Our Johannesburg team co-hosted the inaugural Johannesburg Arbitration Week, a landmark event that brought together leading arbitration practitioners from across the African continent and beyond.
The event, co-hosted with the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) and other leading local and international law firms and South African Bars, sought to dissect issues and challenges in the fast-paced world of international commercial arbitration.
The week was packed with insightful sessions, including two panel events hosted by our firm.
This included the plenary session, “ESG: fertile ground for disputes?”, which featured Michael Schottler (Anglo American), Andrew Cannon (Partner, London), Dr Patricia Nacimiento (Partner, Frankfurt) and moderator Fiorella Noriega Del Valle (Director, Johannesburg).
South African jurist and former Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa Justice Dikgang Moseneke delivered the keynote speech at the plenary session.
The HSF team also hosted “How Helpful are Experts in Arbitration?”, with Adv Azhar Bham SC (Senior Counsel and Arbitrator), Professor David Butler (Professor Emeritus and Research Fellow, Department of Mercantile Law, Stellenbosch University), Hannah Ambrose (Partner, London), Laurence Franc-Menget (Partner, Paris) and Mike McClure KC (Partner, London).
Johannesburg associate Kyle Melville also took part in a Young AFSA moot competition earlier in the week.
Jonathan Ripley-Evans, who also sits as a Vice President on the AFSA International Court, commented: “The inaugural Johannesburg Arbitration Week was a resounding success, and we are proud to have played a significant role in it. In the spirit of Ubuntu1, we look forward to continuing our active involvement in promoting arbitration and strengthening collaboration in Africa and beyond.”
Footnote
1. The spirit of Ubuntu is a philosophy that originates from African Bantu societies. It embodies the concepts of connection, community and mutual caring for all, and emphasises that our success is deeply intertwined with that of others.