HK45 is delighted to announce that together with PwC we will be hosting the Expert Witness Cross-Examination training for the fourth year in a row! In this programme participants will be able to practice cross-examination on a mock international arbitration case before a panel of distinguished arbitrators. Our experienced tribunal members will provide feedback on the counsels' performance at the end of the session.

This year, in light of the ongoing impacts by Covid-19 on the traditional legal setting and the emerging rise of virtual hearings, the cross-examination will be conducted virtually via a teleconferencing platform. This will provide a great opportunity for participants to experience a virtual hearing and learn the techniques of a virtual cross examination. 

Because of the virtual setting, we are able to offer this opportunity to counsels across APAC to participate to the programme.

The mock hearing date is 7 August 2020 (3pm HK time). Preparation is required prior to the hearing.

• Law firms will be invited to nominate a team of two representatives to take part in this programme (up to c. 7 years PQE).
• Successful participants will be allocated to Claimant and Respondent teams, each consisting of lawyers and experts.
• Around late June/early July, participants will be issued with a briefing pack and detailed guidelines on how to prepare for the hearing. A planning and tips sharing workshop will be held in mid-July.
• On the day of the hearing, panels will be held simultaneously with teams going head-to-head. Each team will have the opportunity to spend 40 minutes cross-examining the opposing expert whilst appointed arbitrators will observe and provide feedback. 

In previous years, a physical hearing room would be set up for the mock hearing. In this year's version, it will be run virtually via a teleconferencing platform. There will be several virtual hearings with the legal seat or place of arbitration being Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore or Seoul.

We are grateful to have full support from HKIAC and Epiq on the technologies and tools that will be used on the hearing day. More details will be provided in due course. Meanwhile, you may refer to the HKIAC Guidelines For Virtual Hearings​ which may assist your preparation.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis. Please note that applications should be made by pre-constituted teams of two lawyers from the same law firm or Chamber. This event is aimed at APAC qualified lawyers who have less than 7 years post-qualification experience.

Given that places are limited for this event, applicants are therefore requested to ensure that they are able to attend the event itself on 7 August 2020 and to commit sufficient time for the preparation for the event (approx. 10 to 15 hours over a four to six week period prior to the event, including reading-in, discussions with the PwC expert assigned to each legal team, and preparation for the cross-examination itself).

If you are interested in participating in this unique event, please fill in the registration form by clicking "Register". Successful applicants for the event will be notified by email by after the close of the application. The application process will close at 6pm on 3 July 2020. 

HK45 is a group for professionals who are under 45 years of age and who are interested in the practice of arbitration. The mission of the group is to promote interest in and knowledge of issues relating to arbitration. HK45 is formed under the auspices of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and is intended to provide opportunities for both professional development and social interaction.

Membership of HK45 is free.

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