Last week, the International Bar Association adopted new IBA Guidelines on Party Representation in International Arbitration. The guidelines were reportedly designed to create a more uniform and equitable experience for both attorneys and arbitrators engaged in international arbitral disputes.

Frederic G. Sourgens, Associate Professor of Law at Washburn University School of Law has published Equal Contest of Arms, Jurisdictional Proof in Investor-State Arbitrations, North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, Vol. 38, No. 4, 2013. In his article, Professor Sourgens discusses the procedure for establishing jurisdictional proof in investor-state arbitral proceedings.

An interesting arbitration-related development has come out of the Washington Legislature. In an apparent response to a 2010 Washington Supreme Court ruling, lawmakers have amended the state’s Uniform Arbitration Act to allow statutes of limitations to apply to arbitral proceedings.

The United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed an arbitral award based upon breach of an unsigned contract. In Tricon Energy Limited v. Vinmar International, Ltd., No. 12-20100 (5th Cir. May 3, 2013), Vinmar agreed to purchase an industrial petrochemical from Tricon through the services of a broker.