Emergency Arbitration Costs

Emergency arbitration has become a vital tool for commercial parties needing swift interim relief before a full arbitral tribunal is constituted. Yet one aspect often overlooked with regard to emergency arbitration is cost. Parties tend to focus on urgency and strategy, overlooking the financial implications of launching emergency proceedings. Understanding emergency arbitration costs is not simply an administrative concern: it can directly shape litigation strategy, risk allocation, negotiation leverage, and even the credibility of the relief sought.

The costs of an emergency arbitration are typically made up of two components: (1) institution fees and (2) legal fees. A table summarising the costs that parties can expect to incur in emergency arbitrations administered by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre ("HKIAC"), the International Chamber of Commerce ("ICC"), the London Court of Arbitration ("LCIA"), the SCC Arbitration Institute ("SCC"), and the