The Six Is The One: Toronto As A Seat For International Arbitration

International arbitration continues to grow in popularity as an alternative form of dispute resolution. Parties routinely cite cost-savings, efficiency, autonomy, and expertise as the advantages of arbitration over civil proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. It is not enough to settle on arbitration as the method of dispute resolution, however. Parties must also determine the arbitral "seat".

Generally, the "seat" refers to the city and the "law of the seat" refers to the seat's legal jurisdiction. The seat does not necessarily have to be in the same jurisdiction as the governing law of the contract, nor does it have to be the city where the hearing itself takes place. The seat may also impact the manner in which the arbitration is conducted. Accordingly, choosing the seat is an important decision when entering into an arbitration agreement. A post setting out important considerations when making this decision can be found here: " Top 3 Considerations for Selecting