格里拉遠東國際大飯店, 華西 (B1)
201 Tun Hwa South Road, Section 2, Taipei / 台北市敦化南路2段201號

International arbitration has become popular because awards are enforceable in multiple jurisdictions, unlike local court judgments. The Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New York Convention, is one of the key instruments in international arbitration. It applies to the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and the referral by a court to arbitration. To date 149 countries have signed the convention, thereby agreeing to enforce arbitration awards made by their counterparts.

Arbitration in both China and Asia is experiencing a boom, with enforcement, neutrality, flexibility, finality, and confidentiality making it an attractive way to resolve disputes. One of the leading arbitral centres in Asia is Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance has now been in force for over two years.

At this special event, the guest speaker will cover the features of the Hong Kong Arbitration legislation which make it attractive for parties to arbitrate in Hong Kong, recent developments, and the new changes to the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre Rules. It will end by looking into the crystal ball – how will the Year of the Horse shape up for Hong Kong arbitration.

About the speaker
James Kwan is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Group of Baker & McKenzie in Hong Kong. He leads the arbitration practice in Hong Kong and is a member of the firm's International Arbitration Steering Committee. He specialises in international commercial arbitration, has experience of M&A, technology, sale of goods, engineering and energy arbitrations. He has a range of international experience, having represented clients in arbitrations in Asia, the Middle East and Europe under the major institutional rules. Kwan is the author of a chapter on the Award and Costs in The Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance Commentary and Annotations (Sweet & Maxwell, 2011) and Interim Measures in Arbitration in China: A Practical Guide (Sweet & Maxwell, 2004). Kwan is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

NT$1300 for members, NT$1,900 for non-members