In light of the developing COVID-19 situation, the main arbitral institutions around the world are taking precautionary measures to minimise the potential impacts this may have on the progression of arbitrations and to safeguard the health and safety of everyone involved in arbitral proceedings. Such initiatives – most of them related to the adoption of videoconferences and various technology platforms for conducting hearings – may disrupt the ordinary course of the arbitral proceedings and require special attention from parties, lawyers and arbitrators.
This legal update describes the measures that the main arbitral institutions have recently adopted, as well as some challenges that our lawyers from our Global International Arbitration Practice have faced in the past few days.