We are delighted to invite you to the ICC Georgia Forum on Arbitration & ADR - Corporate Counsel Perspectives in the Wider Region, taking place on 5 June 2026 at Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi.
This high-level Forum will bring together senior in-house counsel and corporate lawyers from across the wider region, alongside leading arbitration practitioners, representatives of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and the United States Department of Commerce.
The discussions will focus on how businesses can better prevent disputes and enhance the effectiveness of dispute resolution through arbitration and ADR mechanisms. Particular attention will be given to the perspective of in-house lawyers and the practical challenges they face in managing complex cross-border disputes.
The Forum will provide one of the first opportunities to hear insights on the latest ICC Arbitration Rules.
We will soon announce our distinguished line-up of speakers and share the detailed programme.
We encourage you to secure your place early and join us for what promises to be a special gathering, both in terms of substantive content and valuable networking opportunities.
Who should attend?
All local, regional and international professionals involved in international trade and international arbitration: businesses, government representatives, in-house counsel, lawyers and arbitrators.
(Tbilisi Time Zone)
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09:30 - 10:00 |
Registration & Coffee |
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10:00 - 10:10 |
Welcome & Introductions
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10:10 - 10:25 |
Opening Keynote Address
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10:25 - 10:40 |
ICC Court 2025 Highlights - An Overview
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10:40 - 11:40 |
Panel I - Beyond the Rules: Practical Strategies for Managing Arbitration Proceedings Once arbitration is under way, how can parties, counsel, and tribunals make the process as efficient and effective as possible? This panel explores practical strategies for managing proceedings - from early case management conferences and procedural timetabling to bifurcation, document production, and the smart use of technology. Panellists will share what works in practice, where proceedings tend to lose momentum, and how to keep cases on track without sacrificing due process.
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11:40 - 12:00 |
Coffee Break |
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12:00 - 13:00 |
Panel II - Getting It Right from the Start: Drafting Effective Dispute Resolution Clauses The dispute resolution clause is often the last thing negotiated and the first thing litigated. This panel examines how to get it right from the start - from choosing the appropriate mechanism and seat to structuring multi-tier clauses that combine negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. Panellists will discuss common pitfalls in clause drafting, how to avoid pathological clauses, and the practical considerations that in-house counsel and practitioners should have in mind when putting pen to paper. The discussion will also explore how well-crafted dispute resolution provisions can serve as a tool for dispute prevention, not just dispute resolution.
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13:00 - 14:30 |
Lunch |
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14:30 - 16:00 |
Panel III - GC Unplugged: Dispute Management from the Inside What does it actually look like to manage a cross-border dispute from inside a company? This session puts corporate counsel centre stage for a candid conversation about the realities of dispute management - from the moment a conflict first appears on the radar to the enforcement of an award. How do GCs decide when to fight and when to settle? How do they select and manage external counsel? What do they wish arbitrators and institutions understood about the pressures they face? And how do they handle the internal dynamics - board expectations, budgets, and the business relationships that need to survive the dispute? This is not a traditional panel. The session opens with several in-house counsel sharing short, unscripted reflections, then opens the floor – inviting audience members to join the conversation, share their own experience, and challenge what’s been said.
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16:00 - 16:20 |
Coffee Break |
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16:20 - 17:05 |
The New ICC Arbitration Rules - What Changes and Why It Matters
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17:05 - 17:20 |
Closing Keynote Address
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17:20 - 17:25 |
Closing Remarks
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19:00 |
Networking Reception
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Fady Asly |
Chairman, ICC Georgia; Chairman of the Regional Consultative Group (North Africa, Broader Middle East, Caucasus, Central Asia); Special Representative of ICC Secretary General for the Caucasus and Central Asia |
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Patrick Butler |
Deputy General Counsel for Litigation, US Department of Commerce, Washington D.C. |
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Philippe Cavalieros |
Partner, Global Head of International Arbitration, Simmons & Simmons LLP, Paris; Vice-Chair, ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR |
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Michael Davar |
Partner, Squire Patton Boggs, London |
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Hannah Eckhoff |
Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Frankfurt |
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Jason Fry KC |
Head of International Arbitration, Partner, Clifford Chance LLP, Paris |
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Nick Gvinadze |
Managing Partner, Gvinadze & Partners LLC, Tbilisi; Chair, ICC Georgia Arbitration & ADR Commission |
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Mélida Hodgson |
International Arbitration Partner, Arnold & Porte, New York |
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Ole Jensen |
Managing Counsel, ArbBoutique, Berlin |
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Ulrich Kopetzki |
Acting Director for Europe and Central Asia, ICC Dispute Resolution Services |
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Julian Lew KC |
Arbitrator, Twenty Essex, London |
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Ruslan Mirzayev |
Head of Education and Training, ICC Dispute Resolution Services |
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Andy Moody |
Partner, Baker & McKenzie LL, London |
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Sarah Reynolds |
Partner, Head of International & Domestic Arbitration, Kaplan & Grady LLC, Chicago |
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Sophie Tkemaladze |
Independent Arbitrator and Mediator, Boston / Tbilisi; Member, ICC International Court of Arbitration |
| Venue | Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi 4 Freedom Square, Tbilisi 0105, Georgia |
| Registration fees |
Non-members: 150 GEL |
| Registration information |
ICC Georgia will share the contacts with ICC for the purpose of providing event services and, if you consent below, for the purpose of communicating information on ICC Arbitration and ADR: I accept that ICC and its affiliates send me emails on Arbitration and ADR activities including reports, guidelines, events, trainings, and updates relating to ICC’s range of leading dispute resolution products and services, please complete the form and your preferences at: https://iccwbo.org/email-alert-signup/ If you wish that ICC sends you emails on Arbitration and ADR activities including reports, guidelines, events, trainings and updates relating to ICC’s range of leading dispute resolution products and services, we invite you to sign-up here and complete the form and your preferences. |
For more information, please contact:
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Khatia Bukhrashvili |
Secretary General, ICC Georgia |
Co-organisers
Sponsors and Supporters