Successful Participation of our team at the 2024 FDI Moot Court in Berlin

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From 1 to 4 November 2024, the Global Rounds of the so-called Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Moot Court took place in Berlin, Germany. The FDI Moot Court is a prestigious international competition that brings together top law students from around the world to tackle complex issues in investment arbitration. It provides students with a unique opportunity to enhance their knowledge in international investment law and develop advocacy skills.

The team of Saarland University/Europa-Institut was once again very successful in the competition and we are proud to say that it was ranked 12th best team from the combined oral and written pleadings globally, competing against 68 teams in oral rounds and 175 teams overall in national, regional and globals.

After winning 3 preliminary rounds, our team advanced during the competition in Berlin to the Top 16 teams! Competing among the brightest young legal minds, the team consisting of Lisa Vita Landes (Germany), Lisabeth Toft Tomter (Norway), Sara D’Arcy Shepherd (Norway) and William Wulff (Belgium) demonstrated outstanding performance, remarkable dedication, and strong team spirit throughout the competition.

Lisa, Lisabeth and Sara were also included in the list of 50 Best Advocates of Global Rounds (Virtual and In Person), with Lisa receiving Honourable Mention as Best Advocate Global Orals. Moreover, Lisa is ranked 3rd in the category Top Advocates Group Phase Overall and ranked 1st in the category Top 10 Claimant Advocates Arguing Two Rounds.

Preparation for the Global Rounds was intense and transformative. The team engaged in numerous practice sessions, both offline and online. Highlights included traveling to the Prague pre-moot organized by Charles University and hosted by Kinstellar, as well as practice pleadings in the Frankfurt office of Herbert Smith Freehills LLP and the Hamburg office of Luther. The team also benefitted from online practice rounds with lawyers from Three Crowns LLP, Busse Disputes, and Queritius. Each of these sessions was invaluable in honing the team’s arguments and boosting their confidence.

This journey would not have been possible without the support of the coaches – Prof. Dr. Marc Bungenberg, Xenia Astapenka and Bianca Böhme.