Vienna Conference on Conflict of Laws in International Arbitration (30 Nov – 1 Dec 2026)

As frequent readers of this blog and private international law afficionados will appreciate, conflict of laws can often seem like an entirely different creature in international arbitration. General rules of private international law are usually taken not to bind tribunals, and what legislators provide in their stead is often quite open-ended. Despite this, there is no shortage of cross-jurisdictional complexity in arbitral proceedings, often requiring tribunals to be adept at applying conflict-of-laws doctrine.

Since 2024, a Committee of the International Law Association has been working towards shedding more light on some of the characteristic issues faced by arbitral tribunals from a conflict-of-laws perspective, for which I have the pleasure of serving as Co-Rapporteur. Last Wednesday, we presented some of the Committee’s interim findings at the 82nd Biennial Conference of the ILA.

There are still plenty of fruitful discussions to be had. This fall, I will be hosting a two-day conference at the University of Vienna, devoted entirely to the topic of Conflict of Laws in International Arbitration. We have assembled four exciting panels of academics and practitioners on the following topics:

• Arbitrability and the Arbitration Agreement
• The Conduct of Proceedings
• Privilege and Document Production
• The Merits and Overriding Mandatory Rules

Of course, there will be plenty of time to network and enjoy wintery Vienna, and we hope to share the festive mood with a mulled wine reception on the first day.

A preliminary agenda for the conference can be found here. Registration is possible here.

Attendance is free for students, full-time academics and public employees. All others will benefit from an early-bird rate of 80€ until 14 September.

The Conference Dinner will be held at Vienna City Hall; a charge of 60€ applies.

I am looking forward to welcoming you in Vienna this November!