Events 
Resources 
News News
Read our latest news, stories and articles
6th Global Co-chairs’ Circle Conference (CCC26) – How to Be an Effective Advocate in a Brave New World
Tunc Savas, WilmerHale
Key Takeaways from CCC26
Global Co-Chairs’ Circle Conference, the flagship international conference for under-40 arbitration practitioners, is held every two years.
Between 21 and 23 May 2026, ASA below 40 hosted the 6th edition of this conference in Zurich. The theme of the conference was “Advocacy in International Arbitration – How to Be an Effective Advocate in a Brave New World.”
On the evening of the 21st of May, participants came together for a panoramic opening cocktail, featuring Gary Born as the keynote speaker. In a fireside chat with Nadja Al Kanawati, Gary talked about the early stages of his career and gave advocacy tips to young practitioners. One of Gary’s tips, on sleep (or lack thereof), proved somewhat controversial and became a recurring topic of conversation throughout the conference.
The 22nd of May was packed with plenary sessions and interactive workshops. Participants explored different aspects of advocacy in international arbitration in seven sessions throughout the day, at Volkshaus, Zurich.
The Advocate of the Future
Following opening remarks, Alain Grieder (Schellenberg Wittmer), Nadia Darwazeh (Vanguard Disputes), Emily Hay (ArbBoutique), Leyla Orak Celikboya (Pegasus) and Trisha Mitra-Veber (Reed Smith) took the stage for the plenary session.
The panel explored the skills, tools, and mindsets that will define the next generation of advocates. The panelists discussed the growing use of AI-powered tools for document review, legal research, chronology building, and hearing preparation. They emphasised that although these technologies dramatically enhance efficiency, they cannot replace the advocate’s judgment, strategic thinking and soft skills.
Following lunch, three sessions took place simultaneously: Session 1 on Client Handling Across Culture; Session 2 on Speaking to Tribunals from Different Backgrounds; and Session 3 on Tailoring Written Advocacy for Diverse Audiences.
Client Handling Across Cultures
Panellists Sona Tsaturyan (Schoenherr), Francesco Di Girolamo (Binance), Leonardo Ohlrogge (MLL), Thomas Granier (Anima) and Shanelle Irani (WilmerHale) drew on their experiences to discuss how cultural differences shape client management throughout the entire lifecycle of an international arbitration.
The discussion went beyond the traditional geographic notion of culture and touched on industry culture, corporate dynamics, and differing client personalities and expectations. The panellists shared practical tips and “war stories” on issues such as building trust with clients, defining the role of external counsel, managing budgets and strategic expectations, selecting arbitrators, document production, and hearing preparation.
Speaking to Tribunals from Different Backgrounds
Panellists Sanela Ninković-Jakob (Walder Wyss), Ricardo Gomes (Hannes Snellman), Katie Gonzalez (Cleary Gottlieb), Lukas Montoya (LKK) and Toni Nogolica (Nogolica & Partners) explored how to tailor arguments for arbitrators from diverse legal and cultural backgrounds.
The panellists shared personal stories and provided practical tips on how to tailor and adapt your advocacy without jeopardizing your authenticity and credibility. The discussion addressed the strategic importance of arbitrator appointments and the factors that should be considered in that process. The panellists then explored topics such as how to frame arguments, how to communicate and how to conduct cross-examination, depending on the cultural and linguistic background of the arbitrators.
Tailoring Written Advocacy for Diverse Audiences
Panellists Lukas Innerebner (Wartmann Merker), Jingjing Li (Zhong Lun), Yusuf Kumtepe (Kabine), Anjuli Patel (Baker McKenzie) and Juliana de Ureña (Independent Arbitrator) addressed how to tailor written advocacy in disputes involving diverse tribunals, counsel teams, clients and legal traditions.
The panel explored the big picture of international written advocacy, advocacy across cultures and tribunals, and practical drafting challenges. The panelists addressed topics such as whether an international standard exists for written submissions, whether certain advocacy styles travel well across jurisdictions, how important storytelling is, and whether disputes involving different sectors require adopting different narrative approaches. The panellists emphasised the role of cultural translation in persuasive drafting, and how plain, direct writing is a key advantage in international arbitration, especially since tribunal members are often not native speakers.
Following the coffee break, three additional sessions took place simultaneously: Session 1 on Storytelling – the Power of Narrative in Arbitration; Session 2 on Getting the Best from Your Witnesses; and Session 3 on Expert Evidence: Strategy and Practice.
Storytelling – The Power of Narrative in Arbitration
Panelists Florence Jaeger (rothorn), Fraser Clark (AlixPartners), Irène Leger (Staunch), Cam Tu Vo Nguyen (A&O Shearman) and Marija Šćekić (Squire Patton Boggs) explored how narrative structure, clarity and emotion can transform dry, technical facts into a persuasive story.
The panel first addressed why storytelling matters in arbitration, emphasizing the importance of simplifying complex issues. The panellists explained that advocacy often requires storytelling, as bulletproof cases are rare, and framing plays a key role in eliciting sympathy and shaping the tribunal’s perception of what is just and fair. They underlined that narratives must bridge cultural and disciplinary gaps while remaining easy to retell. The panel then addressed what makes a good case story, provided practical tips on how to make the story memorable for the tribunal and identified common pitfalls in storytelling.
Getting the Best from Your Witnesses
Panellists Michael Decker (Schjødt), Elena Fontanelli (BonelliErede), Aleksandra Orzel-Jakubowska (White & Case), Emilie Pardoen (Avizor) and Ozge Yazar (Roschier) addressed how advocates can support witnesses within the boundaries of their professional ethical obligations.
The panellists discussed how to choose fact witnesses and how to frame written witness statements. They emphasised that witness preparation strategies and methods depend on ethical obligations, cultural differences and the character of the witness. They also emphasised the importance of finding the right balance with respect to the degree of witness preparation and warned against overpreparation. The panelists then shared war stories of outstanding witness performances, and the factors that affected their performances.
Expert Evidence: Strategy and Practice
Panellists Isabella Cannata (LALIVE), Maren Burtoft (Accuracy), Shreya Gupta (Oxera), Maria Irene Perruccio (WeBuild Group) and Marco Shek (FTI) discussed strategies for managing complex expert evidence with confidence.
The panellists first addressed key considerations in the selection of experts, including the importance of arbitration or testifying experience. The panellists then discussed experts’ input in different stages of a dispute, and the stage at which expert involvement has the greatest impact. Then, they explored how to effectively translate technical knowledge into advocacy, underlining the importance of clarity, credibility and reputation. The panel concluded with a discussion on recent practices and challenges, and how experts can be effective in a brave new world.
In the evening, the participants attended the gala dinner and the after party at Lake Side, Zurich, featuring scenic views. Most participants successfully followed the dress code and had an opportunity to network with peers from around the world. At dinner, the baton was passed to the Finnish Arbitration Association, who were ecstatic to find out that they will get to organise the 7th edition of the conference.
On the morning of the third and final day of the event, some industrious participants took part in the arbitration run through sunny Zurich before enjoying well-deserved pastries and coffee.
However, the boat ride, proved even more popular, and was arguably the social highlight of the conference. Despite the bad weather forecast, the weather was perfect for the time spent on Lake Zurich, to the relief of the organisers. The conference concluded with a Garden Party at Fischer’s Fritz, providing the participants with another opportunity to connect and enjoy spring in Zurich.