| Thriving Infrastructure Geared Toward International Arbitration |
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 Through years of effort, Miami has established a strong infrastructure to support and promote international arbitration in Miami. Recognizing the importance of international trade and investment to Florida's economy, Florida began to pass legislation in the mid- 1980s in order to encourage international arbitration in Florida. These efforts have led to the creation of conditions that place Miami as one of the leading world venues for international arbitration.Miami's outstanding universities provide a strong academic foundation to nourish the continued study and development of international arbitration practices. The University of Miami School of Law has a rich tradition in the area of international law, particularly with respect to Latin America, and has a variety of legal programs and academic journals that focus on this area. These programs include various courses in international litigation and arbitration, which are taught by world-renowned scholars and are attended by students from throughout the Americas and Europe. As a further indication of its commitment in this area, the University of Miami has announced its intention to create a center specifically focused on international arbitration. The center will offer courses in international arbitration and promote academic research and writing in this area, as well as offer practical training to international arbitration practitioners. Florida International University, a state-charted academic institution that is also based in Miami, recently created its own law school which, true to its name, also focuses extensively on international law, including international litigation and arbitration. The work of these and other local academic institutions is an invaluable resource and has helped to create a large local workforce of experienced and sophisticated international arbitration practitioners. In addition, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) recently created the Arbitration Sub-Committee for the Florida region. The USCIB is the United States representative of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which is based in Paris and is the oldest and one of most prestigious arbitral institutions in the world. The ICC's International Court of Arbitration (ICA) maintains national arbitration committees throughout the world. The USCIB's Arbitration Committee is the national arbitration committee for the ICA in the United States. The USCIB Arbitration Committee is divided into regions, of which Florida is the newest. Due to Florida's growing importance in the international arbitration world, particularly as it relates to arbitrations dealing with Latin America, the USCIB decided to make Florida its own region, with Miami as its seat. The Florida Arbitration Sub-Committee spearheads the ICC's efforts in Florida as it relates to educating corporations and lawyers based in Florida as to the benefits of international arbitration as a method of dispute resolution in general. "The decision of the ICDR and the ICC to hold their annual conferences relating to Latin America in Miami is yet another indication that Miami is a leading venue for international arbitration in the region."
 As further evidence of Miami's ascendance as a leading venue for international arbitration proceedings, another of the foremost arbitral institutions in the world, the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and its International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), have located their regional offices for the southeastern United States in Miami. Strategically positioned to host international arbitration and mediation disputes emanating from throughout Latin American, the Caribbean, and elsewhere, the AAA's state-of-the-art hearing center in Miami offers excellent facilities equipped with the latest technology (Wi-Fi, video conferencing and a fully-equipped office center), including hearing rooms and breakout rooms, to conduct international arbitration and mediation proceedings, all while overlooking breathtaking views of the beautiful Miami skyline and Biscayne Bay. To view photographs of the hearing center and obtain further information concerning the rental of these facilities, visit the AAA's website at http://www.adr.org. In addition to the AAA's facilities, Miami has a great number of fine hotels and office buildings that can also be used to conduct international arbitration hearings.Miami is also fortunate to serve as the host city for the most important annual conferences focused on international arbitration in Latin America. At the time these conferences began in 2003, there were no other annual international arbitration conferences in the world sponsored by major arbitral institutions that dealt primarily with Latin America. Since 2003, however, the ICDR and the ICC have held well-attended annual conferences in Miami that deal primarily with developments in Latin America relating to international arbitration. Each of these conferences attract hundreds of international arbitration practitioners from Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere, and provide a unique and valuable forum for the exchange of ideas related to international arbitration in Latin America and throughout the world. The decision of the ICDR and the ICC to hold their annual conferences relating to Latin America in Miami is yet another indication that Miami has emerged as a world-class center for international arbitration in the region. |