Enhancing Arbitration’s Credibility: the CEA Code of Good Practice

Dear Friends:

Spain has truly become a main player in the arbitration universe, thanks to the ever-growing number of contracts including arbitration clauses, to being chosen as the seat of arbitration proceedings and to the creation of institutions administrating arbitrations, which have, over time, become highly prestigious, as well as to the specialised lawyers and arbitrators, recognized the world over.

Law 11/2011, of 20 May, on the reform of Law 60/2003, promotes the best technical standards within the Spanish legal framework, consistent with international best practice, and places Spanish regulation on international arbitration among the most developed.

Thanks to this, Spain has consolidated its place among the countries where arbitration is most advanced. This doesn’t mean, of course, that not only sustaining, but increasing our efforts is not still necessary.

In this environment, Club Español del Arbitraje (CEA) has been working at its goals of promoting arbitration in the corporate and law communities, of being a forum where specialists can share their thoughts on the matter, of promoting academia and scientific research on best practice in arbitration and to promote the creation of a great international arbitration community in Latin America.

Together, our efforts have made CEA what it is now, a Club with over 1000 members from 43 different countries and 30 international chapters (and several more on the way), which gives us an exceptional perspective on the actual current situation and on international trends.

This is the base we always harness at our Annual Congress, held every year since 2006, which has become, thanks to your unerring support, one of the must-attend events on the international arbitration calendar.

Each of these Congresses has addressed especially outstanding issues and/or current topics of the day which are of significant interest to all who, one way or another, are connected to an arbitration institution; and it isn’t getting easier with each new edition.

This approach has led us to choose, for our XIV International Arbitration Congress, the title “Enhancing Arbitration’s Credibility: the CEA Code of Good Practice”; the title speaks for itself.

Throughout 2018 and the beginning of 2019, CEA undertook to review its Code of Good Practice in order to adjust it to the latest developments in international arbitration.

A Commission, split into Sub-commissions in order to give each issue better and more in-depth attention, has worked most painstakingly to produce the new Code of Good Practice, which will be presented and discussed at the Congress, so we can all reap the benefits of the experience and knowledge of the attendees, whose professional qualification and variety of legal cultures ensure the highest standards of excellence.
It is our pleasure to include the program, where you will find the work sessions and the variety of specific issues each will deal with.

We haven’t forgotten the importance of offering networking opportunities to the attendees. There will be a full social agenda, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy all the emblematic venues and the best food Madrid has to offer.

These are the goals of the XIV International Arbitration Congress to be held in Madrid from 16 to 18 June 2019, with prestigious speakers from a variety of countries and continents to analyse the issues, enhanced by the debate and shared experience of the attendees.

We are, yet again, thankful for your on-going support and hope you are able to attend this year’s Congress, making it, yet again, the success CEA and its members merit.

It will be a pleasure to greet you personally at our Congress in Madrid.

Most sincerely,