Suffolk University Law School is proud to be hosting the 2012 FDI Moot Competition Finals in Boston, Nov. 1-4. 

Taking part in this year's competition are 37 teams and 231 law students from 20 countries -- Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, Georgia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Spain and the United States. 

We are pleased that nine teams will receive a total of $7,500 in support from the Thomas Wälde Team Fund (special thanks to our donors, for the support from OGEMID, and the matching gifts from Skadden Arps and FTI Consulting, and above all the late Prof. Wälde for initiating this funding in 2008).

This year's case involves ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes) annulment proceedings, addressing the constitution of the tribunal (a rejected challenge to an arbitrator), the tribunal's alleged excess of powers (in relation to the definition of investment), and violation of a fundamental rule of procedure (admission of an expert report without the expert available to be cross-examined).

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Thursday, Nov. 1 

The long FDI Moot weekend will commence Thursday evening with a reception sponsored by Suffolk Law's Transnational Law Review. Justice Robert J. Cordy of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will deliver a welcoming keynote address. 

Christopher Gibson, Suffolk University Law School

All are welcome to join a seminar Friday morning from 10am-12pm. Panelists and topics include:

• Andrew Newcombe, Associate Professor at University of Victoria, BC; founder of ITALaw.com, an international research site focused on Investment Treaty Arbitration
  The Role of Counterclaims in Rebalancing International Investment Law
  
  
• Andrea Bjorklund, Professor of Law at UC Davis Law School; Visiting Professor McGill University; and Chair, Institute of Transnational Arbitration
  Counter-Claims in Investor State Arbitration
  
  
• Guido Carducci, Professor of Law, Paris; Visiting Professor, University of Miami
  Review of Investor State Awards other than by ICSID Annulment

Christopher Gibson, Associate Dean and Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School, will moderate the discussion.

COMPETITION ROUNDS: Friday-Sunday, Nov. 2-4

The first competition rounds will be held Friday afternoon. After the preliminary round hearings on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, quarter-finalists and memorial winners will be announced Saturday evening.

Following Sunday morning's quarter- and semi-finals, the third place match and final will be held Sunday afternoon before annulment committees composed of leading arbitrators and academics in the field, including Doak Bishop, Professor William W. Park, Professor Andrea Bjorklund, Professor Andrew Newcombe, Silvia Marchili, and Tim Nelson. 

The winning team will receive the Skadden, Arps Trophy. The best oralist will receive the Thomas Wälde Advocacy Prize and an arbitration course sponsored by the ICC. The team with the best cumulative results from the preliminary oral rounds and the memorials will receive a cash prize sponsored by Baker & McKenzie.

The next FDI Moot Competition will be held in Frankfurt, Germany on October 24-26, 2013!