By now, Warsaw had become an international arbitration hub, and the 7th Dispute Resolution in M&A Transactions international conference, held on 23-24 May 2024, reinforced this status. Co-organised by ICC Poland, the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and GESSEL Attorneys-at-Law, the conference attracted over 230 leading practitioners and academics from around the globe. Across two days of vibrant debate, the participants explored pressing issues at the intersection of law, business, and geopolitics, with themes ranging from ESG and AI to wartime arbitration and the impartiality of party-appointed experts. Opening remarks by Beata Gessel-Kalinowska vel Kalisz and Cezary Wiśniewski set the tone: arbitration, though influenced by new technologies and global turbulence, must remain fundamentally human-driven. This basic view echoed throughout the event.
Speakers including Alexander G. Fessas, Marcin Czepelak, and Yves Derains reminded the participants that the vitality of arbitration lies in its adaptability. And, sure enough, as they explored insurance as a risk management tool, reflected on the legacy of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, or questioned the impartiality of experts, the panellists consistently straddled established traditions, present needs, and future uncertainties. The lively exchanges showed how arbitration must evolve alongside culture, business exigencies, and political realities while, all along, preserving its essence as an equitable institution within which practitioners with real-life experience ponder each case on its merits. Outside the formal sessions, Warsaw’s hospitable atmosphere, with stunning venues for informal dialogue, strengthened the city’s credentials as an emerging centre of international legal debate. Thus, the 2024 edition not only marked another milestone in the conference’s history, but also confirmed Warsaw’s place on the global arbitration map.
