PROGRAMME
Reaching for the Stars: Exploring the Frontiers of Dispute Resolution
We invite you to connect and be inspired by a distinguished line-up of world-leading practitioners and ADR Award winners. From the keynote insights of The Hon. Robert French AC to the pioneering perspectives of Prof. Doug Jones AO, you will hear from the architects of modern dispute resolution. This is a rare opportunity to debate the practicalities of ‘the new frontier’ with those who are actively drafting its rules.
In an era of rapid technological transformation and shifting global regulations, “Reaching for the Stars” provides you with the intellectual toolkit to navigate the next decade of ADR. Gain first-hand insights into how automated systems, expanding multi-jurisdictional disputes, and new ethical frameworks are redefining the ‘gold standard’ of practice.
Beyond the conference sessions, engage in the unfiltered conversations – on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. Connect with an elite cohort of arbitrators, mediators, and industry experts from across the Asia-Pacific. Whether you are looking to forge new professional alliances or reconnect with the ‘stars’ of the field, the Opera House provides a sophisticated backdrop for meaningful high-level networking.
8:00am – Registration & Coffee
8:15am – Smoking Ceremony, Opera House Forecourt
8:30am – Welcome to Country
8:40am – Welcome to ADC’s 40th Anniversary Conference
MC: Deborah Lockhart [Chief Executive Officer, ADC]
8:50am – Keynote Address – Stops on the Spectrum of Dispute Resolution
Special Guest: The Hon. Robert French AC [ADC Patron, Former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Arbitrator, Mediator]
Facilitator: Michael Talbot [ADC Director, Consultant]
ADC Patron, The Hon Robert French AC, will open the conference with a keynote address reflecting on the spectrum of dispute resolution mechanisms ranging from mediation through to arbitration and judicial determination and their place in relation to the rule of law within and between national jurisdictions.
9:25am – Conflict at Cruising Altitude: Universal Lessons in Dispute Resolution from the Frontiers of Aviation and Space
Panel: Gitanjali Bajaj [Partner – DLA Piper], Julia Dreosti [Partner – Clifford Chance], David Jenaway [Partner – A&O Shearman]
Facilitator: Bronwyn Lincoln [International Arbitrator, Partner – Thomson Geer, ADC Director]
In an ever evolving, congested and contested skyscape, space presents a crucible for modern dispute resolution. Aviation and space disputes offer practitioners a unique blend of technical complexity, cross-border regulation, and geopolitical sensitivities. Facilitated by leading international arbitrator, Bronwyn Lincoln, our expert panel of Australian ADR Award Winners discuss space and aviation’s influence as a powerful proving ground for developing new and effective methods of resolving commercial disputes.
10:15am – A 1986 ADR Launchpad: Frontier Command & Control
Panel: The Hon. Deputy Chief Justice Robert McClelland [Deputy Chief Justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and former Federal Attorney General], The Hon. Terry Sheahan AO [Former NSW Attorney General, and former Judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court], Bronwyn Lincoln [International Arbitrator, Partner – Thomson Geer, ADC Director] and John Wakefield [ADC Chairman and Partner, Hicksons, Hunt & Hunt, Holman Webb].
Facilitator: Julie McCrossin AM [Journalist, Broadcaster, Commentator]
In January 1986, the Australian Commercial Disputes Centre* (ACDC) set a course for alternative dispute resolution in Australia. Join us as we reflect on this pivotal moment and honour three visionary ADR professionals who have been instrumental in shaping the field’s development and evolution over the decades. The Hon. Terry Sheahan AO, The Hon. Deputy Chief Justice Robert McClelland AO and John Wakefield present a rare look at the initial vision for ACDC, offer insights into ADR’s development and its integration into the modern judicial system, and discuss how the foundational principles established decades ago continue to guide the evolution of ADR today.
Looking Back: The Kirby and McCrossin Interview on Sir Laurence Street’s Influence on ADR
Rewind to a moment of legal history with this special feature presentation from 2016. Watch The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG and prominent Australian journalist, Julie McCrossin AM, discuss the visionary leadership of Sir Laurence Street and the founding of ACDC. This is a unique opportunity to gain another first hand account of the ideas and personalities that shaped ACDC and Australia’s ADR landscape.
* In 2015, the Australian Commercial Disputes Centre was renamed Australian Disputes Centre
11:00am – EPIQ Cosmic Connections & Coffee
11:35am – Optimise Your Mediation Practice: A STAR Model Masterclass
Panel: Sylvia Emmett AM [12 Wentworth, NSW], Amiel Nubaha [Mediator – Comprehensive Mediation Services], Damien Barnes [Managing Director, Yimba PTY Ltd]
Facilitator: Bianca Keys, Leading Mediator
12:25pm – Celestial Humanity: Lessons from the World’s First Astronomers
Speaker: Prof. Deen Sanders OAM [Director, Think. Know. Do., Special Counsel, Deloitte Access Economics, Professor in Law (Newcastle University School of Law), Strategic Adviser to the Australian Space Agency and the Space Industry Association of Australia]
Facilitator: Dr Annebelle Davis, Mediator
1:00pm – Forecourt Frontier Lunch
1:20pm – Celestial Round Table – Lunch & Learn
Chair: Dr Donna Odegaard AM [Larrakia, Dangalaba, Gulmerrigin Traditional Owner, CEO First Nations Broadcasting]
Pull up a chair at our cross-cultural lunch and learn sessions as we bridge 65,000-years of aboriginal astronomy with provocative cross continental discussion on stewardship, sovereignty, and dispute resolution.
1:55pm – The Great Interstellar Debate
Motion: This house believes that ADR is the only viable method for resolving disputes in outer space
Affirmative Team: Matthias Thompson [7 Wentworth Selborne, NSW], Penny Thew [State Chambers, NSW], Anthony Lo Surdo SC [8 Wentworth Chambers, NSW]
Negative Team: The Hon. Martin Daubney AM, KC [Level 17 Chambers, QLD], Deborah Lockhart [CEO, Australian Disputes Centre], Nik Dragojlovic [Svenson Barristers, VIC]
Facilitator: Chloe Chan [Associate, Australian Disputes Centre]
Adjudicators: Sylvia Emmett AM [12 Wentworth, NSW], Geri Ettinger [Mediator, former Senior Member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Commonwealth)], The Hon. Terry Sheahan AO [Former NSW Attorney General, and former Judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court]
Connect with our distinguished speakers as they go head-to-head in a heated and hilarious debate on the future of dispute resolution in outer space. Should international space disputes be settled through private ADR, or do they demand the oversight of traditional, state-based law? Are we on a collision course to chaos, or can we deliver seamless resolution?
2:40pm – Utilising Space for Sustainable Development
Speaker: Dr Steven Freeland [Emeritus Professor of International Law, WSU, Professorial Fellow, Bond University]
Facilitator: Rodolphe Ruffie-Farrugia [Partner K&L Gates]
How can space science and technology applications be used to meet global development goals and benefit all countries, particularly developing nations? The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space [COPUOS] was established in 1959 to govern the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity: for peace, security and development. As the Australian Government’s representative on COPUOS, Dr Freeland is uniquely placed to share insights on the successes and the future challenges for this mission critical committee.
3:00pm – An ADR Hypothetical: The Aftermath of a Satellite’s Lunar Crash
Panel: Dr Steven Freeland [Emeritus Professor of International Law, WSU, Professorial Fellow, Bond University], Donna Lawler [Co-founder & Principal, Azimuth Advisory], Dr Rajesh Sharma [Associate Professor, Criminology and Justice, RMIT University, Panel Arbitrator KCAB]
Facilitator: Rodolphe Ruffie-Farrugia [Partner K&L Gates]
What happens when a state-operated satellite (from country A) jams a private satellite (from country B), causing it to crash on a lunar mining site exploited by a private company (from country A) but owned by an investor (from country C)? Join our expert panel of internationally renowned space law practitioners, academics, and Australian ADR Award winner in dissecting this hypothetical cosmic collision: exploring how state-to-state, B2B and investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms can offer crucial frameworks for resolving conflicts that are literally out of this world.
3:40pm – Keynote – Beyond the Horizon: Charting the Next 40 Years of Alternative Dispute Resolution
Speaker: Prof. Doug Jones AO RFD CCIArb FRI Arb 1 [ADC Director, Independent Arbitrator]
Facilitator: Erika Williams [Independent Arbitrator]
What will the next 40 years of dispute resolution look like? From artificial intelligence to shifting global dynamics, the ADR landscape is evolving faster than ever. At this special anniversary conference, we go Beyond the Horizon to explore the technologies, policies, and practices that will define the future of ADR. Featuring opening remarks from the renowned Prof. Doug Jones AO and audience participation facilitated by multi-Australian ADR Award winner, Erika Williams.
