White & Case support for the Vis Moot Competition

White & Case concluded another impactful season supporting the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to the next generation of arbitration practitioners. Throughout the 2026 Vis Moot cycle, the Firm's lawyers, offices and Vis alumni came together to teach, coach and arbitrate, reflecting White & Case's deep roots in the Vis community, and its leadership in legal education and international commercial arbitration.

"As a former Vis participant, it is inspiring to see how the competition continues to attract talent from around the world and to watch students grow into confident advocates over the course of the season," said Brussels partner Alexandre Hublet. "Our work with the Vis community is an important part of how we help shape the future of international arbitration."

The season began in October 2025 with the eighth edition of the White & Case Vis Colloquium, held in preparation for the 33rd Vis Moot in Vienna and the 23rd Vis East Moot in Hong Kong. Hosted across 11 EMEA offices in a hybrid format, the Colloquium drew approximately 506 participants, its largest turnout since the return to in-person gatherings. Students received guidance on the Vis problem, arbitration and contract law, and written and oral advocacy from Firm lawyers and invited experts, including sessions on the CISG and SIAC Arbitration Rules, as well as office-led workshops on oral advocacy skills.

As teams advanced from written submissions to oral argument, White & Case offices across Europe, as well as New York City, hosted pre-moots to prepare students for the competitions in Vienna and Hong Kong. In March, the Brussels office welcomed 18 university teams from 14 countries for the 10th Brussels Pre‑Moot, with all participating teams then heading on to Vienna. Earlier in the season, the London office hosted the 9th edition of the White & Case London Vis Pre‑Moot, bringing together eight teams from India, Poland, Spain and the UK. The Frankfurt office collaborated with several clients to host eight teams from Austria, France, Germany and Türkiye to practice their pleadings before experienced arbitration practitioners. The Paris office, which has hosted the Vis Pre‑Moot for more than 20 years, welcomed 14 teams from eight countries across four continents.

Beyond Europe, White & Case remained a core supporter of the Vis in Central Asia through its collaboration with the US Department of Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program. Through this relationship, White &[SH1.1] Case lawyers, including Matthew Drossos, Caitlin Walczyk, Alec Albright, Isaac Webb and TJ Mukundan (all in Washington, DC), and Assel Konyskerey (Astana), served as coaches for eight teams across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. White & Case also deepened its partnership with Africa in the Moot (AitM) for the third consecutive year. Through this collaboration, the Firm helped enable 18 teams from 12 sub‑Saharan African countries to participate in the East Africa Pre‑Moot in Nairobi and supported AitM's achievement of having all of its teams compete in Vienna or Hong Kong. Counsel John Dalebroux and associate Katherine Krudys (both in Washington, DC) coached the University of Mogadishu (Somalia), associate Sofya Cherkasova (New York) coached the University of Namibia, associate Clara Petch (New York) coached the University of the Free State (South Africa) and associate Francis Levesque (Washington, DC) coached the University of Zimbabwe. These global efforts further underscore the Firm's dedication to broadening access to international arbitration training and opportunities.

The season culminated in Vienna with the Firm's annual Vis Reception held during the 33rd Vis Moot. The event provided an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of participating teams, reconnect with long-standing contacts in the Vis community, and reflect on a season that spanned training, pre-moots and coaching across multiple regions.

White & Case is already looking ahead to continuing—and expanding—its support for the Vis Moot and the arbitration lawyers of the future in the years to come.

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_{This article is prepared for the general information of interested persons. It is not, and does not attempt to be, comprehensive in nature. Due to the general nature of its content, it should not be regarded as legal advice.}

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