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10 - 14 NOVEMBER 2025

Schedules: Morning

Disputes finance – Evolution or Revolution? Are we at an inflection point and how will it play out?

The panel will cover the multitude of new issues (globally) affecting disputes financing this year and their impact on the funding of arbitration.

  • Market update and changes
  • The rise of funding in arbitrations
  • General principles on costs in arbitration
  • Landmark decision in Essar v Norscott
  • The Follow-Up: Tenke Fungurume Mining SA v Katanga Contracting Services SAS
  • Comparative Institutional and Jurisdictional Approaches
  • Arguments for and Against Recovery of TPF Costs
  • Implications for Commercial Arbitration
  • The Road Ahead: Reform or Clarification?

Success or Stress? Real World Challenges and Wins Experienced on Complex Projects: Construction Edition

We are inviting the audience to join the interactive discussions with a panel of Baker McKenzie experts and guest speakers, including in-house counsel, on the topics relevant to the execution of major construction projects, viewed through the lens of experience of dispute resolution, avoidance, and prevention, from private practice and in-house.

Some of the topics we will discuss include:
What are the most common causes of disputes on major construction projects and how can they be avoided from the outset?

  • How important is initial contract structure in dispute resolution and what clauses are
    often overlooked?
  • What early warnings should project managers watch to detect a potential dispute before it escalates?
  • What role can documentation play when defending claims or enforcing entitlements?
  • How effective are Dispute Adjudication Boards or standing boards in resolving issue quickly?
  • What are the most common points of contention when it comes to technical experts in construction disputes? How are issues such as disruption and concurrent delays usually handled?
  • Is it possible to agree on time-bar provisions under domestic law? Are such clauses enforceable? Does a DAB procedure interrupt the statute of limitations? How Middle East legislation deal with this point?
  • What are the legal procedures for suing government entities in the Middle East, and what enforcement challenges arise?

Interim Awards Without Borders: Recognition and Enforcement of Interim Awards in the UK, UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia

The session will address:

The process of obtaining, recognizing, and enforcing interim arbitral awards between the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

The interplay between the Middle East and the UK in this field.

Whether the process has been simplified in recent years.

How civil law courts in the region are responding to interim arbitral awards, including those from common law jurisdictions such as the UK.”

Keeping it in the Family – Arbitration for Billionaires

Mishcon de Reya is delighted to be hosting an event at Dubai Arbitration Week, where we will explore the unique challenges associated with international arbitration involving high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and family estates.

What Arbitrators Wish In-House Counsel Knew

Join Reed Smith for a rare opportunity for in-house counsel to hear directly from seasoned arbitrators in the Middle East about the inner workings of tribunals. This session offers a behind-the-scenes look at what influences arbitral decision-making – beyond the legal arguments. With a focus on how in-house strategy, coordination, and communication shape the outcome of cases, the panel will shed light on the most common pitfalls and overlooked opportunities from the tribunal’s perspective.

Topics will include:

  • Behind-the-scenes perspectives on advocacy and credibility:
  • Arbitrators discuss what makes a party’s position persuasive, and how procedural conduct influences decision-making.
  • What frustrates tribunals:
  • Overly aggressive tactics by counsel
  • Incoherent presentation of arguments, repetition, and excessive length of submissions
  • Poor organisation of documents and evidence
  • Underprepared or overly coached witnesses
  • Inconsistent messaging or delayed decisions
  • Failure to tailor submissions to the tribunal
  • How to brief external counsel more effectively:
  • What to prioritise internally before external instructions are issued
  • How to handle weaknesses in the case
  • How to present the case file coherently and strategically
  • Managing privilege and document flow without chaos
  • The panel discussion will be followed by a series of rapid-fire mini debates, each exploring both sides of key questions that often divide counsel and tribunals:
  • Does aggressive advocacy help or hinder a party’s credibility?
  • Can the testimony of fact witnesses meaningfully influence the tribunal’s final decision?
  • Do dilatory or guerrilla tactics ever produce strategic advantages—or do they backfire?

What lies beneath the surface of AI and the other technology that is changing our lives?

Join our experienced panel for a discussion on the disputes that arise when constructing and operating the infrastructure and energy that enables the technology that we rely on every day – the data centres, physical networks and IT systems, and the energy sources that power them. The panel will also examine the key regulatory and compliance risks that arise for technology providers and end-users that relate to the information flows enabled by this infrastructure under UAE law, including the UAE Cybercrime law.

Navigating the Clean Energy Transition – Disputes in LNG and Nuclear Projects

As the world accelerates toward cleaner energy, LNG and nuclear projects remain vital to meeting the world’s energy demands. However, these complex projects are often marred by legal and contractual challenges, from geopolitical disruptions and evolving regulatory frameworks to construction delays and cost overruns.

This panel, featuring leading legal experts from private practice and in-house teams, will examine how stakeholders in the LNG and nuclear sectors can manage legal risks and disputes amid the global shift towards a lower-carbon future. Drawing on recent trends and high-stakes arbitrations, the discussion will offer insights into project structuring, contract negotiation, and dispute management strategies.

Join us for this timely conversation, followed by networking with leading practitioners and industry peers over refreshments and canapés.