Partner Derek Nelson took part in the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators’ (WCA) 2019 Arbitration Competition.

During a mock arbitration hearing over several days, participants from barristers’ chambers, solicitors’ firms and law schools drafted submissions and acted as advocates for the parties in the hearing before a distinguished tribunal, chaired by Sir Peter Cresswell.

The principles of expert evidence that Mr Justice Cresswell (as he was then) laid down in his judgment in The Ikarian Reefer ([1993] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 68) have become widely accepted as the classic statement of the duties and responsibilities of expert witnesses. They were endorsed by the Court of Appeal, commended by Lord Woolf in his report on the civil justice system in England and Wales, and have been cited with approval in several subsequent cases and were a source of reference again in this ‘arbitration’.

Acting as Expert Witness, HKA’s Derek Nelson was ‘vigorously’ cross-examined in front of ‘Mr Ikarian Reefer’.

Keating Chambers pupils were awarded ‘Best Team’, voted for by the participants.

Congratulations to all of the participants on an excellent job and to the prize-winners, both team and individual, in each category.

Find out more about Derek’s expertise.