Mika Savola

My arbitrator philosophy

Disputes differ. But in most instances, parties benefit from a proactive arbitrator with strong case management skills. Speed and cost efficiency are often important to companies and other entities involved in arbitration proceedings, and arbitrators should be capable of guiding the proceedings with a firm hand and rendering a high-quality award without any undue delay.

However, especially in cross-border disputes where parties and counsel come from vastly different legal cultures, they may have divergent views as to how an arbitral tribunal should run the case. It is crucial to listen to the parties and seek to accommodate their reasonable expectations. Indeed, there is no "one-size-fits-all" way to conduct an arbitration: each case has to be dealt with on its own merits, and the procedures need to be adapted to best suit the individual circumstances of the dispute.