Eric A. Schwartz – författare

One third of ICC international arbitrations involve complex multiparty - multi-contract issues.

Given the increasing number and complexity of commercial transactions, more and more international arbitrations involve disputes arising from, or connected with, more than one contract and more than two parties. Such disputes involve many complex issues relating in particular to jurisdiction and merits: Mayan arbitration clause be extended to non-signatory party or parties? To what extent can one bring to a single arbitration proceeding the various parties who have participated in a single economic transaction through several contracts? If separate arbitration proceedings need to be started, can they be consolidated and under what conditions? Can a respondent join another party or parties, be they privy to the arbitration agreement or third parties? Can a respondent in the arbitration proceedings bring a claim against another respondent? What are the consequences of the answers to the above questions and others for the enforceability of the award? Is class wide arbitration possible and desirable? How does it work?

Dossier VII of the ICC Institute, Multiparty Arbitration, seeks to encourage reflection on these issues and many others recurrent in complex multiparty - multi-contracts arbitrations.

The contributors to this Dossier include:

This Dossier VII, Multiparty Arbitration, is published under the auspices of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, chaired by Serge Lazareff, distinguished Member of the Paris Bar. With this publication, the ICC Institute of World Business Law fulfils its dual mission: training and acting as a think-tank for the International Chamber of Commerce particularly in the field of arbitration.

The International Chamber of Commerce, the World Business Organization, based in Paris, is the global leader in the development of standards, rules and reference guides for international trade.

Several decades ago, a typical arbitration would involve one claimant against one respondent. Over the years, more and more cases involve several claimants against several respondents. Today, one third of all international ICC arbitrations seem to involve multiparty cases, multi-contract cases involving multiple contracts, multiple parties. The evolution has continued and the debate today is whether it would be possible for a class of people in the same situation or a group of citizens having the same interest to start one single arbitration procedure as a group or as a class.

This publication examines the complex issues involved in class or group arbitration on a comparative law basis. Is there a place for such proceedings within the framework of the arbitration process? Class action procedures, as developed in the United States court system and more recently in Canada, are almost nonexistent in Europe. The European Commission has advocated collective redress as an important means of access to justice but class actions have found little enthusiasm in the Members States. The book highlights the lessons which have been learned from the experience of cases in the US and in Europe.

What does the future hold for class, collective and mass arbitrations? Are they a marginal phenomenon or has their potential yet to be realized? What are possible solutions to the issues that have been encountered? Can we expect to see more of such arbitrations in the future? Written by arbitrators, academics and practitioners, this Dossier will provide the answers to these questions and many more.

Several decades ago, a typical arbitration would involve one claimant against one respondent. Over the years, more and more cases involve several claimants against several respondents. Today, one third of all international ICC arbitrations seem to involve multiparty cases, multi-contract cases involving multiple contracts, multiple parties. The evolution has continued and the debate today is whether it would be possible for a class of people in the same situation or a group of citizens having the same interest to start one single arbitration procedure as a group or as a class.

This publication examines the complex issues involved in class or group arbitration on a comparative law basis. Is there a place for such proceedings within the framework of the arbitration process? Class action procedures, as developed in the United States court system and more recently in Canada, are almost nonexistent in Europe. The European Commission has advocated collective redress as an important means of access to justice but class actions have found little enthusiasm in the Members States. The book highlights the lessons which have been learned from the experience of cases in the US and in Europe.

What does the future hold for class, collective and mass arbitrations? Are they a marginal phenomenon or has their potential yet to be realized? What are possible solutions to the issues that have been encountered? Can we expect to see more of such arbitrations in the future? Written by arbitrators, academics and practitioners, this Dossier will provide the answers to these questions and many more.