The ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition is organized annually by the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris and is the only competition dedicated to commercial mediation. Each year, more than 500 participants representing more than 70 universities from almost all countries around the world along with their coaches and more than 100 professional mediators come together to create a high-performance result. Under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce, every year, this competition is a meeting point for academics, lawyers and students, all of which share the common goal to promote mediation as a dispute resolution method.
The participating teams face the challenge to meet the high threshold that the mediation process imposes, in the context of multiple rounds of mediation-negotiation simulations. More specifically, each team represents one of the two "adversary" companies, which, in order to resolve their various disputes, have resorted to mediation under the terms and rules of the ICC. The cases concern civil-commercial disputes with international elements, some of which are inspired by real commercial disputes that have been resolved by mediation. In every round, each team participates with two representatives as negotiating parties (i.e. the company's representative, usually the CEO, and the legal counsel), while the process is administered by an experienced professional mediator in the presence of two judges, who score the performance of each team and provide them with feedback. In this setting, the teams are both called upon to seek a mutually acceptable solution by effectively defending their interests, make proper use of the mediator, and bring forward realistic proposals that ‘expand the pie’ by creating value for both sides.
Undoubtedly, the mere participation in the competition is extremely beneficial to all teams. The students get in touch with an alternative method of dispute resolution that promotes the continuation of the parties’ relationship, mutually advantageous results, and peaceful resolution of private disputes, that otherwise would be adjudicated for many years before courts or arbitral tribunals.
Participation and Awards
The ICC Mediation offers several awards for the participating teams, both for their full participation and for specific aspects of the competition process.
The Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens participated for the first time in the Competition in 2013. The team consisted of the students Faidon Varesis, Chloe Iordanidou, Eirini Kikarea and Athanasios Tasopoulos under the supervision and guidance of Dr. jur. Antonios Karampatzos, Associate Professor of Civil Law at Athens Law School and Accredited Mediator of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and Mr. Apostolos Giannakoulias, LL.M. (NYU), and also an Accredited Mediator from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Out of this first participation, the team of the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens won one of the most prestigious awards of the competition, that is, the one for the best team participating in the competition for the first time among 66 other participating Universities. Several of these teams are highly experienced in the field of alternative forms of resolving disputes and have participated in the venue multiple times. The performance of our team received remarkable comments from the participating judges, both for its preparation and for its readiness to react with insight and self-confidence to the various issues that each problem posed.
