Deakin Law School students have once again shown that they are amongst the world’s best, at the Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Hong Kong.
L to R: Taylor Woodcock, Casey Guilmartin, Nick McConville and Lachlan Morgan
The Vis Moot in Vienna, and the Vis (East) Moot in Hong Kong, are the world’s most prestigious private international law moots. Focusing on international commercial law, students are required to assemble arguments for both sides of an international sales law dispute, and then present those arguments in an international commercial arbitration setting. The Vis Moot is now in its 24th year in Vienna, and the Vis (East) Moot is in its 14th year in Hong Kong. Deakin University is one of only a small handful of universities from around the world to have participated each and every year that the Moots have run – having won the Vienna rounds twice, and having been runners-up in the Hong Kong rounds on two occasions as well.
This year’s Vis (East) Moot came to a close, in Hong Kong, on Sunday 2 April. The Deakin Law School team, represented in the oral arguments by Casey Guilmartin and Nick McConville, reached the final 16 teams out of the 125 participating in total – and in addition, both DLS oralists received honourable mentions for their individual performances at the oral rounds.
In addition to making the final 16 teams, Deakin University was only one of three Australian teams to progress to the elimination finals, and were the only Victorian team to progress to the elimination finals.
Dr. Benjamin Hayward, coach of the Deakin teams, says that these results reflect the hard work, diligence, and exceptional skills of the participating DLS students.
‘We have a team of 11 students this year, represented by Casey Guilmartin and Nick McConville in Hong Kong, and by Taylor Woodcock and Lachlan Morgan in Vienna’ Dr. Hayward explains.
‘Our students have brought incredible enthusiasm and focus to their preparations – which have spanned longer than five months of full time study – and have shown once again their excellence in this competition.’
The Deakin Law School team now moves on to Vienna, where the oral rounds for this next phase of the competition commence next weekend. We wish our students the best of luck in their Vienna rounds to come!