DIS Autumn Conference 2025

8-9 September 2025, Berlin

The Conference opened under the theme “Arbitration: A Bridge over Troubled Waters” with a keynote by Former Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann. He asked: “Why troubled waters?” – and gave his answer with a mix of world politics, music, and pop culture. From Simon & Garfunkel to Star Wars, he reminded us that conflict is not only about law but also about economics and incentives – citing Jack Hirschleifer’s classic “The Dark Side of the Force.”

His message set the tone: arbitration today must confront not only disputes, but the underlying currents of instability that drive them. The panels then explored different facets of these troubled waters, each echoing themes from the keynote:

• Enforcement in an age of defiance – a reminder of the dark side when political interference, sanctions, or strategic litigation undermine the rule of law.
• Strategic defection by states – exits from treaties like the ECT or ICSID, showing how institutions themselves can become fragile when trust erodes.
• Arbitration under pressure – the test of whether arbitration can still function when wars, sanctions, or systemic collapse shake the foundations of order.
• Anti-suit injunctions and counter-injunctions – legal battles that mirror the broader struggle between competing powers and principles.

And, of course, the Coffee House Debate delivered its trademark mix of sharpness and wit: asking with a view to the Steinbruch Entscheidung of the Federal Court of Justice whether the Rule of Law and Arbitration constituted a “harmonious duo or troubled marriage”?

The DIS Autumn Conference once again showed what makes the DIS and the Berlin Dispute Resolution Days distinctive: DIS Conference at the centre, complemented by more than 40 satellite events including a presentation of the new German Commercial Courts. It was also enriched by formats such as the Humboldt Conference and the DIS40 Autumn Conference. Berlin has truly become the hub, where the global dispute resolution community gathers each September. What started three years ago now has clearly found its feet. We look forward to carrying the conversation into 2026!

A heartfelt thank you to all our speakers and moderators: Marco Buschmann, Camilla M.L. Perera - De Wit, Franco Ferrari, Marnix Leijten, Karl Pörnbacher, Aurel Sangenstedt, Klaus Sachs, Lindsay Gastrell, Cvetelina Georgieva, Marina Weiss, Mathias Wittinghofer, Nadja Harraschain, Florian Bien, Philipp K. Wagner, Ulrike Gantenberg, Axel Boës, Steven Finizio, Greg Lourie, Aurélie Conrad Hari, James Castello, Gerhard Wagner, Christian Duve.

Richard Happ

Please also enjoy this video of the DIS Autumn Conference 2025.

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