An arbitration case that starts on the wrong foot rarely ends well — and by the time the award is issued, it's too late to fix a weak negotiating position or an ambiguous contract clause. This Training Course by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy works backwards from the arbitration process itself, showing participants exactly what a case needs at each procedural stage, before moving into the negotiation and contracting skills that prevent disputes in the first place.

Built for legal professionals and business leaders alike, the course covers arbitrator obligations, the applicable law, negotiation strategy, contract validity, and how to write specifications that don't leave room for dispute.

Who Should Attend?

• Directors of legal and legal affairs departments in companies.
• Law officers and in-house counsel.
• Business owners and managers who negotiate or sign contracts.
• Law students, graduates, and trainee lawyers.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain what is required to file and pursue an arbitration case correctly.
• Identify the obligations and rights of an arbitrator, and how an award is validated or nullified.
• Apply core negotiation concepts and strategic planning before entering a dispute.
• Recognise the legal nature and common errors involved in concluding contracts.
• Write and review contract specifications that hold up under an invitation to tender.

Module 1: How an Arbitration Case Actually Proceeds

• Filing an arbitration case: what the procedure requires.
• Methods and means of proof used in arbitration.
• Causes of suspension, interruption, or lapse of the case, and how they delay resolution.

Module 2: The Arbitrator, the Award and Its Enforcement

• Requirements, obligations and rights of the arbitrator.
• The law that governs the arbitration process.
• Validity and nullity of the arbitral award, and how national courts enforce it.

Module 3: Negotiation as a First Line of Defence

• Concepts, principles and characteristics of negotiation.
• Alternative and modern negotiation strategies, and the stages of strategic planning for negotiation.
• Financial and technical dimensions of negotiation, and reading different negotiating personalities.

Module 4: From Negotiation to a Binding Contract

• The legal, formal, and practical importance of contracts, and their main types.
• Common errors in concluding contracts, and how to avoid them.
• Arbitration clauses in international contracts and their specific field of application.

Module 5: Contract Specifications That Hold Up

• Writing and analysing contract specifications and procurement processes.
• The legal weight specifications carry in an invitation to tender.
• Recognising doubtful or deficient specifications and the risks each type carries.