The artefact of international jurisdiction: concept, history and reality

Speaker: Dr Veijo Heiskanen (Lalive)
Commentators: Alison Macdonald (Matrix Chambers) and Dr Gleider Hernandez (Durham)
Chair: Dr Martins Paparinskis (UCL Laws)

About the lecture

The lecture focuses on key concepts in international dispute settlement such as the international plane, international jurisdiction, admissibility of claims, and jurisdiction and competence of international courts and tribunals, from both a historical and conceptual perspective. It will be followed by interventions from the perspectives of practice and academia.

About the speaker

Dr Veijo Heiskanen is a partner of Lalive, an international law firm based in Switzerland.  He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in international arbitration proceedings under the rules of the ICC, ICSID, WIPO, UNCITRAL, Swiss Chambers, SCC, Cairo Regional Center for International Commercial Arbitration, and various national chambers of commerce. His experience as counsel includes representing parties in both investment and commercial arbitration, with a focus on the energy, infrastructure, construction and mining sectors. He is also acting as arbitrator in both commercial and investment disputes, including as presiding arbitrator, and has extensive experience as counsel, adviser and adjudicator in international claims proceedings.  He is a member of several panels of arbitrators, including ICSID (World Bank), ICDR Energy Arbitrators List and Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).

Dr Heiskanen graduated from the University of Helsinki (LL.B., 1983; LL.Lic., 1985) and holds an LL.M. and a Doctorate of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) from Harvard Law School (1988 and 1992).  He is Adjunct Professor of International Arbitration at the University of Lausanne and taught at The Hague Academy of International Law (2002).