California International Arbitration Week 2026

JAMS is proud to be a Double Platinum sponsor of the 5th Annual California International Arbitration Week (CIAW) taking place March 9-12 at the Omni Hotel in San Francisco. Join leading arbitrators, in-house counsel, and global practitioners for four days of in-person programming on the issues shaping international arbitration today.
 

CIAW is presented by the California Lawyers Association Litigation Section with California Arbitration (CalArb), and includes leading arbitral institutions and organizations from around the world. 

Featured JAMS Panels:

When the World Shifts: Navigating Geopolitical Risk, Energy Transition and Climate Disputes in Arbitration 

Tuesday, March 10 | 10:30 AM | 1 hour panel 

The occurrence of so-called "Black Swan" events is now becoming foreseeable. The world has changed. The last few years have brought with them a significant degree of geopolitical uncertainty, turmoil, conflict and upheaval. Events which were previously considered to be once-in-a-decade-type occurrences are now seen with increased frequency, to the point of predictability.  

How do businesses across the world navigate the prevailing challenging and the ever-changing geopolitical landscape, whilst also seeking to meet energy transition and decarbonization targets? Many countries globally have introduced taxes to penalize high emitters of greenhouse gasses, and incentives to companies who are able to reduce their emissions. As a global shift away from the burning of hydrocarbons gains traction, does the prevailing uncertainty run the risk of stalling that process? In an era of increased climate change-related disputes, including by way of international arbitration and investor-state claims, how is this likely to play out? What is the likely impact on the global energy transition? How and where will climate-related disputes arise, and how will they be addressed? 

Featured JAMS Neutral: Stephen Townley, FCIArb

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Global Risk, Global Remedies: International Arbitration in Insurance and Reinsurance Disputes 

Tuesday, March 10 | 3:45 PM | 1 hour panel 

Insurance and reinsurance are inherently international industries—linking markets, risks, and capital across jurisdictions. As global supply chains, climate exposures, and geopolitical disruptions evolve, so too do the disputes that follow. Arbitration has long been the forum of choice for resolving complex insurance and reinsurance conflicts, offering confidentiality, technical expertise, and enforceability. But as claims become more international—and regulatory and public policy considerations more acute—the limits and opportunities of arbitration in this field are being tested. 

This panel will bring together leading practitioners, arbitrators, and industry counsel from the U.S., UK, Europe, and Asia to explore how international arbitration is shaping (and being shaped by) the insurance and reinsurance industries 

Featured JAMS Neutral: Peter K. Rosen, Esq., FCIArb

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Maximizing Efficiency in International Arbitration While Preserving Process Choice

Wednesday March 11 | 2:30 PM | 1 hour panel 

This panel will explore an innovative approach to integrating mediation within the international arbitration framework, specifically focusing on settling individual issues or portions of claims during arbitration proceedings. The discussion will emphasize developing a sophisticated formula that leverages the strengths of both processes, allowing parties to maximize efficiency and achieve tailored resolutions that benefit all stakeholders involved. Additionally, the panel will address: 

• The advantages of utilizing mediation to tackle discrete claims, effectively reducing the time and costs associated with comprehensive arbitration proceedings.
• Case studies illustrating successful mediation outcomes within arbitration contexts, highlighting practical strategies, best practices, and associated risks.
• The role of arbitrators in facilitating settlement efforts and the potential for hybrid processes that seamlessly combine arbitration and mediation techniques.
• Strategies to manage potential challenges in award enforcement 

This session aims to provide participants with actionable insights into the benefits of embedding mediation in international arbitration, fostering a more efficient and collaborative dispute resolution environment while maximizing the potential of both processes. 

Featured JAMS Neutral: Laura C. Abrahamson, Esq., C.Arb, FCollArb and Giuseppe de Palo, Esq.  

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Battling ASIs, AASIs and AEIs: The Impact of Sanctions on Arbitrations  

Thursday, March 12 | 3:45 PM | 1 hour panel 

More than 60 years after the NY Convention, there has been a sharp uptick in the use of anti-suit, anti-suit and anti-enforcement injunctions as parties and courts around the world, including most recently in California, Hong Kong, London, Dubai and the EU, seek to protect parties’ right to arbitrate.  This surge has been driven in large part by governments’ growing use of sanctions and related countermeasures.  How have arbitrators, counsel, and parties contended with the complex interplay between sanctions (designed to limit contacts with sanctioned parties) and arbitration (which require interaction with sanctioned parties)?  This panel explores the issues that arise in disputes involving sanctioned parties (both private and public actors), including jurisdictional and compliance challenges and retaliatory actions by the targeted States.   

Additional Panels Featuring JAMS Neutrals:

Arbitrators in the Algorithmic Era: How AI Is Reshaping International Decision-Making

Monday, March 9 | 9:00 AM | 1 hour panel 

Presented by College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA)

AI is rapidly transforming how arbitrators will (and should) manage cases, analyze evidence, and draft awards. This session brings together leading international arbitrators to examine emerging practices, global regulatory shifts, and the growing divergence in attitudes toward AI across jurisdictions. The panel will explore the newest AI tools available to tribunals, evolving expectations of parties, and frontier issues such as disclosure, due process, and enforcement risks. Attendees will gain a clear, forward-looking view of how AI is redefining the cyborg tribunal of the future.

Featured JAMS Neutral: Ambassador (Retired) David Huebner, FCIArb, C.Arb, FCollArb

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Between Transparency and Confidentiality: Walking the Disclosure Tightrope

Monday, March 9 | 10:15 AM | 1 hour panel 

Presented by CPR Dispute Resolution Services

Join a distinguished panel of experienced arbitrators and ADR professionals for an essential discussion on best practices for arbitrator disclosure in everyday practice. This interactive session will explore the practical challenges arbitrators and lawyers alike face when identifying potential conflicts of interest, maintaining comprehensive conflicts databases, and drafting effective disclosure statements that balance transparency with confidentiality requirements. Panelists will share real-world experiences and provide actionable guidance on key issues including continuing disclosure obligations, managing conflicts at law firms versus independent practice, the lawyer’s role in advising clients on disclosures, raising timely objections and navigating the nuanced distinctions between disclosable circumstances and actual conflicts that warrant declining appointments.

Drawing from the recently updated CPR Guidelines for Arbitrator Disclosure’s comprehensive framework that addresses everything from database maintenance to general disclosure statements, this program will equip attendees with the tools and best practices needed to ensure robust compliance while maintaining efficiency in their arbitration practice. Panelists will cover prevailing standards, such as the CPR-Georgetown Model Rule for the Lawyer as a Third-Party Neutral, the ABA/AAA Code of Ethics for Arbitrators in Commercial Disputes, the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration, and the UNCITRAL Code of Conduct for Arbitrators in International Investment Dispute Resolution.

Featured JAMS Neutral: Hiro N. Aragaki, Esq., Ph.D., C.Arb.

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Quantum Computing: The Next Legal Frontier Beyond A.I.

Wednesday, March 11 | 3:45 PM | 1 hour panel 

Presented by Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC)

Artificial intelligence continues to reshape the legal landscape, but the coming wave of quantum computing will more profoundly transform how business is conducted and give rise to unprecedented legal challenges. Its reach will be felt first in finance, cybersecurity, pharmaceuticals, material sciences, energy, logistics, and defense, where it will impose new challenges in data security, intellectual property, privacy, and cross-border regulation. Quantum computing will soon extend beyond these industries to touch every aspect of our lives — in ways we cannot yet fully imagine. This session offers a forward-looking profile of developments in the quantum field and potential impacts to help the dispute resolution sector prepare for the next legal frontier.

Featured JAMS Neutral: Cynthia H. Cwik, Esq., FCIArb