From December 1 to 5, 2025, the inaugural London Arbitration Week (LAW) was held in London, United Kingdom. As an official calendar event, the seminar hosted by the Hainan International Arbitration Court (HIAC) was successfully held on December 4 at the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSF Kramer). The seminar, titled “Recent Developments in Arbitral Legislation and Caselaw in England, France, Korea, the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong ,” attracted registrations from over 200 legal practitioners, in-house counsel, and academics worldwide. The venue was filled to capacity, and the discussions were lively and engaging. 

Speakers at the seminar included: Tao Jingzhou, HIAC Board Member and internationally renowned independent arbitrator; David Samuels, HIAC Board Member and Publisher of Global Arbitration Review (GAR); John Passmore KC, HIAC Board Member and King’s Counsel at Quadrant Chambers; Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof, Independent Arbitrator, Professor of Law at Leiden University, Fountain Court Chambers and former Director General of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA); Alexis Mourre, Managing Partner at MCL Arbitration and former President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration; Philip Dunham, Partner at Signature Litigation; Mike McClure KC, Partner at HSF Kramer; Robert Pé, Independent Arbitrator at Arbitration Chambers; Robert Volterra, Managing Partner at Volterra Fietta.

Mr. David Samuels delivered the welcome remarks for the seminar. On behalf of HIAC, he extended a warm welcome and sincere gratitude to the distinguished guests from across the globe. He pointed out that the seminar had assembled a stellar lineup of industry luminaries. Against the backdrop of the upcoming island-wide special customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port, HIAC’s organization of this high-level seminar in London to deliberate on cutting-edge developments in international arbitration was of profound significance for further elevating HIAC’s international influence.

Mr. Tao Jingzhou delivered the opening remarks and presided over the seminar. He gave an overview of HIAC and its achievements in advancing internationalization in recent years, covering aspects such as decision-making bodies, governance mechanisms, arbitration rules, panel of arbitrators, mediation mechanisms and executive body. In particular, he noted that the HIAC Board Members comprise 15 directors, among whom 9 are from overseas, including 2 from the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, he emphasized the significance of conducting professional dialogues to explore the latest developments in arbitration legislation and relevant cases across different countries and regions, amid the vigorous global development of arbitration.

During the panel session, each speaker delivered an address under a designated title: Ms. Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof spoke on “An Introduction to the Amendments to the English Arbitration Act and Comments on Recent Dutch Case Law”, Mr. Robert Volterra presented “Notable Recent English Arbitral Case Law”, Mr. Alexis Mourre addressed“The Draft French Arbitration Law and Its Potential Future Implications”, Mr. Philip Dunham surveyed “Notable Recent French Arbitral Case Law”, Mike McClure KC reviewed“Recent Developments in Chinese and Korean Arbitration Legislation and Court Decisions”and Mr. Robert Pé concluded with “Notable Recent Arbitral Case Law from Hong Kong”.

Drawing on their respective perspectives, these internationally renowned arbitration experts shared the latest developments and insightful observations regarding arbitration legislation and case law in various countries and regions.

During the interactive session, the audience engaged in in-depth exchanges with the speakers on topics such as sports arbitration, investment arbitration and arbitrator integrity. The atmosphere was dynamic and enthusiastic, and participants widely remarked that the seminar featured a stellar lineup of speakers, highly professional discussion topics, and significant international impact—making it a successful professional gathering in the international arbitration community.

The successful hosting of this event during London Arbitration Week marked another solid step in HIAC’s internationalization. As a pillar and driving institution in the pilot region for building China’s international commercial arbitration centers, HIAC actively leveraged the rule-of-law innovations of the Hainan Free Trade Port, continued to engage in global dialogue to showcase a professional image to the international community and strove to build a dispute resolution platform that truly faces the Pacific and Indian Oceans and is recognized and trusted by international commercial actors.

This event was sponsored by HSF Kramer, Volterra Fietta, GEN Law Firm and Huizhong Law Firm as well as strongly supported by the AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre, eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre, Macau World Trade Center Arbitration Center, Borneo International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution, New Zealand International Arbitration Centre, International Dispute Resolution Centre, California Arbitration, Singapore International Mediation Centre, Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand, Vietnam International Arbitration Centre and the Thai-Chinese International Arbitration and Mediation Center.