Expert Analysis

• Series

  Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

• Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

  

  As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

• Should Arbitrators Do More To Encourage Settlements?

  

  In light of discussions on settlement in arbitration, there is a consensus that arbitrators in English-seated proceedings should play a greater role, but determining the extent of that involvement is difficult, as arbitrators can inadvertently place themselves in a position of potential conflict, say lawyers at Dentons.

• 2nd Circ. Ruling May Limit Discovery In Int'l Arbitration

  

  The Second Circuit's recent Webuild v. WSP decision, affirming a discovery order's nullification in arbitration between Webuild and the government of Panama, demonstrates courts' unwillingness to find that arbitral tribunals in investor-state cases fall within the scope of the discovery statute, say attorneys at Cleary.

• How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

  

  Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

• Indian Top Court Arb. Ruling May Be Anomaly, Not New Path

  

  While the Indian Supreme Court's recent Delhi Metro decision invalidating an arbitral award could be viewed as a troubling departure from the country's efforts to position itself as an attractive arbitral seat, it may also be nothing more than an unexpected detour due to the underlying facts, say J.P. Duffy and Niyati Ahuja at Reed Smith.

• Series

  Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

• Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

  

  From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

• Series

  Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

• Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

  

  The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

• Ambiguity Ruling Highlights Deference To Arbitral Process

  

  A New York federal court’s recent ruling in Eletson v. Levona, which remanded an arbitral award for clarification, reflects that the ambiguity exception’s analysis is not static and may be applied even in cases where the award, when issued, was unambiguous, says arbitrator Myrna Barakat Friedman.

• EU Investor-State Dispute Transparency Rules: Key Points

  

  The European Union's recent vote to embrace greater transparency for investor-state arbitration will make managing newly public information more complex for all parties in a dispute — so it is important for stakeholders to understand the risks and opportunities involved, say Philip Hall, Tara Flores and Charles McKeon at Thorndon Partners.

• 25 Years Of OECD's Anti-Bribery Convention

  

  Marking its 25th anniversary this year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's anti-bribery convention has advanced legislative reforms and reshaped corporate conduct in dozens of countries amid the persistent challenges of uneven enforcement and political pressure, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Intra-EU Enforcement Trends

  

  Hungary recently declared a distinct stance on the European Court of Justice's 2021 ruling in Moldavia v. Komstroy on intra-EU arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty, highlighting a critical divergence in the bloc on enforcing investment awards and the complexities of balancing regional uniformity with international obligations, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

• Opinion

  Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

  

  As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.