Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner David W. Rivkin presented the University of Miami School of Law’s 2021 White & Case International Arbitration Lecture, entitled “Post-Pandemic Arbitration: Will It Be Contact-Free?” The lecture was hosted jointly by Miami Law’s International Arbitration Institute and White & Case International Arbitration LL.M. Program.

Mr. Rivkin discussed how the lessons learned during the pandemic can be adapted to improve arbitration in the post-pandemic world. In the lecture he considered whether hearings should be held in-person or virtually; certain procedural innovations when conducting international arbitrations; and how arbitrators will need to assess how the volatility of this moment should impact the assessment of damages.

“The past year has presented truly novel challenges to our practice. And as we move forward, slowly, towards a post-pandemic future, we will meet a new landscape, not a simple return to what came before,” said Mr. Rivkin. “It would be a mistake, as the pandemic subsides, to simply restore our prior status quo, without incorporating the lessons we have learned and putting to use the technologies and efficiencies that have allowed us to continue our practice remotely.”

Please click here for the post-lecture article. The video can be viewed here.

Mr. Rivkin is Co-Chair of Debevoise’s International Dispute Resolution Group and its Business Integrity Group and a Past President of the IBA. A litigation partner in the firm’s New York and London offices, he has broad experience in the areas of international litigation and arbitration. Mr. Rivkin is consistently ranked as one of the top international dispute resolution practitioners in the world.