AUA LL.M. Hosts a Series of Events on Commercial Investment Arbitration

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On September 3-4, 2019, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Master of Laws (LL.M.) program co-organized and hosted a two-day event in cooperation with the Armenia Center for Dispute Resolution (ACDR), International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), and Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration.

Designed for Armenian judges, the first day of the program featured a training conducted by ICCA on application of the NY Convention. The participants had the unique opportunity to be lectured by prominent speakers Judge Dominique Hascher of the Supreme Judicial Court of France and Lise Bosman, ICCA Executive Director. During the workshop, the judges were presented with a handbook on “ICCA’s Guide to the Interpretation of the 1958 New York Convention” translated into Armenian by the members of the AUA Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) clinic.

On September 4, a special workshop was held for young legal practitioners on oral cross-examination during arbitration, which was led by Young ICCA. Around 30 students and young lawyers participated in the workshop. They had the exceptional advantage of witnessing the demo version of Arbitration Tribunal acted by the true professionals in the field, Diana Tsutieva, experienced international dispute resolution attorney in Foley Haug’s International Litigation and Arbitration Department, Washington, D.C., Gigi D’Souza from Secretariat International, New York, and Mark Berberian, Manager at Analysis Group, Chicago. 

The second day was also notable for the conference on Investment Disputes and Armenia open to all interested professionals in arbitration. Topics of the conference included commercial and investment disputes, the role of expert witnesses for valuation in investment disputes, possibilities offered by negotiations and mediation prior to arbitration proceedings. Speakers explored successful systems in Latin America, South Africa and discussed the challenges for Armenia. 

The two-day events were essential for the Armenian legal community for strengthening alternative dispute resolution in the country. The efforts of Talin Hitik, the founder of ACDR, Mushegh Manukyan, from Three Crowns law firm, Washington D.C., and LL.M Program alumni, Aram Aghababyan, Anush Hokhoyan, Viktoria Margaryan, Svetlana Karapetyan and Ejmin Shahbazian deserve special mention. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.