Institute Prize

ICC Institute World Business Law Prize open for applications

  • 11 September 2024

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Institute of World Business Law has announced the launch of the 10th edition of the ICC Institute Prize. The award recognises excellent legal writing in the field of international commercial law and arbitration.

Established in 2007, the Institute Prize encourages focused research on legal issues affecting international business. Contributing to the understanding and progress of international commercial law around the world, the award recognises legal writing excellence. Along with the recognition, laureates receive € 10,000 in prize money. 

The ICC Institute Prize is open to anyone 40 years of age or under who submits a doctoral dissertation or long essay (minimum of 150 pages) drafted in French or English on international commercial law, including arbitration. The deadline for entries to the 10th edition is 7 April 2025. A special prizegiving ceremony will take place in Paris at the end of 2025 on the occasion of the ICC Institute of World Business Law annual conference. Find more information and the rules here. 

Last year’s winner, Sabrina Pearson-Wenger, received the Prize for her thesis on “Good Faith in International Commercial Arbitration: its Application by Arbitral Tribunals to the Parties’ Contract and the Arbitration Agreement”. 

The 2023 edition of the Institute Prize saw 27 entries from nine countries, the second-highest number of entries ever received. All entries were carefully reviewed by an international jury comprising nine Council members of the ICC Institute. Given the significant number of submissions, 18 ICC Institute members assisted the jury in reading and evaluating the theses. 

For the 2025 edition, the Jury will be chaired by ICC Institute Council member Winnie Ma, alongside Council members Mauricio Almeida Prado, Tolga Ayoğlu, Matthias Scherer, Joongi Kim, Cristina Martinetti, Stacie Strong, Habibatou Touré and Galina Zukova. Their diverse expertise will ensure a rigorous evaluation process, continuing the tradition established by previous juries. 

This year’s ICC Institute of World Business Law Annual Conference will take place on 13 November 2024 on the topics of Res Judicata, Claim Preclusion, Issue Preclusion and Claim Splitting