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It is with great pleasure to introduce the 2020 First Quarter NAI Newsletter. This Newsletter will be published at least once every quarter, and more often if developments so require. In addition, we will occasionally draw your attention to urgent developments through “News Alerts”. A novelty is that, going forward, the Newsletter, in view of international market developments, will only be published in English. Only my preface to this Newsletter will be both in Dutch and in English.
In this Newsletter, we briefly report on the activities of the NAI of the last quarter and we provide an overview of upcoming events. In this regard, I wish to mention one meeting specifically, namely the NAI Annual General Meeting that will take place in The Hague on Thursday, 11 June 2020. At this meeting, we also plan to discuss the envisaged 2020 amendments to the NAI Arbitration Rules 2015. We hope to see many of you at the event.
For some of the upcoming activities, the exact date is (now) subject to change due to Covid-19, which also needs mentioning in this message unfortunately. Apart from all this, you will see that the contents of this Newsletter are self-explanatory. We hope you will enjoy reading our news items.
With regard to the developments in the last quarter, I would like to commemorate in this message, also on behalf of the entire NAI board, the NAI Secretary General and the NAI Secretariat, the passing of Professor Dr. H.A. (Bart) Groen on 26 October 2019.
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We are most grateful to Professor Groen for his enormous contribution to the NAI, as arbitrator, as lecturer in the NAI arbitration course, and also as member of the NAI Challenges Committee, all this not long before his passing. Many of us also know Professor Groen as a well-known cassation lawyer (at Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn in The Hague) and as a renowned professor, at Maastricht University. This includes his many publications, such as the reputable volume on Cassation in the Asser Series on Civil Procedure Law: Cassatie in burgerlijke zaken (Asser Procesrecht / Veegens-Korthals Altes-Groen, fifth edition, Deventer: Wolters Kluwer 2015) and Uitgebalanceerd: eindrapport fundamentele herbezinning Nederlands burgerlijk procesrecht (The Hague: Boom Juridische Uitgevers 2006) (together with Professor Dr. W.D.H. Asser and Professor Dr. J.B.M. Vranken). I realise that my present message cannot do justice to the enormous contribution that Professor Groen made in many ways, which include the activities for the NAI. For this, I would like to refer to the tributes published after his passing, and to the many publications of Professor Groen himself. I would also like to refer to the Liber Amicorum offered to Professor Groen in 2006: Variaties in cassatie (eds. A.V. van Duijvendijk-Brand and M.G.J. Parkins-de Vin, Deventer: Kluwer 2006). |
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Personally I keep warm memories of the collaboration with Professor Groen. He was extremely friendly and always interested. His “open mind” on various topics was striking. We will sorely miss having Professor Groen in our midst. Our thoughts are with Professor Groen’s family in these sad times.
Professor Dr. G.J. Meijer (president NAI)
Het is mij een groot genoegen de NAI Nieuwsbrief voor het eerste kwartaal van 2020 in te leiden. Deze Nieuwsbrief zal minstens eens per kwartaal verschijnen, maar zal vaker worden uitgebracht als de ontwikkelingen daartoe aanleiding geven. Daarnaast zullen wij af en toe ook via zogenaamde “Alerts” uw aandacht vragen voor urgente ontwikkelingen. Nieuw is dat de Nieuwsbrief vanaf 2020, dit met het oog op internationale marktontwikkelingen, slechts in het Engels zal verschijnen. Alleen dit “woord vooraf” verschijnt in deze Nieuwsbrief nog zowel in het Nederlands als in het Engels.
In de onderhavige Nieuwsbrief doen wij kort verslag van de activiteiten van het NAI van het laatste kwartaal en bieden wij een overzicht van de activiteiten die binnenkort op stapel staan, waarvan ik nu met name de NAI-jaarbijeenkomst op donderdag 11 juni 2020 noem. Bij deze bijeenkomst komt ook de 2020 wijziging van het NAI-Arbitragereglement 2015 aan de orde. Wij hopen velen van u bij onze jaarbijeenkomst te mogen verwelkomen. Voor een aantal van de komende activiteiten is de precieze datum (inmiddels) onbepaald wegens Covid-19, waarvan ik helaas ook in dit bericht melding moet maken. De inhoud van deze Nieuwsbrief spreekt verder voor zich. Ik hoop dat u hiervan met plezier en interesse kennis neemt.
Waar het de ontwikkelingen van het laatste kwartaal betreft, wil ik van mijn zijde, mede namens het voltallig NAI-bestuur, de NAI-Secretaris-Generaal en het NAI-Secretariaat stilstaan bij het overlijden van Professor mr. H.A. (Bart) Groen op 26 oktober 2019.
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Wij zijn Professor Groen grote dank verschuldigd voor zijn enorme inzet voor het NAI, als arbiter, als docent bij de arbiteropleiding, en ook als lid van het NAI-Wrakingscomité, dit alles tot kort voor zijn overlijden. Velen van ons kennen Professor Groen ook als bekend cassatieadvocaat (bij Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn in Den Haag) en als gerenommeerd wetenschapper (hoogleraar aan de Universiteit Maastricht). Men denke hierbij ook aan zijn vele publicaties, zoals het bekende deel in de Asser-serie (procesrecht) over Cassatie in burgerlijke zaken (Asser Procesrecht/Veegens-Korthals Altes-Groen, vijfde druk, Deventer: Wolters Kluwer 2015) en Uitgebalanceerd: eindrapport fundamentele herbezinning Nederlands burgerlijk procesrecht (Den Haag: Boom Juridische Uitgevers 2006) (tezamen met Prof. mr. W.D.H. Asser en Prof. mr. J.B.M. Vranken). Ik realiseer mij dat zo een kort bericht als dit uiteraard geen enkel recht doet aan de enorme bijdrage die Professor Groen aan het NAI en op tal van andere terreinen heeft geleverd, en verwijs graag naar de verschenen bijdragen over zijn levensloop naar aanleiding van zijn overlijden en naar de vele publicaties van Professor Groen, die de lezer op tal van wijzen kan traceren. Ik wijs hierbij ook nog graag op de bundel opstellen aangeboden aan Professor Groen: Variaties in cassatie (o.r.v. A. van mr. Duijvendijk-Brand en mr. M.G.J. Parkins-de Vin, Deventer: Kluwer 2006). |
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Persoonlijk bewaar ik uiterst goede herinneringen aan de samenwerking met Professor Groen. Hij was buitengewoon aimabel en altijd zeer betrokken. Zijn “open mind” in de onderlinge communicatie over tal van onderwerpen was treffend. Wij zullen Professor Groen in ons midden missen en wensen in het bijzonder de familie van Professor Groen alle sterkte bij het dragen van het verlies.
Prof. mr. G.J. Meijer (bestuursvoorzitter NAI)
The NAI is hiring two Legal Counsel to each manage one of three case management units at the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) Secretariat.
The Secretariat handles the administration of arbitration proceedings. It continuously seeks to improve efficiency by offering innovative new arbitration tools and procedures. The Secretariat’s staff also organizes trainings and events, speaks at conferences and produces articles and other publications. The Secretariat’s offices are located in Rotterdam.
If you have a Dutch law degree, preferably with international experience gained through an exchange program or an additional LL.M. from a foreign university, and a minimum of 3-5 years of experience at a law firm, preferably in an international practice with a focus on arbitration or litigation, or with the courts, and you are fluent in Dutch and in English: we are looking for you, join us!
For more information, please visit our vacancies page.
We take great pleasure in announcing the date and venue for our first ever Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place in Pulchri Studio, Lange Voorhout, The Hague on Thursday 11 June 2020.
This will be a full day event on (international) arbitration and the NAI. Participants will be awarded 5 PO points, including a walking dinner. Preparations are well under way; do stay tuned for early bird rates coming out soon and a sneak preview of the programme. We hope to see many of you in The Hague in June.
In the context of the NAI’s aim and mission to promote arbitration in general, the NAI organises various arbitration courses every year. These courses are open to all individuals interested in NAI arbitration. As a principle, the Basic Course for NAI arbitrators is mandatory. This course is designed to provide practical knowledge to arbitration specialists acting as a secretary to a tribunal. The course is taught by an experienced secretary, an NAI arbitrator and NAI staff. Participants will be awarded 3 PO points. This course will be in Dutch.
Date & Location: Thursday 23 April 2020 at the Allen & Overy offices, Amsterdam
Please register online. Limited seats available, first come first serve.
The NAI is invited to participate on a panel with other leading arbitration institutes during the Paris Arbitration Week, which was scheduled in the week of 30 March 2020. Due to Covid-19, the Paris Arbitration Week was rescheduled and will now most likely take place in the week of 6 July 2020. Five major arbitration institutions will deliberate on the future of international arbitration, the challenges faced by arbitral institutions today and the role that these institutions can play in the current arbitration landscape. We hope to see many of you in Paris then!
On 26 March 2020, the law faculties of the universities of Groningen, Maastricht, Leiden and Rotterdam, in collaboration with the Dutch Arbitration Association, would organize a symposium on the occasion of the 5-year anniversary of the current arbitration law. Due to Covid-19, the new date for this symposium is now 21 January 2021. The symposium will take place at The Hague Hearing Center. Our President, Professor Gerard Meijer, and our Secretary-General, Ms. Camilla Perera-de Wit, will both speak at this event. Visit the DAA website for the full programme. The session will be in Dutch. Join us in The Hague!
Registration is now open: please send an email to k.t.galli@rug.nl
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We proudly announced the appointment of Camilla Perera-de Wit, as the new Secretary-General / Director. Camilla has joined the NAI as per 2 September 2019, after the former Director, Mrs. Fredy Von Hombracht-Brinkman, retired earlier that same year. Prior to joining the NAI, Camilla worked in private practice as an attorney-at-law, both in The Netherlands as well as in New York, and worked as Head of Secretariat at P.R.I.M.E. Finance and as Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. |
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NAI President Professor Gerard Meijer commented:
“One of the NAI’s strategic priorities is to grow its domestic and international caseload, and, together with other organisations, to promote the Netherlands as a jurisdiction whose centres are uniquely well suited to serve as an arbitral seat. With this appointment, we want to ensure that we have the leadership on board that is able to meet the international demands and challenges we face in today’s arbitral landscape, as well as highlight the importance The Netherlands can play as a forum for litigation and arbitration in Europe and beyond. Camilla’s experience as a private practitioner as well as her institutional experience make her an ideal candidate to lead the NAI Secretariat forward. We are delighted to have Camilla on board and look forward to the future.”
The Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) organized three successful in-house meetings in the second half of last year, discussing different forms of dispute resolution with in-house counsel. The sessions included topical issues seen in arbitration – including new empirical research on arbitration in the Netherlands –, as well as an overview of key differences between arbitration and the recently established Netherlands Commercial Court.
The NAI organised sessions in several cities in collaboration with the following corporations:
• Groningen: NAI and GasTerra: 12 September 2019
• Rotterdam: NAI and KPN: 17 September 2019
• Eindhoven: NAI and Royal Philips: 14 November 2019
Speakers included: Rogier Schellaars, Advisory Board member NAI and partner at Van Doorne (Amsterdam); Jeroen van Hezewijk, Advisory Board member NAI and partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Amsterdam); Eric Dorrestijn, Board member NAI and General Counsel Commercial at KPN (Rotterdam). The attendees included in-house counsel both from the respective corporations as well as from other corporations.
On 13-15 November 2019, the NAI joined CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, in celebrating its 50th anniversary. Our President, Professor Gerard Meijer, participated on a panel on the new CEPANI arbitration rules.
On 19 November 2019, the Netherlands Arbitration Institute Secretary-General Camilla Perera-de Wit moderated a session on dispute resolution and global art disputes in the Peace Palace, The Hague. The Capítulo Holandés, Capítulo Francés and CEA Capítulo Belga jointly organized this event, which was supported by WIPO and the NAI. The complex cases, the need for expert dispute resolution in this field and the newly established Court of Arbitration for Art were discussed in great detail. The event was well attended.
On 12 December 2019, the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) and Young NAI’s End-of-Year meeting took place. The event was kindly hosted by Van Doorne in Amsterdam.
The topic for this year’s meeting was ‘Expedited Proceedings’. A panel of experts explored whether it is prudent to modify the NAI Arbitration Rules to reflect the possibility of expedited proceedings, as an additional option to other current tools on offer that allow for parties to resolve their disputes quickly and efficiently. The panel discussed the topic from different angles (e.g. private practitioner, in-house counsel, academic, arbitrator). Speakers included (in alphabetical order): Maarten Draye, partner at Hanotiau & Van den Berg, Brussels, Belgium; Marieke van Hooijdonk, partner at Allen & Overy LLP, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Robin Oldenstam, partner at Mannheimer Swartling AB, Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden; Professor Niek Peters, professor at Groningen University and partner at Cleber N.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Maarten Sturm, senior legal counsel at Tata Steel, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Subsequently, the NAI President, Professor Gerard Meijer, introduced the NAI Secretary-General, Ms. Camilla Perera-de Wit, shared her views on the NAI’s Outlook for 2020 and beyond.
On this occasion, Bas van Zelst (Van Doorne) retired from the Young NAI Board and Max Hetterscheidt (Stek) en Nadir Khalil (Allen & Overy) joined the Young NAI Board. We would like to thank profoundly Bas for his commitment in the past years and very much welcome on board Max and Nadir!
On 13 and 14 January 2020 Rogier Schellaars (Van Doorne) and Martje Verhoeven-de Vries Lentsch (De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek) presented their research on NAI summary arbitral proceedings by organizing two webinar Masterclasses. NAI Administrator Charlotte van Maanen, and Deputy Administrator Mirjam Trouw gave introductory remarks during the two sessions.
The NAI Arbitration Rules have provided for summary arbitral proceedings since 1998, which offer the parties the possibility of obtaining a provisional relief in urgent cases, regardless of whether or not an arbitral dispute on the merits is pending. Parties regularly make use of this possibility, which has resulted in 145 arbitral awards in summary arbitral proceedings in the period 1998-2018.
An overview of the findings of their research is now published on the NAI website.
We take great pleasure in informing you that the NAI has been granted Observer Status with the UNCITRAL Working Group II - Arbitration and Conciliation / Dispute Settlement. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. A legal body with universal membership specializing in commercial law reform worldwide for over 50 years, UNCITRAL's business is the modernization and harmonization of rules on international business.
Working Group II currently is considering issues relating to the topic of expedited arbitration. The NAI will join fellow arbitration institutes and other Observers in sharing information from an institutional point of view on key developments in this field. In doing so, the NAI aims to make meaningful contributions in the field of the law of international trade and commercial arbitration.
The NAI joined the sessions for the first time at the UN Headquarters in New York in February 2020. The NAI President, Professor Gerard Meijer, and the NAI Secretary-General, Ms. Camilla Perera-de Wit, represented the NAI on this occasion.
The contents of TvA 2019 – edition 4 and TvA 2020 – edition 1 can be found online (in Dutch).
In this issue | |
| • | Message from the Chair |
| • | The NAI is Hiring |
| • | Upcoming Events |
| • | Past Events |
| • | Contents Magazine for Arbitration |
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