Kluwer Arbitration Quiz Live Replay: Do you have what it takes to beat the 2026 ICCA Quiz Champion?

On 13 April 2026 at the 27^th ICCA Congress, Wolters Kluwer and the Kluwer Arbitration Blog hosted the third edition of the Kluwer Arbitration Quiz Live. Sponsored by Kluwer Law, the quiz is the world’s leading international arbitration quiz, and now one of the most anticipated events at ICCA Congress. This year in Madrid Quizmasters Michael McIlwrath and Crina Baltag, with judge Abhinav Bhushan, quizzed a superstar ‘Due Process Crew’ of David Arias, Chiann Bao and Audley Sheppard KC. The ultimate battle of arbitration wits!

The Quiz took place across three rounds, featuring a mix of arbitration-related trivia. The questions ranged from practice and procedure and the history of arbitration to notable appearances by arbitration in the world of popular culture.  The audience was also put to the test of answering questions and also identifying which of three outrageous arbitration stories told by the Due Process Crew was true. In a testament to the truth in arbitration sometimes being stranger than fiction, only a third of the audience correctly identified the true story.

In the closely contested battle, Chiann Bao emerged victorious. She won a one-year subscription to Kluwer Arbitration for donation to a student Vis Moot team. Multiple audience prizes were also up for grabs, including a copy of International Arbitration in Practice by Courtney Lotfi, Alicja Zielińska-Eisen & Verónica Sandler Obregón won by Sameer Jain, Gary Born's International Commercial Arbitration won by Lindsay Gastrell, and a EUR 500 book voucher won by Barbara Bada Barrena.

Missed the Live version of the Arbitration Quiz? Don’t worry, you can still play along at home with the questions below and the chance to win a subscription to an arbitration journal of your choice on Kluwer Law Online or EUR 250 in books. Submit your answers to [email protected] by CET 3.00 pm on 18 April 2026.

Stay tuned for the answers!

Questions

Question 1

Which English political figure attempted to convince the legislature to adopt arbitration as a faster means of resolving commercial disputes in 1601?

a.      Queen Elizabeth

b.      William Shakespeare

c.       Francis Bacon

d.      Russel Brand

Question 2

Which of the Due Process Crew is a former Chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee and was involved in drafting the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest and IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence?

Question 3

True or False: Legal fiction writer John Grisham’s 2023 novel The Exchange draws inspiration from an investment treaty claim filed by a Turkish construction company against Libya in 2016?

Question 4

True or False: Third-party funding is not permitted for arbitrations seated in Spain?

Question 5

How many arbitrators does it take to change a light bulb and why?  Extra points for answers that make the Kluwer editors laugh.

Question 6

Which of this year’s three contestants was described as ‘very organised, very charming and a good arbitrator’ in recent Chambers rankings?

Question 7

According to Kaplan and Bao, what is the most important thing for an arbitrator to do when drafting an award? 

a.     Draw a smiley face next to your signature on the award

b.     Include a reasonably complete summary of the procedural history

c.     Ensure an enforceable award

One of the co-authors of this book was not quick enough to win this point, so make sure you get your answers in asap :)

Question 8

Do the Rules of the International and Ibero-American Madrid Arbitration Center allow for an appeal against the award?

a.      No

b.      Yes, on an opt-in basis

c.       Yes, on an opt-out basis

Question 9

Which arbitral institution based in Asia was recently featured in a Korean drama on Netflix?

Question 10

In which of these countries is the Kluwer Arbitration Blog is NOT read?

a.      Central African Republic

b.      Solomon Islands

c.       Greenland (Denmark)

d.      Gabon

e.      Australia

Question 11

Which musical act reportedly settled a dispute through arbitration in 2025?

a.      John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival

b.      Hall & Oates

c.       Oasis

d.      The Police

Question 12

Which of the following types of assets have NOT been subject to efforts to execute against a State or State-owned entity?

a.      Trademarks in popular vodka brands

b.      The personal plane of a crown prince

c.       The Swiss watch collection of the President’s brother

d.      A 7-bedroom home in north London with luxury en suite bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool and a suede-lined cinema room

Question 13

Under which arbitration rules may the two party-appointed arbitrators proceed alone until the substantive hearing or their first disagreement?

a.     AAA Healthcare Payor Provider Arbitration Rules

b.     London Maritime Arbitrators’ Association Rules

c.     Grain and Feed Trade Association Rules

Question 14

True or False: The AAA Healthcare Payor Provider Arbitration Rules are a real set of arbitration rules.

The answers to the Kluwer Arbitration Quiz Live will be posted on 19 April 2026. In the meantime, many thanks to all who came along for an excellent night and to the following supporting organisations: ICCA, CEIA, ICC, ACICA, ACICA45, KCAB International, ITA, YSIAC and Young ICSID.