Mission
As an internationally recognized dispute resolution mechanism, ad hoc arbitration continues to play a vital role in maritime and commercial fields due to its flexibility and efficiency. Currently, Shanghai is striving to build a legal system that aligns with international trade rules, continuously optimizing the business environment through innovation in foreign-related legal services. Against this backdrop, we have taken the lead in establishing China's first standardized ad hoc arbitration service platform, aiming to achieve institutional breakthroughs through three innovative dimensions:
First, establish an innovative ad hoc arbitration rules guidance system based on China's arbitration practice needs;
Second, integrate international advanced experience with local legal wisdom to form ad hoc arbitration solutions with Chinese characteristics;
Third, build a professional exchange platform to systematically analyze international ad hoc arbitration development and share domestic and international practical cases.
We hope this pioneering exploration will fill the practical void in China's ad hoc arbitration system. More importantly, by building a dispute resolution mechanism that complies with international practices, we aim to effectively enhance the international competitiveness of China's foreign-related legal services and inject new momentum into the innovative development of ad hoc arbitration in China.
Intro
The current Chinese arbitration practice ecosystem exhibits significant structural characteristics: institutional arbitration dominates market awareness, while ad hoc arbitration remains in a blind spot. Data shows that 93.6% of commercial dispute parties lack basic knowledge of ad hoc arbitration procedural rules, 78.2% of arbitrators have never participated in ad hoc arbitration practice, and no professional ad hoc arbitration service system has been formed domestically. This institutional gap contrasts sharply with the global arbitration landscape—international platforms represented by the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have seen ad hoc arbitration cases exceed 65% of their annual caseload, establishing mature operational mechanisms including procedural autonomy, award enforcement, and cross-jurisdictional coordination. From a historical perspective, the ad hoc arbitration system has evolved from its embryonic stage in medieval merchant courts through systematic development during the Industrial Revolution, and is now deeply embedded in the global commercial dispute resolution network, demonstrating strong institutional vitality. To promote the research and practice of ad hoc arbitration in China, we provide the following services to corporate and individual arbitration participants, lawyers, arbitrators, and law students:
The Team
Initiators
- Mr. Peter Murray
- Associate Professor Lin Jiang
- Attorney Tang Zuoping
- Attorney Xu Qi
Partner Organizations
- Shanghai Zhongpai Law Firm
- Shanghai Gelian (Lingang New Area) Law Firm
- Hisun & Co