Conference on Conflict of Laws in International Arbitration 2026 at the University of Vienna, Austria [In Person; Free for Academics and Students; 30 November - 1 December 2026]
Faculty of Law, University of Vienna.About the Conference
The University of Vienna is hosting a two-day conference on Conflict of Laws in International Arbitration on 30 November and 1 December 2026. The organisers point out that conflict of laws is a neglected area of study in international arbitration. A few questions, such as the law governing the arbitration agreement, have drawn a great deal of attention, while the wider range of conflicts issues that arbitrators meet every day has been studied far less. Arbitrators therefore struggle to work out the law governing privilege, ethical duties or insolvency-related actions, where institutional rules and the lex arbitri often give only barebones guidance.
The conference sets out to address that gap. It complements the work of the ILA Committee on Conflict of Laws Issues in International Arbitration, constituted in December 2024.
About the Organiser
The conference is organised by Professor Matthias Lehmann of the Department for Comparative, Uniform and Private International Law, part of the Department of European, International and Comparative Law in the Faculty of Law, University of Vienna, together with his team.
Panels and Speakers
The programme runs over two half days in four thematic panels, with academics and practitioners from Asia, Europe and the Americas:
- Panel 1: The Law Governing Arbitrability and the Arbitration Agreement (chair: Christian Koller, University of Vienna), with Stefan Kröll (Bucerius Law School), Katharina Plavec (European Central Bank) and Manuel Penades Fons (King's College London)
- Panel 2: The Law Governing the Conduct of Proceedings (chair: Nikolaus Pitkowitz, Pitkowitz & Partners), with Vesna Lazić (University of Utrecht / TMC Asser Institute), Hayk Kupelyants (King's College London) and Sylvain Bollée (University of Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne)
- Panel 3: The Law Governing Privilege and Document Production (chair: Paul Oberhammer, University of Vienna), with Mariel Dimsey (MD Arbitration), Patricia Shaughnessy (Stockholm University) and Friedrich Rosenfeld (Hanefeld)
- Panel 4: The Law Governing the Merits and Overriding Mandatory Rules (chair: Burkhard Hess, University of Vienna), with Jan Kleinheisterkamp (London School of Economics), Yuliya Chernikh (University of Inland Norway) and Andrea Bjorklund (McGill University)
Schedule
- 30 November 2026: registration and coffee from 1:30 pm, inauguration at 2:00 pm, Panels 1 and 2 from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm, followed by a mulled wine reception (6:00 pm to 7:00 pm) and the optional Conference Dinner (7:30 pm to 10:00 pm) at the Wiener Rathauskeller, Vienna City Hall, Rathausplatz 1, 1010 Vienna
- 1 December 2026: coffee from 8:45 am, welcoming remarks at 9:15 am, Panels 3 and 4 from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm, and concluding remarks at 1:00 pm
All times are local time in Vienna (CET).
Venue and Format
The conference is in person only. Both academic sessions are held in the Senate Chamber (Senatssaal) of the University of Vienna's landmark-protected Main Building, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Vienna. This is not the Juridicum building, which houses the Faculty of Law. The nearest stop is Schottentor (U2 subway and several tram lines). Non-alcoholic drinks, coffee and small snacks are provided through both days.
Registration Fee
- Full-time academics, students, public servants and judges: free of charge
- Other participants: EUR 100 (regular rate; the EUR 80 early-bird rate ran until mid-September)
- Conference Dinner (optional): EUR 60 for every participant, with separate registration
Payment is by credit card (Amex, Mastercard, VISA, Google Pay or Apple Pay) on the registration portal.
How to Register
Register online through the University of Vienna's event registration portal. You create an account with your email address, then enter your contact details, institution and billing address. Capacity is limited, so the organisers encourage early registration. The portal lists 1 December 2026 as its registration deadline.
Questions about registration go to the Event Management of the University of Vienna.