Useful aid to arbitration

It has been six years since the first edition of this helpful, practical guide to international arbitration. This second edition provides updates on a number of issues, including third-party funding, multi-party arbitrations, expedited timetables, the use of tribunal secretaries and professional ethics. 

The book is well written and follows a logical structure. It should serve as a useful introduction to the process of international arbitration for novices, and a concise reminder for more experienced readers. It will complement, not replace, more lengthy tomes on the subject. 

As might be expected from these authors – three hugely experienced arbitration practitioners – the book is particularly strong on the practical issues involved in the arbitral process. Guidance on how claimants can secure funding for international arbitrations and on how parties should handle unresponsive tribunals are two examples of the authors’ experiences being put to good use for the benefit of the reader. 

That said, while this book is explicitly practical in nature, avoiding the overly academic excess prevalent in some other arbitration resources, the absence of tables of cases and legislative or treaty provisions is nonetheless jarring. It would be more practical to provide as many signposts as possible. 

The table comparing key provisions of arbitration rules is helpful, but lacks cross-references to sections of the book. For example, the authors rightly highlight the landmark case of Essar v Norscot in chapter 13 on costs, but do not cross reference this to Article 38 of the ICC rules.

Nitpicking aside, this is a good book. It deserves its place among the best arbitration publications in the English law library, and should be of use to other lawyers far beyond these shores. 

Steven Friel is a solicitor and chief executive officer at Woodsford Litigation Funding, London