International Arbitration Focus - Reform

Welcome

Welcome to our first Reed Smith International Arbitration (IA) newsletter of 2026.

We have been publishing our IA newsletter for many years now. For this first edition of 2026, we have chosen the topic of reform. In 2025, reform in international arbitration preoccupied not just emergent jurisdictions but also traditional ones. It is a sign of vibrant competition. 

In this newsletter, we again call on our wide global network of IA practitioners, who help our clients daily to navigate the everchanging environment of international arbitration and other dispute resolution tools. 

The topic of change is a fitting subject for me personally, as this is my first edition as global chair of Reed Smith’s international arbitration practice. At the end of 2025, we said goodbye to former global chair, Peter Rosher, who has started a new chapter in his career and is now taking up appointments as an independent arbitrator, enlarging this part of his practice outside Reed Smith. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Peter for all his leadership of Reed Smith’s international arbitration practice over the past four years and look forward to seeing him thrive in the arbitral community in his new role.