The moot is a simulation of an international investment arbitration procedure that deals with a dispute between a private investor and a state. The simulation will help future lawyers to deepen their practical understanding of the subject. The FDI Moot covers a time frame of approximately 6 months, which is divided into two phases. This includes the preparation of pleadings for both plaintiff and defendant as well as the oral hearings, which are divided into regional and national rounds. There are also pre-moot sessions in countries all over the world. For more information on the moot, please go to: www.fdimoot.org.
2024 was again a very successful year for the FDI Moot Team
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.
2022 - Another successful year for the Europa-Institut FDI Moot Team
The 2022 FDI International Arbitration Moot Competition has ended with another remarkable feat achieved by the Saarland University team on a global stage. At the Global Rounds which took place in King’s College London from 3rd to 6th November 2022, the Saarland University/Europa-Institut team received the outstanding award for submitting the “Best Claimant Memorial” for this year’s competition.
This outstanding feat attests to the resolute devotion of the team members: Catriona Laidlaw (United Kingdom/Australia); Anita Grigoryan (Armenia); and Dimitri Liénard (Belgium), who represented Saarland University in this year’s FDI Moot Global Rounds. The road to London had so many train stops for these three in terms of preparations and not once did they hesitate over their commitment. From travelling to Chiemsee in Upper Bavaria, later to Vienna, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Paris, including countless zoom practice rounds, day and night, the team members gave their all to ensure they return from London with a success story, and yes, they did with this amazing result.
Team Saarland’s success story in the 2022 FDI Moot will be incomplete without recognising the contribution of renowned international law firms, institutions, and colleagues that supported the team with oral practice sessions in preparation for the London Global Rounds i.e. Weber & Co (Vienna), Peters Ortner Partners (Vienna), Luther (Hamburg), Alexander & Partner (Berlin), Herbert Smith Freehills (Frankfurt), International Chamber of Commerce (Paris), International Investment Law Centre (Cologne), and all our ex-mooties and colleagues who contributed their precious time and resources to the team’s success. Also, special thanks to the Budapest and Dublin Pre-Moot organisers for their pre-moot invitations.
The team was supervised by Dr. Greg Lourie, Bianca Böhme, Xenia Astapenka, Madangi Ramakrishna, Andrés Eduardo Alvarado Garzón, and Afolabi Adekemi, all under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Marc Bungenberg.
