Archive for the 'Europe' Category

ADR as a Human Rights Violation (??)

I had a good chuckle at an article that appears in the current issue of Dispute Resolution International, the journal of the Dispute Resolution Section of the International Bar Association.  Daniele Cutolo and Mark Alexander Shalaby discuss a case brought in Italy to test whether an Italian statute requiring mediation prior to certain consumer court proceedings violates Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, ensuring access to the courts.  The lower court found that it did.

Ya gotta smile.

Goofys Bewilder Read more »

Developments in Europe

Giuseppe de Palo and I first met in 1999 or 2000, when I was bowled over the first time I learned about his work with The ADR Center in Rome.  Since that time, every occasion I meet Giuseppe I am reminded what a powerhouse of talent, ambition, energy and aspiration he is.  Both his intellect and his physical energy make having a cup of coffee like saying hi to a tornado.  His recent e-mail proves no exception. Read more »

ADR in Italy

My class in International Commercial Dispute Resolution at New York Law School is now finished, and each student was required to prepare a paper on a related topic of their choice.  All were good, happily, and some students wrote on topics that readers of this blog may find useful.  With their permission, I will post a few of them here over the next few weeks.

This paper, by Michael Martuscello, surveys the current state of business arbitration and mediation in Italy.  Of the many curious aspects he discusses, it is noteworthy that the Italian legislature, not the courts or the business community, seems to be the main driver of ADR and the main advocate for encouraging its use by business.  It is particularly interesting that, in compliance with the EU Directive, the legislature is ramping up a series of requirements that should make a big impact on the way business disputes are handled in the future — resulting perhaps in mediation rather than arbitration being the most practical way to address problems in a deal involving an Italian counterparty.

The text of the paper follows.  Please note that the citations appear as Endnotes. Read more »

International Projects and Initiatives: Part II

Part I of this post summarized reports from Spain, South Africa, Bahrain, Pakistan and the Balkans.  This second and concluding part presents reports from Argentina, the United States and Europe broadly. Read more »

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