As part of the 2026 Hong Kong Arbitration Week, JSM’s fireside chat “The mahjong of arbitration: Insights from the tribunal’s perspective”, held on 23 October, brought together a distinguished panel for a lively discussion exploring arbitration through the lens of mahjong.
Drawing on the strategy and dynamics of the game, our panellists shared insights into how arbitrators navigate Asia’s diverse legal cultures, what makes a case persuasive, and the evolving issues shaping arbitration today, from fairness and funding to the growing role of AI.
Special thanks to Robert Tang GBM SBS SC JP (Independent Arbitrator; Non-Permanent Judge, Court of Final Appeal), Liang-Ying Tan (Arbitrator and Partner, Seladore Legal), Prof. Fan Mingchao (Independent Arbitrator, Newman Chambers; Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Arbitration Commission; Council Member of the China Commission of Arbitration for Sport; Panel arbitrator for CAS and ICSID), Benjamin Hughes (Independent Arbitrator, Arbitration Chambers; Member of the Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre), Brad Wang (Deputy Secretary General, CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Center) for sharing their perspectives.
We also extend our gratitude to our senior partner Geoffrey Chan for delivering the opening remarks and to our senior associate Jessica van der Kamp for moderating the engaging discussion.
