IBA-VIAC CDRC Mediation Competition 2027
by International Bar Association (IBA) and Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC)
The IBA-VIAC CDRC Mediation & Negotiation Competition is an annual event that brings together aspiring mediators and negotiators from around the world to showcase their skills in consensual dispute resolution. Organized by the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC), the competition has been a prominent platform for legal professionals since its inception in 2015. The 12th edition is scheduled to take place from July 9 to July 14, 2027, at the Juridicum of the University of Vienna.
The competition features two main tracks: mediation and negotiation. In the mediation track, teams act as mediators facilitating the resolution of disputes, while in the negotiation track, they represent parties in a live commercial dispute. Participants are assessed not on who argues loudest but on their ability to move the room towards a settlement. The event also includes the 5th Mediation Conference, offering sessions with leading experts and discussions on the latest in consensual dispute resolution.
Throughout the week, attendees can engage in various networking events, including the "Pre-Drinks Social," the CDRC Vienna Mediation Reception, and the CDRC Pub Quiz. These gatherings provide opportunities to connect with fellow participants, assessors, and professionals in the field. The competition culminates with the Semifinals, Finals, and the Final Awards Dinner, celebrating the achievements of the participants.
This event is ideal for law students, practitioners, and academics interested in enhancing their skills in mediation and negotiation. It offers a unique opportunity to engage with a global community, gain practical experience, and receive feedback from seasoned professionals. Whether you're looking to compete, assess, or volunteer, the IBA-VIAC CDRC Mediation & Negotiation Competition provides a platform to grow and connect within the field of dispute resolution.
Speakers(11)
Dima Alexandrova
Mediator and Negotiation Trainer at AdimaLaw
Dima is a Bulgarian-qualified lawyer and mediator with a specialism in Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution developing her own practice under the brand name AdimaLaw. She gained her fundamental legal training at Sofia University and further specialized at King’s College London and the University of Lorraine, France.
Elisabeth Vanas-Metzler
Managing Counsel at VIAC
Elisabeth Vanas-Metzler joined the VIAC Secretariat in October 2017. As of January 2018, she served as Deputy Secretary General of VIAC; since September 2025, she has been Managing Counsel at VIAC. Elisabeth Vanas-Metzler studied law at Vienna University (Mag. iur. 2003, Dr. iur. 2008), Geneva University (2002), and Harvard Law School (LL.M. 2007).
Geoff Sharp
Ambassador at Singapore International Mediation Centre
Geoff is a seasoned international mediator with mediation Chambers in Singapore, London, and New Zealand. He focuses on cross-border mediations online and in-person and brings a deep-rooted understanding of conflict to disputes to give them the energy they often lack amid extended litigation or arbitration.
James Claxton
Mediator and Ombudsperson Specialist at United Nations Funds and Programmes
James Claxton is a mediator and ombudsperson specialist with the Office of the Ombudsman for United Nations Funds and Programmes. He began his career as an attorney with international law firms in Paris before serving as legal counsel at the World Bank in Washington.
Joan Stearns Johnsen
Co-chair at IBA Mediation Committee
Joan Stearns Johnsen has over thirty years of experience mediating and arbitrating commercial matters with special expertise with financial and corporate disputes. Prof. Johnsen teaches Mediation Advocacy, Negotiation, and Arbitration at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and is the Director of the law school’s Institute for Dispute Resolution.
Marketa
Coordinator at CDRC Vienna
Marketa has been a volunteer at the CDRC Vienna, and now joins the Secretariat where she will coordinate this year’s volunteers.
Mary Walker
Co-Chair at International Bar Association Mediation Committee
Mary Walker OAM has been at the forefront of ADR in Australia for the last 33 years. During this period, as a member of an independent Bar, Mary has arbitrated, mediated, facilitated, and negotiated across jurisdictions and substantive legal areas, multi-party complex disputes including class actions, designed dispute resolution systems, and provided expert appraisal and ombudsman services in respect to thousands of disputes referred by solicitors, industry and government bodies and corporations both domestic and international.
Michael McIlwrath
Founder and CEO at MDisputes Srl
Michael is the founder and CEO of MDisputes Srl, a company providing in-house counsel services for resolving and managing disputes. Previously, he spent over 22 years as a lead in-house litigation counsel, most recently as Vice President of Litigation of Baker Hughes Company, and before that at GE Oil & Gas.
Natascha Tunkel
Vice Chair at IBA Mediation Committee
Natascha Tunkel is a highly accomplished lawyer and mediator with over fifteen years of experience in complex dispute resolution. She advises clients across all stages of proceedings, from initiation to enforcement, with a focus on commercial disputes in sectors such as technology, life sciences, energy, engineering, and intellectual property.
Nikolaus Pitkowitz
Vice-President at VIAC
Nikolaus Pitkowitz is the founding partner and head of dispute resolution at Pitkowitz & Partners, Vienna, and Vice-President of VIAC. He holds law degrees from the University of Vienna (JD and PhD) and the University of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland (MBL) and is also qualified and certified as a Mediator.
Thomas John
CEO at Resolution2Resolve
Thomas is the CEO of Resolution2Resolve, a bespoke dispute resolution consultancy, and practises as an international mediator and mediation advocate, arbitrator and counsel, negotiator, trainer, and consultant, based in the Netherlands, specialising in international commercial, business, and international-relations disputes.
Event Details
- Date
- July 9-14, 2027
- 6 days
- Location
- 🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria
- Juridicum - University of Vienna
- Pricing
- €500 base + €150 per additional member
- Audience
- Law students, practitioners, academics
- CLE Credits
- CLE accreditation pending
- Attendees
- 350 participants from 70 countries
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