The YAF Conference: Distribution Law and Arbitration

As a member of Young Arbitrators Forum of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Mr. Kusnadi returned to attend the YAF Conference on 4 November 2016 in Turin Italy. The Conference took the topic, "Distribution Law and Arbitration". It was an important topic to know particularly by legal practitioners. The Conference was focus on the use of arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution method to settle distribution law based claims.

The keynote speech had delivered by Mr. Pascal Hollander from Hanotiau & van den Berg, Brussels, Chair of the IBA Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards Subcommittee. While the the welcome speeches had delivered by Mr. Gianmaria Anjani, Rector of the University of Turin-Italy, Mr. Alberto Oddenino, Secretary of the SIOI Piedmont and Aosta Valley, Turin, and Mrs. Cristina Barettini, the respresentative of the Turin Bar Association.

The panel on that Conference consisted of two sessions, panel 1 talked about arbitration distribution law claims, issues, limits and opportunities which had divided into four sub-topics namely, 1) the arbitration agreement in distribution contracts: dos and don'ts; 2) document production and discovery in distribution law cases; 3) competition law based claims and distribution agreements. Where do we stand?; 4) trade sanctions and distribution agreements. This panel was introduced and moderated by Alexandre Reynaud, Betto Seraglini, Paris.

Another panel talked about multiparty arbitration in distribution cases, which had divided into four sub-topics namely, 1) class arbitration and franchising: a comparative overview; 2) joinder of upstream suppliers in warranty claims; 3) IP claims in distribution contracts related disputes; 4) Is arbitration the best way of litigating multiparty disputes? the in-house counsel standpoint. This panel was introduced and moderated by Pierre Bydzowsky from Borel & Barbey, Geneva.