The CESL Vis team participated in the 20th Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot ("Vis East Moot") in Hong Kong, China, from March 18 to 26, 2023. The team members were Feng Shuyue, Ma Wentao, Shu Xin, Wang Xuan and Wu Yuzhuo. The team was coached by Professor Susan Wintermuth and Mr. Meng Fanqin from the Beijing Global Law Firm. Much appreciation to the Beijing Global Law Firm for sponsoring and supporting the CESL Vis Moot team.

Group photo of the CESL Vis Moot team

From left to right：Wang Xuan, Wu Yuzhuo, Meng Fanqin (coach)、Susan Wintermuth (coach), Feng Shuyue, Ma Wentao, Shu Xin

The Competition

The Vis East Moot, held every March in Hong Kong, China, is the sister competition to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna. As one of the world's most prestigious mooting competitions, the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot attracts thousands of law students and legal experts from hundreds of universities all over the world to gather in Hong Kong and Vienna every March and April, cultivating young talents for the future of international commercial arbitration.

This year, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Vis East Moot, 111 teams from 31 jurisdictions around the world participated in the competition. After a fierce competition, the team from the Royal Institute of Colombo (Sri Lanka) won the championship.

Group photo of all members of the 20th Vis East Moot

Overview

On the morning of March 20, the CESL Vis team acted as the Claimant against the Russian team. On the afternoon of March 21, the CESL Vis team acted as the Respondent against the team from the West Bengal National University of Judicial Sciences (India). On the afternoon of March 22, the CESL Vis team acted as the Claimant against the team from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (Germany). On the morning of March 23, the CESL Vis team acted as the Respondent against the team from the Waseda University (Japan).  

During the session

After half a year of knowledge accumulation and preparation, as well as a series of intensive trainings before the competition, members of the CESL Vis team succeeded in presenting their arguments clearly, responding effectively to questions raised by arbitrators from different legal angles and fully based on the facts of the case. Although the opponents of the four sessions were all from renowned law schools and showed high professional abilities in the competition, members of the CESL Vis team did well in identifying loopholes in arguments and giving strong rebuttals, which received high praise from the arbitrators. The four-day competing experience not only exposed the team members to practical knowledge and strategies of arbitration that they could not learn in the classroom, but also sharpened their willpower, stress resistance and sense of conviction through repeated knocking, rebuilding and repairing.

Photos with arbitrators and opposing teams

Off the Field

In addition to devoting themselves to the competition, the team members also actively participated in various activities organized by the association, grasping every valuable opportunity to network with law students from other schools and build valuable friendships across borders. At the same time, they also made full use of these opportunities to spread the good reputation of CESL as a international and multi-cultural law school to more people.

Photos with two Indian teams

Conclusion

The conclusion of the competition is never the destination of the journey. Instead, it marked a new and hopeful start. This experience was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for every team member, during which the power of unity, mutual help and teamwork towards the same goal, the pleasure of efforts paying off, the responsibility of raising China’s voice in the arena of international arbitration and the seeds of professional aspirations were deeply embedded in every team member’s mind. Furthermore, the team members will take over the responsibility to pass on their experience to future CESL Vis teams and do their best to assist them achieve good results. We wish the CESL Vis Moot team a brighter future!

Photo with Professor Susan Wintermuth

News | Shu Xin
Photo | CESL Vis Team
Editor | Monty Silley