London International Disputes Week 2026
Members of 3VB are pleased to be taking part in several events across London International Disputes Week (LIDW) 2026, which takes place from Monday 1 June to Friday 5 June.
Returning for its seventh year, the 2026 event focuses on the central theme: “Tradition, Trust and Transformation in International Dispute Resolution.”
London International Disputes Week (LIDW) is the premier global forum for international dispute resolution, launched in 2019. Following record-breaking turnouts of over 8,000 participants from 100+ countries, this year’s forum brings together legal professionals, corporate clients, and experts to examine the intersection of long-standing legal principles, shifting geopolitical risks, and technological disruption like AI. Across five days of core conferences, specialist congresses, and member-hosted events, LIDW fosters cross-border collaboration across arbitration, litigation, and mediation, while championing diversity, inclusion, and the rule of law.
3VB is proud to take centre stage as an official partner and hub host for LIDW26. Marking a historic milestone as the first barristers’ set ever selected to serve as a flagship venue, 3VB will host International Arbitration Day on Monday, 1 June.
Throughout the week, our members will lead and contribute to critical debates on pressing commercial issues – ranging from tech-driven disruption and due process to high-stakes defence sector disputes.
Details and registration for our individual member-hosted events can be found below:
Wednesday 3rd June
The Global Sanctions Landscape: given US secondary sanctions, Chinese counter-measures and EU retaliatory measures, how have courts responded and can sanctions be effective in times of growing political divergence? What does the future hold?
9am – 10:30am (BST)
Hosted by 3VB and Simmons & Simmons.
Saima Hanif KC will join a panel discussing global sanctions regimes, recent key cases across the UK, EU and US, and the challenges businesses face in navigating an increasingly complex political and regulatory landscape.
Behind Closed Doors: What Your Arbitrators are Really Thinking
9am – 10:30am (BST)
Hosted by 3VB and Taylor Wessing.
Jane Davies Evans KC and Miriam Schmelzer of 3VB will join a panel exploring how arbitral tribunals really operate behind closed doors, including tribunal dynamics, decision-making processes, and the practical pressures that shape arbitration proceedings.
Two Legal Systems Divided by a Common Language: How UK and US Procedure Shape Strategy and Expert Evidence
9am – 10:30am (BST)
Hosted by SEDA Experts LLC.
Paul Bonner Hughes will join a panel examining how differences between UK and US procedural systems shape litigation strategy and expert evidence, with discussion focusing on issues including witness independence, admissibility challenges, and the impact of differing procedural frameworks on cross-border disputes.
The 800-pound guerilla: does arbitration need a rule of contempt?
4:30pm – 6pm (BST)
Hosted by 3VB and Three Crowns.
Ali Malek KC will join a panel discussing the rise of “guerrilla tactics” in arbitration, including how tribunals are responding to misconduct in practice, the effectiveness of existing sanctions, and proposals for introducing a “contempt of arbitration” rule.
Ten years on from the Insurance Act 2015: continuity or transformation
4:30pm – 6pm (BST)
Hosted by 3VB and HFW.
Tom Weitzman KC will chair a panel discussion on key developments under the Insurance Act 2015, with Timothy Killen KC and Sophia Dzwig joining fellow speakers to consider issues including fair presentation, insured knowledge, and the impact of emerging technologies such as AI on disclosure and reasonable search obligations.
Thursday 4th June
The next phase in Russian sanctions disputes: Injunctions, concurrent court proceedings, the risk and implications of Russian insolvency proceedings, and global enforcement battles
11:30am – 1pm (BST)
Hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and KK&P.
Saima Hanif KC will join a panel discussing the growing risks arising from Russian cross-border disputes, including competing injunctions, local insolvency proceedings, and global enforcement challenges, as well as strategies for companies navigating the evolving Russian litigation landscape.
Technology meets misconduct: investigations in the modern risk landscape
4:30pm – 6pm (BST)
Hosted by 3VB, Fox Williams, Ernst & Young and Collas Crill.
Saima Hanif KC will join a cross-disciplinary panel exploring the evolving investigations landscape, including emerging risks relating to non-financial misconduct, deepfakes, the dark web, and other technological developments impacting disputes and regulatory investigations across multiple jurisdictions.
Continuation Deals: A New Frontier for Disputes in Sponsor-Backed M&A?
4:30pm – 6pm (BST)
Hosted by 3VB and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Farhaz Khan KC will join a panel examining the growing disputes risks arising from continuation deals in private equity, including conflicts between sponsors and investors, valuation challenges, and the litigation issues emerging from increasingly complex fund structures.
Friday 5th June
After the Exit: Russian Bankruptcy Proceedings as a New Front in Cross-Border Enforcement Against Western Corporate Groups
9am – 10:30am (BST)
Hosted by 3VB, LK Law, Melling Voitishkin & Partners and Serle Court.
Saima Hanif KC will moderate a panel examining the growing use of Russian bankruptcy proceedings in cross-border disputes, including claims against foreign parent companies and overseas assets, and the strategies available to businesses responding to emerging global enforcement risks.
