WilmerHale's Gary Born and Dharshini Prasad publish an article for Expert Guides on managing complex multi-party and multi-contract disputes under many leading institutional arbitration rules.
Excerpt: Multi-party and multi-contract disputes are, today, etched into the fabric of international dispute resolution. This is an inevitable consequence of the increasingly specialized and complex nature of international commerce. Yet, such disputes raise unique concerns that can affect the quality of the arbitral process by leading to a proliferation of parallel proceedings and inconsistent decisions, which can in turn lead to unfair and unsatisfactory outcomes for parties. Resolving these complexities is essential to the success of international arbitration, as with any dispute resolution procedure. This article highlights two key procedural mechanisms that provide avenues to manage complex disputes under many leading institutional arbitration rules: joinder and consolidation.