Conference Agenda
Wednesday, 10 March

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 Check the start-time in your region.

15:00 UTC

Zoom Networking Coffee
with discussion of the FIDIC-DRBF Cooperation Agreement

Leo Grutters, President, DRBF Region 2 Board 
Jeremy Glover, President-elect, DRBF Region 2 Board

15:30 UTC Welcome Address
Leo Grutters, President, DRBF Region 2 Board 
Ann Russo, DRBF Executive Director
15:35 UTC Session 1 - Should DBs apply the governing law? 

There is a general perception that the disputes that come before a DB primarily involve technical issues and not legal ones. However, many disputes will have to be decided by the application of legal principles arising from the governing law agreed by the parties. When/why might the governing law become relevant? What are the parties’ expectations? What are the DB’s challenges and possibilities?

Moderator: Irina Pongracz, Leboulanger & Associes

Speakers:
Victoria Tyson, Corbett & Co.
Levent Irmak, MC2Modern International
Nabeel Khokhar, EIC, Contract Conditions Working Group

16:30 Break
16:40 UTC  Session 2An interview with a Dispute Board panel

Clive Horridge, an experienced and established counsel and expert witness, interviews an accomplished panel of Dispute Board Adjudicators: Florin Niculescu and Giovanni Di Folco. Clive will foster debate about often-controversial topics in adjudication: the empowerment of the DB to exert inquisitorial powers, issuing interim conservative measures, and decisions on their own jurisdiction. The panel will welcome questions from the audience during and after the presentation. 

Moderator: Clive Horridge, Techno Engineering
Speakers:
Giovanni Di Folco, Techno Engineering
Florin Niculescu, FIDIC Accredited Adjudicator

17:40 UTC

Networking Rooms - Meet DRBF Country Representatives in Europe
Join us for informal discussions. share news in your region and learn of news in other places.

Room 1- 
UK: Julie Forsyth
Tajikistan & Uzbekistan: Sina Velioglu
Georgia: Nina Tsaturova

Room 2-
France: Thierry Linares
Spain: Pablo Laorden
North Macedonia: Vlatko Mihajlov
Kazakhstan: Eric Imashev

Room 3-
Romania: Giorgiana Tecuci
Bulgaria: Boyana Milcheva
Portugal: Joao Mora

18:05 UTC

Session 3 - Conflict and disputes - are they in your blood or just your legal system?

There are conflict avoidance differences between common and civil law jurisdictions in culture, attitudes, and approach to ADR generally. How does this affect the use of DBs as a conflict avoidance tool?

Moderator: Julie Forsyth, Gunner Cooke
Speakers:
Paul Battrick, Driver Group
Margarita Kotzamani, Attorney-at-Law, Accredited Mediator, FCIArb
Alina Leoveanu, Mayer Brown

19:00 UTC Highlights of the Day

Giorgiana Tecuci, Conference Chair and member of the DRBF's Region 2 Board of Directors

19:05
UTC

End of day. Please join us again tomorrow.