The reason for the Investment Arbitration Moot to emerge was a significant increase in investment-related disputes in international arbitration over the last decade.
The Investment Arbitration Moot is held with support from Frankfurt am Main University and represents a model of proceedings in international commercial arbitration in disputes between a foreign investor and a host country during which a team prepares written submissions of the parties and presents them in oral hearings.
Participation in the Investment Arbitration Moot will help its participants to significantly broaden their knowledge of international protection of investment and disputes resolution mechanisms, develop teamwork skills and work through complex legal issues as well as improve their oral and written English.
The 10th Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court (2016/2017) will be held from 6 to 10 March 2017 at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Useful links Previous Results
Rules of Investment Arbitration Moot 2014/2015 2013/2014
The Moot’s language is English.
Comment from Dilara Khamitova, participant in 2013, 2014. (Lomonosov Moscow State University)
My impressions from FIAMC exceeded all my expectations! It turned out to be more interesting and exciting so this year I decided to participate again.
First, a case is based on an intricate historical precedent and therefore all jurisdictional issues of a case are ingeniously fitted by the case authors to real facts and events which can be found in books and archives.
Second, rounds in Frankfurt incredibly inspire to further grow professionally: master the skills of thoughtful presentation of arguments and public speaking. FIAMC’s distinctive feature is that arbitrators can only include the lawyers who have themselves participated in investment arbitration as defense attorneys or arbitrators.
Rules are quite rigid: 1 hour before each round the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s teams are told which three points out of nine will be heard by arbitrators. In each round, teams have 30 minutes each to defend the client.
Finally, the very atmosphere of the pre-moots and moots creates a lasting impression: about 50 teams and arbitrators from all continents meet during the moot and afterwards a conference is held on pressing issues of international investment arbitration with authoritative scholars and practitioners as speakers. Such meetings facilitate professional and friendly ties.
Comment from Daria Kuznetsova, participant in 2014 (Lomonosov Moscow State University)
FIAMC is an investment arbitration moot organized annually by Goethe University in Frankfurt. This moot’s distinctive feature is that there is no written part which makes oral rounds even more exciting as a response to an opponent’s view needs to be prepared just one hour before the speech. Furthermore, each year the moot’s dispute is not fictitious but a real historical case subject to legal rules currently in effect.
While preparing for the moot, I acquired a lot of new knowledge in investment-related arbitration which is not being taught as a mandatory subject at my university. Participation in the contest helped me develop the qualities which now help me in my profession such as the ability to focus on a problem, present my case logically, confidence during public speaking.
