Law360 Publishes Q&A on International Arbitration with Michael Stepek

Michael Stepek, a partner in Akin Gump’s international arbitration practice, has been featured in a Q&A column with Law360. Among the topics he covered:

• What attracted him to international arbitration work: “From the beginning of my legal studies, I was intrigued by attempts to reconcile various aspects of legal systems around the world, which, in many instances, are built upon entirely different principles and foundations. International arbitration was a natural outgrowth of that interest….”
• Two trends he sees that are affecting the practice of international arbitration: “The two trends most affecting the practice of international arbitration today in my view are the growing acceptance of wide-ranging document disclosure obligations and the rise of the dedicated arbitrator.”
• The most challenging case he’s worked on: “Effective advocacy in international arbitration, as in most any forum, requires an intimate knowledge of the facts of the case. Given the size of most international arbitrations, this typically means there are copious amounts of facts to be understood and absorbed. This takes a tremendous time commitment and focus, but there is no way to have a career in international arbitration without understanding that you need to fully commit yourself to it. You cannot look at a dispute from above, but need to get fully immersed in the details of each case. There really are no shortcuts.”

To read the full Q&A, please click here.