The Technological Competence of Arbitrators

Katia Fach Gómez, Dr iur., LLM, is a tenured Lecturer (Profesora Titular) of International Law at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). She is the author of several legal books and book chapters published in English and Spanish. Her scholarly articles have appeared in a number of international peer-reviewed law reviews. Her latest edited volume is The Award in International Investment Arbitration (OUP 2022-2023) and her latest English monograph is Key Duties of International Investment Arbitrators (Springer 2019). Katia graduated summa cum laude from the University of Zaragoza, holds a European PhD and an LLM from Fordham University (NY-US) (summa cum laude and Edward J Hawk prize). She has taught international investment and commercial arbitration, ADR, global law, international litigation, conflict of laws, etc., at numerous US, European and Latin American universities. She has been a recipient of a Humboldt scholarship for senior scientists. She is a member of the International Law Association (ILA), the International Academy of Comparative Law and the European Society of International Law (ESIL) and is elected member of the editing board of various legal journals. Katia has been designated (2020-2026) by the Kingdom of Spain to the Panel of Conciliators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). She acts regularly as arbitrator and mediator in international and domestic disputes and has been involved in various key international litigation cases in the USA and Europe. 

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. What is Digital Competence in the Current International Arbitration Context?.- Chapter 3. Who has to be Digitally Competent in the International Arbitration Context?.- Chapter 4. When do International Arbitrators Need to be Digitally Competent?.- Chapter 5. Where is International Arbitrators' Digital Competence Regulated?.- Chapter 6. Why is International Arbitrators' Digital Competence Relevant from a Legal Point of View?.- Chapter 7. Conclusion.- Case List.- Analytical Index.

"The book is a timely and holistic review of the relationship between arbitrators and technological competence. ... the book serves as a good catalyst to 'spark a debate among arbitration stakeholders on the suitability of incorporating an arbitrator duty of technological competence into texts concerning ethics such as codes of conduct and professional rules.'" (Pijan Wu, Contemporary Asia Arbitration Journal, Vol. 17 (1), 2024)

"Remarkably well-researched yet accessible, the monograph is an easy read, succinct, and free of technical or computer science jargon. It addresses numerous fundamental questions for legal professionals and goes further to envision the future of the practice. The work reveals an emerging new field, not just in arbitration but in the broader legal industry, posing several thought-provoking questions for future research. It serves as an excellent starting point for those interested in the evolving relationship between legal practice and technology." (Ali Dehdashti, International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, March 4, 2024)

"This monograph very relevant to today's practice is the choice of up-to-date literature that the author of the book refers to. ... prof. Gomez addresses at the end of the book, I believe I have intrigued interested readers enough to include this book in their library. ... The book has covered a topic ... that will increasingly be of interest to all arbitrators, arbitration professors, students, and other stakeholders in arbitration in the digital age." (Andrea Nikolic, Law & Economy - Association of Business Lawyers of Serbia, Vol. 62 (2), 2024)

"A comparative and international Legal Study, by Katia Fach Gómez, is an ambitious little book, with a jaw-dropping encyclopedic summary of the relevant literature ... . It fills a gap in the literature and provides a practical, lively and well-documented pathway for future research and scholarship in the area. ... It is strongly recommended, for arbitrators both young and old." (Clifford J. Hendel, Iurgium - Revista del Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje, Issue 49, 2024)

"Fach Gómez has produced an impressive work of scholarship that synthesizes institutional rules, commentary, and arbitral and judicial decisions into a practical and thought-provoking guide on the technological competencies necessary in arbitration. ... Fach Gómez's book is an essential acknowledgement that arbitration is now done by technological means and, by necessary implication, that it is the duty of arbitrators and practitioners to be competent in those means." (R. Matthew Burke, New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer, Vol. 17 (1), 2024)

"There is no doubt about the ever-growing importance of technology in international arbitration. ... What then is required of arbitrators to effectively perform their duties in this technological landscape? ... This well-researcher book reflects a comprehensive approach to question how we think about this issue now and how it can be clarified in the future. ... this book concludes that arbitrators must be technologically competent, and provides a thoughtful analysis of how such a duty could be implemented." (Colleen Parker Bacquet, ICC Dispute Resolution Bulletin, Issue 1, 2024)