The Places of Arbitration

The Italian Association for Arbitration (AIA) will host the fifteenth edition of its annual conference, The Places of Arbitration, on 5 December 2025 at the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome.

Date: 05 December 2025

Location: Rome, Italy

Bringing together leading scholars, practitioners, and representatives of arbitral institutions, the conference will explore the significance of the seat of arbitration and its interplay with mandatory rules, institutional practices, and the evolving geography of arbitral decision-making.

The event will open with welcoming remarks by Andrea Carlevaris and Francesco Paolo Luiso.

Programme Highlights

The day’s discussions will centre on three thematic sessions:

• Geographical “Interferences” in Arbitration: Seat Location and Mandatory Rules
  Chaired and moderated by Professor Maria Chiara Malaguti, with keynote speaker Professor George Bermann (Columbia Law School), and contributions from Philippe Pinsolle and Luigi Fumagalli.
• Roundtable: Geographical Balance in the Functions of Arbitral Institutions
  Chaired and moderated by Professor Giacomo Rojas Elgueta, this panel will bring together senior representatives of major arbitral institutions, including:
  • Stefano Azzali, CAM
  • Thomas Klich, DIS
  • Francisco J. Trebucq, ICC
  • Evelina T. Wahlström, Legal Counsel, SCC Arbitration Institute
  Evelina T. Wahlström will share insights from the SCC’s perspective on institutional balance, diversity, and the practical impact of geography on the administration of international arbitration.
• Beyond the Seat of the Arbitration
  Chaired by Lorenzo Pontecorvo, with speakers Filippo Danovi and Elena D’Alessandro.