Travers Smith

Delighted to talk to Law.com International about what we have been, and are, seeking to do at Travers Smith with my friends and colleagues Heather Gagen and Louisa Chambers . Always good to be referred to as ‘younger’ these days….

We were delighted to be part of the LCIA consultation on changes to its arbitration and mediation rules, for which the deadline for submissions was yesterday. https://lnkd.in/e_nPn25g It was encouraging to see just how widely the LCIA is thinking, as it works to develop amended rules intended to last for the next decade. The Director General's consultation letter set out no fewer than 13 focus areas on which submissions were requested from the arbitration community. Key points of note for me: First, and inevitably, AI. Any set of rules aiming to last for the next 10 years will need to remain usable through a likely explosion in the use of AI in all aspects of dispute resolution. In my view, AI rules need to be firm in ensuring that arbitrators do not delegate their decision-making powers; pragmatic in ensuring that AI usage is an issue on which directions are agreed early in any arbitration unless there are good reasons; and sufficiently flexible to allow for changes to the AI landscape which, at present, none of us can even contemplate. Second, early determination. With the inclusion of a similar mechanism in the Amended Arbitration Act 1996, it is clear that the arbitration community is recognising the need for a summary determination mechanism, to save time and cost in appropriate cases, and to ensure that arbitration is keeping pace with court processes. The key, in my view, will be to have a process which is sufficiently clear that users feel confident that if they obtain an early determination, the award will then not be susceptible to challenge. Third, coordination of multi-party and multi-case disputes. This has historically been a real problem for arbitration, due to privity of contract and party autonomy, leading to multiple arbitrations in parallel, or arbitrations in parallel with court proceedings, for complex commercial structures. I think it will be a tough problem to solve, but it is great to see the LCIA looking to grapple with it. In parallel, the ICC is publishing new rules on 1 June 2026, and is starting to publish a series of articles on what we can expect to see ( https://lnkd.in/ePnZ9net ). It will be fascinating to see the similarities and differences between the institutions' respective approaches. *** I focus on international arbitration at Travers Smith, and write regularly on arbitration matters. If you would like to discuss any arbitration issue please don't hesitate to get in touch. ***

It’s a fantastic way to start the week to see 65 Travers Smith lawyers listed in the national Pro Bono Recognition List for their commitment to pro bono work. We focus in particular on vulnerable groups (domestic abuse, human trafficking, refugees); rule of law (racial justice investigations); diversity (LGBT+ rights and supporting diverse founders); and climate (conservation, impact investing, green tech and wildlife). The need is endless but our commitment to pro bono is unwavering. #pro bono

Moving to Aderant Sierra is the best thing you can do… now read some waffling.. In 1992 I watched the Star Trek TNG episode: best of both worlds. There is a brilliant scene where Jean Luc Picard walks around the ship before battle. Not knowing what would happen next but knowing it was the right thing to do. It is something that has stayed with me throughout my professional career. Every time I do a big software release I walk around the office and take in the “who” I’m doing it for as well as the “why”. This weekend we moved Travers Smith to Aderant Sierra. Absolutely the right thing to do. This will set the firm up for the future and really hook into Aderants strategy about improving process and their obsession with WIP to Cash. So much fun to have with how finance functions manage their processes thanks to Aderants work. Tomorrow will not be plain sailing…. But the course is the right one and a great one. I tonight remember the fantastic sales job Josiah Chaves , Andy Hoyt did 2 years ago about the Sierra road map that convinced me this was the right path. It so is. I’ve said it before this is the best version of Aderant that I’ve ever worked with. Maybe a bit of love to Will Gregg and Peter Gill as long as it doesn’t go to their heads. Bittersweet for me; my last big release at Travers Smith, potentially the last Aderant piece of work I will ever do. The best thing is that I got to do the release with the best Finance Systems people I’ve ever worked with. Thank you Kumud Bawa and Sean Tomlin.