UCL Laws Master of Laws (LLM) students represented UCL Faculty of Laws at the 21st International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Commercial Mediation Competition in Paris from 2 to 7 February 2026, marking the Faculty’s first participation in the prestigious international competition. This event brings together law students, professional mediators, and academics from around the world to resolve complex commercial disputes through negotiation and mediation. The UCL team prepared for several months before travelling to Paris, with support from a group of experienced mediators and coaches.
In the reflections below, members of the UCL Laws competing team share their experience preparing for and competing in the event.
Preparing for the competition: rethinking legal strategy in mediation
Our preparations began in October 2025, when we developed our approach to the competition. Traditional moot competitions focus on winning arguments on points of law. In contrast, the legal issues underlying the competition problems here constituted only one aspect of the parties’ broader business relationships.
This meant that the team quickly moved from focusing solely on what each party was legally entitled to, to considering the commercial implications of their legal positions. In one problem, we quickly realised our strong legal position was largely inconsequential, as the commercial reality made it impossible for the other party to fulfil the contract. This encouraged us to strategically plan concessions that could be used to restore the other party’s commercial viability while allowing us to maintain obligations central to our interests.
The competition reinforced the importance of this form of strategic planning by requiring the submission of detailed mediation plans to the judging committee.
Developing mediation skills and redefining ‘winning’
During our training, we developed a greater understanding of the importance of tone, language, and maintaining a collaborative approach in mediation. In mediation, ‘winning’ occurs only when neither party feels as though they have lost. This required careful consideration of how strongly interests were advanced and how common ground was explored, relying heavily on a style of advocacy not typically found in litigation.
Marvin, one of the team members and a native German speaker, found that the heightened awareness of the emotional nuances of language demanded by the competition added an enriching layer of challenge to expressing his views at the mediation table.
Learning from mediators, coaches and UCL Laws alumni
We were grateful to receive support and guidance from leading mediators, including UCL alumnus Michel Kallipetis KC, Phillip Howell-Richardson and Andy Rogers, alongside our committed coaching team, comprised of Dr. Anna Howard (Lecturer and mediator), Lea Meraku (LLM student at UCL and University of Prishtina LLM alumnus), and Nicholas Gillyon (UCL LLM alumnus and Bar course candidate). Under their guidance, the team saw significant progress in its commercial problem-solving and mediation advocacy skills leading up to our arrival in Paris.
It was an honour to return to UCL and help coach the current LLM students for this competition. Mediation and negotiation competitions offer students the opportunity to extend their knowledge and experience beyond more ‘traditional’ extra-curricular competitions such as mooting, enabling students to develop and refine their negotiating and problem-solving skills. The work that the students put in was clear to see, and they honed those crucial skills to become formidable negotiators
Competing in Paris and connecting with an international community
Arriving by train on the eve of the competition, the team settled into a hotel in the heart of Paris and began preparation in anticipation of the first round. The first day was a whirlwind of handshakes, finishing touches, and our first taste of the competition. The global representation among the participating students and professionals was immediately felt.
In our first round, we competed against Qatar University College of Law, assisted by a Canadian professional mediator, and received feedback from judges from three different jurisdictions. The following rounds were similarly international, with us competing against Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv from Ukraine and Stellenbosch University from South Africa in rounds two and three.
During networking opportunities, including the opening reception and the mediators’ panel seminar, we met students and professionals from a wide range of jurisdictions and established valuable contacts from our home jurisdictions and beyond. The international nature of the competition further reflected the already uniquely diverse collegiate environment of the LLM programme at UCL Laws. Sharing experiences and connecting with fellow participants from around the world made representing UCL Laws at the competition particularly rewarding.
Coming from a civil law background, and at a time when mediation is being recognised as a valuable and efficient mechanism for resolving commercial disputes, supporting the UCL team in this journey was both intellectually stimulating and deeply rewarding. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the team’s preparation and to foster meaningful personal and professional connections throughout the competition.
Message for future UCL Laws teams
The enjoyable and rewarding experiences we had, the memories we created, and the positive impact on our personal and professional development cannot be overstated. We hope that as mediation continues to gain both practical and academic prominence, the scope for offering similar opportunities to UCL Laws students will continue to grow. To the future UCL team at the ICC Mediation Competition, make the most of this incredible opportunity, showcase the excellence of UCL Laws, and most importantly, enjoy negotiating.
I'm very proud of how hard Manya, Marvin, William and Yuktha worked to prepare for this prestigious competition. Throughout the competition, they displayed excellent negotiation skills and the many qualities which underpin those skills, including curiosity, civility and compassion. Well done, team!
The reflections above were written by Manya, Marvin, William and Yuktha, the UCL Laws team for the 21st ICC Mediation Competition.
UCL Laws team at the 21st ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition
The UCL team representing the Faculty of Laws comprised:
- Manya Jain (LLM)
- Marvin Köcke (LLM)
- William Murray (LLM)
- Yuktha Pradeep (LLM)
The team was supported by:
- Dr Anna Howard (Lecturer, UCL Faculty of Laws; mediator)
- Lea Meraku (LLM student, UCL Faculty of Laws; University of Prishtina LLM alumnus)
- Nicholas Gillyon (UCL Laws LLM alumnus; Bar Course candidate)
The team also received guidance from experienced mediators, including:
- Michel Kallipetis KC (UCL Laws alumnus)
- Phillip Howell-Richardson
- Andy Rogers
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