WASHINGTON ARBITRATION WEEK
Washington D.C. is the epicenter of investment arbitration. It has the headquarters of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), law firms specialized in investment arbitration, public international law and international commercial arbitration, international organizations, United States federal agencies specialized in investment arbitration, embassies, vibrant law schools, NGOs and think tanks. Washington Arbitration Week (WAW) provides an organic D.C. forum in international arbitration for its legal community and the international and foreign community connected to it. WAW will further advance the analysis and discussion of developments reflected in arbitral awards, treaties and international instruments at the forefront of international arbitration.
WAW’s panels will follow a dynamic format and foster an open discussion about the future of international arbitration. They will shed light on new arbitration techniques, focus on developments and evolving interpretations and views, and discuss the best practices for international arbitration in the new virtual reality.
The sixth edition of Washington Arbitration Week – WAW 2025 will be a showcase of international arbitration in Washington, D.C. On behalf of our sponsors and supporters, panel speakers and moderators, we welcome newcomers and experienced practitioners alike to our city and arbitration community.
WAW Founders,
José Antonio Rivas and Ian A. Laird
WAW’S RECORD AND NUMBERS
Since its inaugural edition in 2020, the Washington Arbitration Week – WAW – has had a total of 102 panels with 510 speakers and 8,032 attendees becoming one of the biggest forums and arbitration weeks in the globe, a place to learn and discuss the latest developments of international arbitration related to Washington DC and its extended international community, and a platform for practitioners, arbitrators, academics, public officials, and students. In 2022 WAW moved to hybrid events, with 3 solely virtual panels and 18 in-person plus virtual panels splendidly hosted by various Washington DC-based law firms. In 2026 we will keep connecting the international arbitration community through in-person substantive and innovative panels, and we will expand the opportunities for networking during WAW.
GRATEFUL TO WAW’S CIRCLE OF SPONSORS
LAW FIRMS
EXPERTS & OTHER SPONSORS
HOSPITALITY SPONSOR
Sojourn, a flexible furnished company that offers both nightly and monthly rates for its thoughtfully appointed apartments & homes throughout DC, is offering a 10% discount to all WAW attendees from September 15th until December 31st. To book, visit www.sojourndc.com and use discount code WAW.
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Martina Polasek – ICSID Secretary General
Meg Kinnear – Low & Kinnear Dispute Resolution
Celeste Salinas – ICSID Counsel
Borzu Sabahi – Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle LLP
Charles B. Rosenberg – Squire Patton Boggs
Gaela Gehring Flores – Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Marinn Carlson – Independent Arbitrator
Kelby Ballena – Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Waw Founders & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
WAW 2026 will be a showcase of international arbitration in Washington, D.C. On behalf of all of our supporters, panel speakers and moderators, we welcome newcomers and experienced practitioners alike to our city and arbitration community.
WAW Founders,
José Antonio Rivas & Ian A. Laird.