New York Arbitration Week (NYAW) 2025 brought together the global arbitration community for an extraordinary week of dialogue, learning, and networking. Co-chaired by US Head of Arbitration Christian Leathley and Ulyana Bardyn (Independent Arbitrator), this year's program reaffirmed New York's position as one of the world's leading arbitration hubs. Christian worked closely with associates Lucila Marchini and Lynn Moubarak in New York, who served as committee secretaries, to deliver a week that fostered exceptional participation and meaningful content.
Effort Behind the Scenes
NYAW is co-hosted annually by the New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC) and the New York Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArbNY), two organizations that play a central role in supporting and advancing arbitration practice in New York. Each year, an organizing committee (typically composed of partners from leading law firms, representatives from expert organizations, funders, arbitrators, and academics) takes on the responsibility of planning the week.
For 2025, the Committee was led by Christian Leathley and Ulyana Bardyn, who set the vision for an ambitious and truly global program. Supporting the Committee, New York associates Lucila Marchini and Lynn Moubarak, together with Rocío Monzon and Elizabeth Hudson from Eversheds Sutherland (all serving as secretaries), played a pivotal role behind the scenes. Their remarkable efforts ensured the week's success, as they managed a wide range of tasks under the Co-chairs' guidance: securing sponsorships from US and international firms, reviewing panel proposals, building the program, coordinating social events and speaker engagement, planning a major opening reception, managing social media, handling communications, preparing event materials, and troubleshooting logistics in real time. Thanks to this collaborative effort, the week was marked by seamless logistics and substantive excellence.
Theme: "Searching for the North Star"
Each year, New York Arbitration Week revolves around a central theme that guides discussions and shapes the program. For 2025, the theme was "Searching for the North Star," reflecting a shared commitment to identifying guiding principles (legitimacy, transparency, diversity, efficiency, and sustainability) that will steer the future of arbitration. These principles served as the foundation for panels, debates, and networking sessions throughout the week, ensuring that every conversation contributed to a broader vision for the evolution of global dispute resolution.
The Week in Numbers
The scale of NYAW 2025 was impressive:
- 35+ sessions, curated from an exceptional number of proposals aligned with the theme. HSF Kramer hosted a panel together with Asociación Latinoamericana de Arbitraje (ALARB): "The Contractualization of Investment Arbitration." The panel featured Christian Leathley and senior associate Daniela Páez in New York, alongside Eduardo Silva Romero (Wordstone Dispute Resolution), María Inés Sola (Pan American Energy), and Jose Luis Aragon Cardiel (Permanent Court of Arbitration), and was moderated by Diego Rueda (Freshfields).
- 50 sponsors, including leading law firms, expert organizations, and global partners
- 10+ social events across New York City, designed for authentic, high-value networking
- 200+ speakers representing diverse nationalities, perspectives, and professional backgrounds
The week concluded with the 20th Annual Fordham Conference on International Arbitration and Mediation.
Impact and Feedback
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees praised the event for its engaging substantive discussions, the breadth of participation, and the outstanding organization. NYAW continues to stand out as a forum where practitioners, arbitrators, institutions, and stakeholders come together to shape the future of international arbitration.
Reflecting on the week, Christian commented: "It was my great honor to co-chair the 7th Annual New York Arbitration Week. International Arbitration is navigating a time marked by rapid change and growing complexity. This year's events reflected the industry's shared efforts to find direction, improve practices and stay adaptable in a landscape that is constantly shifting. My thanks and congratulations to all those who contributed to making this New York Arbitration Week the most successful yet."
For more information, please visit: https://ny-arbitration-week.com/