The hallmark of success in any discipline is preparation.

 

As the great Muhammad Ali once observed:

 

⁠“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out on the road; long before I dance under those lights.”

 

This truism applies with equal force to arbitration.

 

It is for this reason that the Center for International Mediators and Arbitrators (CIMA) organises mock arbitrations, practice dry-runs, moot simulations —a now widely adopted and cost-effective means of preparing for evidentiary hearings. These exercises provide parties and their counsel a unique opportunity to test the strength of their case, assess the persuasiveness of their arguments, and evaluate the weight of their evidence in a simulated hearing environment.

 

CIMA’s mock arbitrations, practice dry-runs and moots are presided over from time-to-time by its senior faculty and globally recognised arbitrators, all of whom have sat in hundreds of ad hoc and institutional arbitrations across diverse industry sectors and jurisdictions, in multiple languages and varied cultural and geopolitical contexts. They have acted as Presidents, Sole Arbitrators, and Co-Arbitrators in high-value, complex disputes under all major institutional rules.

 

Each mock arbitration is conducted under strict rules and is meticulously tailored to the requirements of the case. CIMA provides a carefully constituted tribunal—comprised of its leading mock arbitrators and, where appropriate, external experts—who focus on the specific aspects of the dispute identified by the parties (admissibility, jurisdiction, merits, causation, or quantum). Detailed oral and/or written feedback is provided following the mock hearing, ensuring that parties enter their actual hearings with clarity and confidence.

 

⁠“Excellence is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.” – Aristotle