On 3 May 2024, eBRAM successfully held the inaugural ODR Conference in Hong Kong. It has been a busy week for the community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the speakers, moderators, and participants who joined us on this enlightening journey.

The conference began with a surprise appearance of our esteemed speakers, Heidi Chui, Justin D'Agostino MH, Paul Starr, and Ronald Sum, JP in a pre-conference call discussing of the day's events. This was done on-screen through the video-conferencing facilities of the eBRAM ODR platform but was revealed to be a live call, demonstrating the machine transcription and translation functions were done in real time.




Dr Thomas So JP, Chairman of eBRAM, welcomed all guests by sharing eBRAM’s journey thus far. We were honored to have The Hon Cheung Kwok-kwan, SBS, JP, Deputy Secretary for Justice, HKSAR deliver the welcoming remarks in support of eBRAM.




Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab C.Arb, FCIArb gave an insightful keynote speech on the opportunities and challenges of ODR between humans and artificial intelligence, setting the tone for the day.



This was followed by a panel discussion on the impact of ODR efficiencies on the value of legal practitioners and revenue of law firms. This panel was moderated by Ms Teresa Cheng GBM GBS SC JP, engaging esteemed panelists Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab C.Arb, FCIArb,,Cristian Conejero Roos, Karl Hennessee, and Ms Huawei Sun to share their different perspectives on the topic.



In providing the context for the debate to follow, Sharyn Ch'ang gave her thoughts on the potential uses of generative AI for ODR.




The debate on whether AI should be used in drafting arbitral awards and in mediation addressed a complex issue regarding the true role and duties of the arbitrator. The debaters, Simon Chapman KC, Jane Willems, Amy Wen Wei, and Horace Wong SC each gave cogent advocacy in favour or against the debate motion. Adjudicators Gary Gao, Dr. Christopher To, and Kim Rooney also expressed their thoughts at the end of the debate. A poll was live during the debate to reflect the views of the audience.



Finally, the conference was closed by Dr Eliza Mik who shared her key takeaways from the various discussions. A cocktail reception followed where participants were able to network and exchange their views on the conference topics.



We appreciate the active participation of all our attendees, and to all our special guests who spoke at, or moderated the sessions! Stay tuned for more exciting events and collaborations in the future.