LCIA Annual Casework Report 2021

Read the further key highlights from the 2021 Report below.

Referrals still increasing

Whilst the LCIA received the third highest ever number of referrals of new cases in 2021 (377 referrals, including 322 for arbitration pursuant to the LCIA Rules), it nevertheless marked a 21% decrease from the record number of referrals (440) in 2020, when the LCIA experienced an unprecedented demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this decrease, the overall trend over the past decade demonstrates a 60% growth in the use of LCIA arbitration.

Industry sectors and types of agreement

The proportion of new LCIA cases from different industry sectors has remained broadly consistent with 2020. The three main industry sectors making up the majority (65%) of the LCIA’s caseload is the same as in 2020, namely:

• Banking and finance;
• Energy and resources; and
• Transport and commodities

The split between these three sectors has changed slightly since 2020: whilst energy and resources remains steady at 25%, transport and commodities has reduced from 22% to 14%, and banking and finance has increased from 20% to 26% (partly due to one composite request from that sector initiating 27 arbitrations).

The most common types of agreements constituting 82% of all new arbitrations pursuant to the LCIA Rules has also remained steady comprising:

• Sale of goods (25%)
• Service agreements (21%)
• Loans or other loan facilities (also 21%)
• Shareholders/Share purchase/Joint venture agreements (14%)

Timing of the referral to arbitrate

It is interesting to note the gap between the date of an agreement and the referral of a dispute arising under it to arbitration. Some 74% of the disputes referred have arisen within five years of the agreement being entered into, in keeping with long-term trends. However, the proportion of disputes arising within two years of an agreement has fallen to 34% from a pandemic-driven high of 43% in 2020, although it nevertheless remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. As many economies emerge from the pandemic, it will be interesting to see whether other shock events, such as those in Ukraine, will have a similar impact in provoking earlier disputes under commercial contracts.

International nature of the parties

Parties to LCIA arbitrations remain truly international – 85% of parties are from countries other than the UK. 2021 saw an increase in parties from MENA (18.3% up from 16.7% in 2020), and from the UAE in particular (9.5% up from 4.3%).…