White & Case hosts eighth annual Vis Colloquium

On October 28, 2025, we hosted the eighth annual White & Case Vis Colloquium, held in preparation for the 33rd Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna and the 23rd Vis East Moot in Hong Kong.

The Colloquium enables students to develop a practical understanding of the legal rules underlying the 2026 Vis problem, a hypothetical legal dispute that includes contract theory under the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), and the procedural design of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Rules. Through this experience, students learn how these frameworks operate in actual commercial disputes.

Strong global attendance

The 2025 Colloquium welcomed more than 500 participants, making it the largest Colloquium since the post-COVID return to in-person gatherings. More than 200 participants physically attended in 11 of our offices and an additional 300 joined by videoconference. The hybrid format created a cross-border classroom that reflected the Moot itself, which attracts students from more than 300 law schools worldwide and challenges them to present written submissions and argue a mock commercial arbitration dispute before panels of volunteer scholars, judges and practitioners.

Our 11 participating offices—Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Prague, Stockholm and Warsaw—saw Firm arbitration teams guiding discussions on the Vis problem and sharing advocacy techniques honed on real cases.

Presentations and workshops

The Colloquium also featured presentations from Prof. Dr. Peter Huber of Mainz University on the CISG and from Samuel Leong, Deputy Registrar of the SIAC, who introduced the SIAC Arbitration Rules. White & Case Paris Counsel Anaïs Harlé delivered a dedicated session on written advocacy skills.

More than 30 of our partners and lawyers contributed to workshops on arbitration and oral advocacy, including:

• Brussels: Partner Alexandre Hublet & Associate Elien Claeys
• Frankfurt: Partner Dr. Alexander Lang & Associate Noemi Hemmerich
• Geneva: Associates Panagiotis Chalkias & David de Freitas
• Johannesburg: Local Partner Viren Raja & Associate Cameron Jeffrey
• London: Associates Bianca Djongianto & Nabiha Komidor-Cezard
• Madrid: Partner Ignacio Madalena, Associate Timothy Hope & Staff Attorney Antonio Cuellar Zurutuza
• Milan: Counsel Stefano Verzoni & Local Partner Dr. Federico Parise Kuhnle
• Paris: Associates Evanthia Kasiora & Gustavo Gaspar Nogueira
• Prague: Local Partner Tadeáš Matys & Associate Mikoláš Růžek
• Stockholm: Partner Rasmus Lüning & Associate Anoush Narbani
• Warsaw: Associates Justyna Sikora & Tomasz Przybylski

Rooted in longstanding support for the Vis Moot, the Colloquium draws on the perspectives of White & Case practitioners whose own arbitration careers were influenced by the competition. The Firm remains committed to developing emerging lawyers and contributes to the Vis in many ways, including through team coaching, pre-moot events, a reception in Vienna and additional programs that help students engage with the practice and profession in a real-world setting.

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