We are proud to announce that our managing partner and founder, Karim A. Youssef, was part of the Guidelines Review Committee for the SVAMC Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Arbitration. These guidelines, published by the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC) on 30 April 2024, are the first of their kind to provide a principle-based framework for the use of AI tools in arbitration. They aim to address the ethical, procedural, and practical challenges and opportunities arising from the increasing use of AI in the field of dispute resolution.
The SVAMC Guidelines are the result of a year-long public consultation process that gathered insights from a diverse array of professionals across the arbitration and tech sectors, culminating a robust document that reflects the collective expertise of its contributors. The Guidelines Review Committee, composed of leading experts in arbitration and AI, worked for two months on revising the draft guidelines prepared by the Drafting Subcommittee. Karim A. Youssef contributed his extensive experience and knowledge in international arbitration and technology disputes to the review process, ensuring that the guidelines reflect the highest standards of fairness, efficiency, and integrity.
Karim shares his vision for the guidelines: “I am deeply honored to have contributed to this framework – the first of its kind – for the integration of AI into arbitration. As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of our lives and reshapes every industry, these guidelines are poised to redefine arbitral standards, ensuring that technology enhances rather than compromises the integrity of the arbitration process. This adaptable blueprint will undoubtedly advance the field, setting a new precedent for how technology is harnessed in arbitration. With this framework in mind, the future of AI in arbitration is dazzling” – Karim A. Youssef, Founder of Youssef + Partners
“With this framework in mind, the future of AI in arbitration is dazzling” – Karim A. Youssef
The SVAMC Guidelines are divided into three chapters, covering guidelines for all participants, guidelines for parties and their representatives, and guidelines for arbitrators. They address topics such as the understanding, disclosure, confidentiality, competence, integrity, and due process implications of using AI in arbitration. They also include a model clause for incorporating the guidelines as guiding principles in arbitration proceedings. The guidelines are applicable to domestic or international arbitrations, and serve as a reference for arbitral institutions, arbitrators, parties, representatives, experts, and other participants.
We encourage our clients and peers to delve into the full text of the SVAMC Guidelines, available on the SVAMC website. For further inquiries or discussions on the implications of these guidelines, please feel free to contact us at Youssef + Partners.
Link to the full SVAMC Guidelines: SVAMC-AI-Guidelines-First-Edition.pdf
SVAMC AI Task Force for the Drafting of the 2024 Guidelines
- Chair Benjamin Malek of THE Chambers in New York
- Administrative assistant Agustina Alfaro, associate at Chaffetz Lindsey New York
Drafting Subcommittee
- Elizabeth Chan,registered foreign lawyer at Tanner de Witt in Hong Kong
- Sofia Klot of Klot Arbitration in New York
- Dmitri Evseev,independent arbitrator at Arbitra International in London
- Marta Garcia Bel,senior associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Milan
- Orlando Carbera, senior associate at Hogan Lovells in Mexico City
- Soham Panchamiya, founder of TLP Advisors in Dubai
- Duncan Pickard,associate at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York
Guidelines Review Committee
- Amy Endicott, partner Arnold & Porter in San Francisco
- Gaela Gehring Flores, partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed in Washington, DC
- Sofia de Sampaio Jalles, partner atArmesto & Asociados in Madrid
- James Ferguson, partner at Mayer Brown in Chicago
- Rebeca Mosquera, senior associate at Reed Smith in New York
- Alexis Mourre, cofounder of MCL Arbitration in Paris
- Aníbal Sabater, partner at Chaffetz Lindsey in New York
- Maxi Scherer, special counsel at WilmerHale in London
- Karim Youssef, founderof Youssef + Partners in Cairo
- Eduardo Zuleta of Arbitration Chambers
