Herbert Smith Freehills is pleased to announce the launch of The Global Pound Conference (GPC) Series 2016-17. The aim of this ambitious worldwide conference series is to build a global conversation about the current landscape of civil and commercial dispute resolution and how dispute resolution tools and institutions should respond to the needs of 21st century business.  In particular, it … Read more

We previously reported (here) on the Court of Appeal’s decision in Aspect Contracts (Asbestos) Ltd v Higgins Construction plc, considering an important issue regarding the limitation periods applying in a situation where a party makes a payment pursuant to an adjudication decision and subsequently seeks to recover that payment through court proceedings. That decision was subsequently appealed and the … Read more

We previously reported the publication of our ADR in Asia Guide.  As well as distilling the results of our client survey on the use of mediation in Hong Kong, the Guide contains a summary of the main ADR processes used across Asia and includes our Dispute Resolution Wheel, explaining at a glance the characteristics of the various … Read more

We have previously reported (here) on a recent spate of court decisions in several jurisdictions which examined contractual clauses providing for the use of Dispute Boards as a dispute resolution procedure. On Thursday 12 March 2015, at 9.00am (GMT), Mark Lloyd-Williams and David Nitek, Partners in our Construction and Engineering team in London, will deliver a webinar on … Read more

Herbert Smith Freehills’ Hong Kong dispute resolution team has launched its first ADR in Asia Guide, featuring a spotlight on mediation in Hong Kong. In particular, the Guide includes the results of our recent client research on how international corporates use mediation in Hong Kong. If you would like an electronic copy of our Guide, please … Read more

Three separate court decisions in different jurisdictions in recent months have given support to dispute adjudication boards (DABs) as a form of dispute resolution and, more generally, the enforcability of contractual dispute resolution clauses. DABs, which often comprise a panel of three members, provide a decision on a dispute which is binding pending any subsequent determination by a court or arbitral … Read more

In a landmark decision, the Technology and Construction Court has refused to enforce an adjudicator's decision because the adjudicator had been invalidly appointed, due to misrepresentation by one party on its application to the appointing body.  The decision is a clear warning to parties that objections to adjudicators must be made honestly and not for ulterior motives:  Eurocom Ltd v … Read more

It is well established that the courts will not review the merits of an adjudicator’s decision and will only set aside such a decision in the relatively rare cases where it is found that: the adjudicator had no jurisdiction to make the decision (including because the decision made did not determine the dispute that had been referred to the … Read more