From concrete to code, two very different industries revealed a similar lesson about managing disputes in an increasingly global business environment. At a recent program in Beijing, “From Infrastructure to Innovation: Navigating Global Expansion & Cross-Border Disputes,” discussions moved from long-term Chinese infrastructure projects across the Americas, led by ICDR Director of ADR Services (Greater China) Lin WANG, to the fast-moving technology sector, where data, intellectual property, supply chains, and regulatory requirements can shift just as quickly as the business itself, led by 赵巴奥, partner at 世辉律师事务所 SHIHUI PARTNERS in Beijing. Despite the different assets and timelines, one takeaway connected both conversations: by the time an arbitration begins, many of the decisions that determine how manageable a dispute will be have already been made. How relationships are structured, where evidence sits, how confidential information is handled, and whether disagreements can be addressed while a project or commercial relationship continues can all shape what happens later. Thank you to the ICDR Greater China Committee, our moderators and speakers, and everyone who joined the event in Beijing for an insightful discussion on preparing for and managing disputes as Chinese businesses continue to expand globally. #ChineseBusiness #InternationalADR #Infrastructure #Technology #Data
From concrete to code. Infrastructure and technology operate at almost opposite speeds. Yet putting them together in Beijing revealed something interesting about the next phase of Chinese businesses going global. Our first panel, led by Lin WANG, looked at Chinese infrastructure projects across the Americas. These are long-term investments where disputes may emerge from decisions made years earlier: project structures, risk allocation, multi-tier clauses, records, counterparties, and the management of problems while construction continues. 赵巴奥 then took us into technology, where the commercial clock runs rather faster. Market access, data, intellectual property, supply chains, and regulatory requirements can change while the business is still moving. Different assets. Different time horizons. Surprisingly similar lesson. By the time an arbitration begins, many of the decisions that determine whether the dispute will be manageable have already been made. How is the relationship structured? Where will evidence sit? What happens to confidential or technical information if it becomes evidence? Can an urgent issue be isolated quickly? Can a disagreement be addressed while the project or commercial relationship continues? In both industries, that may even mean designing mechanisms to deal with disagreements in real time rather than waiting for a full arbitration. My thanks to the ICDR Greater China Committee chaired by Lixia Zhang, Hongji Li, SINA Group, Beijing HuaMao & GuiGu Law Firm, our moderators and speakers, and everyone who joined us in Beijing. American Arbitration Association- International Centre for Dispute Resolution® (ICDR) #ResolveForBetter #Arbitrate #Mediate
