SLOVENIAN ARBITRATION CONFERENCE 2026
Navigating Commercial Uncertainty through Arbitration
Thursday, November 26, 2026
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (Hall A)
We invite you to participate in the Slovenian Arbitration Conference 2026, the central event in the field of arbitration in Slovenia. The conference will provide an opportunity for in-depth reflection on current challenges and opportunities in arbitration practice.
Through discussions among renowned experts, we will shed light on key issues faced in practice and encourage the exchange of professional opinions and sharing of experiences. The content will be shaped by an opening keynote lecture, followed by three round tables. We look forward to once again co-creating a space for strengthening and developing arbitration in the Slovenian environment.
Programme
| 9.00 – 9.30 |
REGISTRATION |
| 9.30 – 9.45 |
Welcoming remarks and Opening of the Conference
- Barbara Gnilšak, general secretary of Ljubljana Arbitration Centre
- Prof. dr. Vesna Rijavec – University of Maribor, Faculty of Law; President of Ljubljana Arbitration Centre
|
| 9.45 – 10.25 |
Keynote Address
- When Certainty Becomes a Strategy: Arbitration in an Age of Risk and Disruption
Charles Chip Brower, Distinguished Service Professor, Wayne State University Law School, USA; Chair of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration
Mgr. Rostislav Pekar, LL.M. - Office Managing Partner, Squire Patton Boggs, Prague, Czech Republic; Vice-Chair of the Commission on International Arbitration of ICC Czech Republic
|
| 10.25 – 11.45 |
Panel 1:
From Clause to Recovery: Economics of Arbitration through Speed, Procedural Value, and Enforceability
Moderator: Nejc Lahne - Managing Director and Head of EIS Slovenia, E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, Ltd.
- Delivering Faster and More Predictable Proceedings
Jure Levovnik, MSc, senior partner, Jadek & Pensa Law Office, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Protect your position early: Court-Ordered Interim Measures vs. Emergency Arbitration
Luminita Popa – partner, Eversheds Sutherland, Bucharest, Romania
- Finding the Real Added Value of Arbitration
Bojan Brežan - Co-managing partner, Schoenherr Slovenija, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- How arbitration enables effective global enforcement and recovery strategies
Maja Menard, Ph.D., Senior Partner, Fatur Menard Law Firm, Ljubljana, Slovenia
|
| 11.45 – 12.00 |
COFFEE BREAK |
| 12.00 – 13.30 |
Panel 2:
Arbitration as a Dispute Resolution Mechanism in Long-Term Contractual Relationships
Moderator: Petja Plauštajner, Attorney at Law, Head of Law Office PlaustajnerVice-President of Ljubljana Arbitration Centre
- Adaptation of Long-Term Contracts by Arbitrators
Davor Babić, Ph.D., Professor of Law, University of Zagreb Faculty of Law, Zagreb, Croatia
- Dispute Resolution in PPP Projects: Bridging Public Law Constraints and Commercial Arbitration
izr. prof. dr. Aleksij Mužina - partner, Law firm Mužina, Žvipelj and partners, d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Multi-Tier Dispute Resolution in PPP Agreements: The Role of Expert Panels, DAABs and Arbitration
Victoria Tyson - partner, Howard Kennedy LLP, London, UK
- The Evolving Role and Practical Effect of DAAB Decisions under FIDIC: From Dispute Avoidance to Enforcement in Arbitration
Aisha Nadar, LL.M., Senior Consultant, Advokatfirman, Runeland AB, Stockholm, Sweden; Vice Chair of ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
|
| 13.30 – 14.45 |
LUNCH |
| 14.45 – 16.15 |
Panel 3 & live mock hearing:
Cross-Examination in International Arbitration: Search for Truth or Tactical Theatre?
Moderator: Peter Rižnik, independent Arbitrator, Rižnik Disputes, Vienna, Austria
- David Premelč, senior partner, Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partnerji, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Lucia Raimanova, Co-managing partner, AO Shearman, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Katerina Skryjova, Chief Operating Officer of the CEE/CIS Dispute Advisory Centre of Excellence, PwC, Prague, Czech Republic
- Ross Towler, Managing Director, FTI Consulting, London, UK
A round-table discussion followed by a live mock hearing featuring direct and cross-examination of a delay expert and a quantum expert. The session focuses on how cross-examination shapes the tribunal's understanding of technical evidence, how counsel can structure effective questioning, and how arbitrators assess credibility and reliability.
|
| 16.15 – 16.45 |
Closing remarks |
| 16.45 – 17.30 |
NETWORKING/COCKTAIL RECEPTION |
Please note that the Organizer reserves the right to amend the programme and schedule of the event without prior notice.
The event will be held in English.
In case of any questions, please contact arbitraza.event@gzs.si
Sponsors