Resolutions that Connect: Mediation Bombay’s Remarkable Success
Mumbai, October 8, 2023: The Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai organized the fourth edition of its flagship event, the Mediation Bombay International Dispute Resolution Competition 2023 from 6th to 8th October 2023. After the pandemic, this was the first time that the competition was held in-person with twenty-four teams representing various National Law Universities and Colleges across India and abroad.
Currently, Mediation Bombay stands to be the first international ADR competition in Mumbai and the only competition in the world to incorporate a triparty mediation format (three negotiating parties and 1 mediator) in its final round. The competition was in furtherance of the objective of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society of MNLU Mumbai i.e. to foster an enriching ADR culture for aspiring lawyers and mediators to become well-rounded and dynamic legal practitioners. As a result, Mediation Bombay strives to be more than just a competition, it aims to create a holistic learning opportunity by providing participants with multiple training sessions.
Internationally renowned experts Ms. Catherine Davidson (International Civil Mediator and Director of Catherine Davidson Mediation Services) and Ms. Kathleen Ruane Leedy (Bicoastal Mediator at Kathleen Ruane Leedy Mediation Services) conducted workshops on the fundamentals of mediation and essential skills for the same. Furthermore, Mr. Shriraj Dusane (EBC-SCC Online Ambassador) and Ms. Shruti Dhonde (Associate, Nishith Desai Associates) conducted a training session on “Unlocking the Potential of ADR Mechanisms through SCC Online & EBC Platforms”.
Mediation Bombay was organized under the aegis of the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Ukey, by an organizing committee of over 130 members. The Organizing Committee was headed by Ms. Tanisha Chivate (Chairperson, Fourth-year student) and Mr. Niranjan Sriram (Associate Chairperson, Fifth-year student) under the able guidance of Assistant Professor (Dr.) Abhijit Rohi (Convener) and Assistant Professor (Dr.) Tanaya Kamlakar (Co-Convener).
The competition was supported by:
Bombay Bar Association (Title Sponsor)
IAMC Hyderabad (Associate Sponsor)
Nishith Desai Associates (Academic Partner)
EBC – SCC Online (Knowledge Partners)
The theme for this edition was “Resolution that Connects” and the competition was centered on the idea of connectivity in terms of digital, cross-cultural, social and economic. Connectivity ceases the lack of accessibility and opens the doors of possibilities and opportunities. Keeping this in mind, the propositions of all the rounds were interlinked with each other and ranged from inter-state transport disputes to issues on insolvency. All propositions were designed by the students of MNLU Mumbai.
The competition rounds were assessed by over a pool of 55 judges from across the world. The final round was of a triparty format and was mediated by Ms. Kathleen Leedy as a professional mediator and judged by Ms. Catherine Davidson, Mr. Sahil Kanuga (Co-Head of the International Dispute Resolution & Investigations Practice at Nishith Desai Associates) and Mr. Abhileen Chaturvedi (Partner, Dispute Resolution Practice of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas).
After 3 days of intense competition, the winners of the competition are:
Winner Mediator: Pham Ngoc Diep (Singapore Management University)
1st Runner-up Mediator: Yashas T. R. (Jindal Global Law School)
2nd Runner-up Mediator: Arnab Kumar Mallick (NALSAR Hyderabad)
Winner Negotiating Pair: Teo Jie Xuan and Hong Wen Yu (Singapore Management University)
1st Runner-up Negotiating Pair: Sanaya Khadiwala and Gautam Garg (ILS Law College, Pune)
2nd Runner-up Negotiating Pair Rakshit Agarwal and Tarun Ashok (NLSIU Bengaluru)
The Special Awardees are:
Best Upcoming Mediator: Shivam Agarwal (Gujarat National Law University)
Best Opening Statement — Mediator: Yashas T. R. (Jindal Global Law School)
Best Upcoming Negotiating Team: Rishi Kumar and Aswin S (TNNLU)
The Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai is a premier institution of legal studies in Mumbai, India. The University was established in 2014 and functions with the vision to provide holistic education to students pursuing the field of law.
