An ICC Young Arbitrators Forum in Milan, hosted by Franco Italian firm Castaldi Mourre & Partners, assessed the first year of application of the 2012 ICC rules, with input from ICC representatives, young practitioners and in-house counsel. Janice Feigher, counsel at Castaldi Mourre in Paris, reports.

Key players in the niche world of sports arbitration shared their experiences at a seminar organised by the School of International Arbitration at Queen Mary, University of London. Felipe Vollbrecht Sperandio, an associate at Clyde & Co in London, reports.

Aditya Singh, associate at White & Case in London, reports on a seminar on the 2012 White & Case/Queen Mary International Arbitration Survey: “Current and Preferred Practices in the Arbitral Process”.

A group of young and not so young practitioners has presented leading Swiss arbitrator Pierre Tercier with a book reflecting his influence on arbitration practice and love of classical music at an event in Fribourg, Switzerland, to mark his 70th birthday.

With over a third of all registered ICSID cases relating to the energy sector, participants at this year’s Juris Investment Treaty Arbitration Conference examined the important intersection of energy disputes with international investment law and arbitration. Ian Laird, partner at Crowell & Moring, and Borzu Sabahi, associate at Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle, report.

The Singapore International Arbitration Centre marked the opening of its first overseas office in India with an event in Mumbai. SIAC's head of South Asia Vivekananda N, who runs the office, reports.

Delegates at a symposium to coincide with the Willem C Vis Moot voted on which of 10 Hollywood actors and actresses were most persuasive as an advocate based on appearance alone, as well as discussing cross-cultural issues affecting the conduct of international arbitration. Filip Boras, an associate at Baker & McKenzie in Vienna, reports on the unusual event.

Hannah Ambrose, an arbitration practice manager and professional support lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills in London, reports on a client seminar to mark the firm's planned launch of a new office in the Guinean capital of Conakry – which featured a keynote speech by the country’s former prime minister.

Organised by a student-led group, Columbia Law School’s Arbitration Day considered alternative remedies to damages, the enforcement of awards set aside in the country of origin and waivers of the right to set aside an award, as well as best practice in enforcement proceedings. Michele Curatola, an LLM student at the school and a member of the conference planning committee, reports.

ArbitalWomen marked International Women’s Day – 8 March – with an event in the Irish capital to highlight the contribution and expertise of women in dispute resolution, celebrate the current female leaders in the field and promote gender equality in the future.