ICC to promote Shanghai arbitration capacity building
ICC has welcomed measures introduced by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government aimed at strengthening Shanghai as an international legal services hub.
Arbitration and ADR
ICC and Shanghai Municipal Government sign agreement establishing case management presence
ICC has announced plans to further expand its global network and open a case management office of the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration (ICC Court) in the Chinese mainland, bringing ICC Dispute Resolution Services closer to regional users and supporting Shanghai’s development as an international arbitration hub.
On 7 November 2026, Alexander G. Fessas, Secretary General of the ICC Court met with Zhu Zhongming, Mayor of Shanghai. Mr Fessas signed an agreement with the Shanghai Municipal Government to create the conditions for an ICC case management presence in Shanghai. This follows recent changes to the arbitration law of the People’s Republic of China, which now permits ICC to operate locally.
The new case management office will build on ICC’s long-standing engagement in Asia, including nearly 20 years of case management presence in Hong Kong and Singapore. It also builds on a decade-long representative office in Shanghai focused on strategic development and the strengthening of dispute resolution infrastructure across the region, through training and capacity-building.
“Today marks a defining moment for ICC and for international arbitration in China. By opening a case management office in Shanghai, ICC becomes the first non-Chinese arbitral institution todo so in the mainland. We are proud that ICC has been entrusted to lead this way and I express our sincere appreciation to the Shanghai authorities for the trust they have placed in us.
The Shanghai case management office expands our global footprint and brings ICC’s dispute resolution services closer to businesses and arbitration practitioners in China, while connecting them directly with ICC’s expertise and the global arbitral community. We are writing a new chapter for our users, for ICC and for Shanghai’s emergence as one of the world’s leading centres for international arbitration.”
Alexander G. Fessas, Secretary General of the ICC Court
ICC intends to begin operations of the Shanghai case management office in the first half of 2027. Working alongside ICC’s existing case management offices worldwide and those in Hong Kong and Singapore in particular, the Shanghai office will add to ICC’s existing capabilities in the region and further strengthen ICC’s ability to serve dispute resolution users across Asia. All relevant information will be made available ahead of the office’s opening.
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