What's Happening in Pensions - Issue 117

Arbitration Focus Group Podcast: The Use of AI in International Arbitration

In this episode, Travers Smith partner Huw Jenkin and senior associate Ophelia Chan explore the growing role of AI in international arbitration and how it compares to its more established use in English litigation. They discuss the current state of AI adoption across both forums, from technology-assisted review (TAR) in disclosure to the emerging use of generative AI tools, alongside the key risks and opportunities these developments present. The episode also covers arbitration-specific concerns such as confidentiality, potential challenges to awards, and multilingual bias, before offering practical guidance on best practices, including the use of AI protocols and procedural directions. With major institutions such as the ICC and LCIA in the process of updating their rules, this is a fast-moving space with significant implications for how disputes are run and how costs are managed.

Pause for thought: withholding tax on UK interest & claiming treaty relief

During 2025, HMRC paused their concessionary treatment for administrative errors relating to withholding tax on cross-border interest payments. The concession is paused while HMRC review the UK's procedures for claiming relief under a double tax treaty. In this podcast, we discuss the background, the principles involved, and the practical implications of HMRC's decision to pause the concession and conduct the review.

What is behind the increasing popularity of international arbitration?

In this pilot episode of the Travers Smith International Arbitration podcast, Huw Jenkin [/people/huw-jenkin/], (Partner in our Dispute Resolution team) and Adam Short [/people/adam-short/] (Senior Counsel in the team) discuss the increasing popularity of international arbitration and the reasons behind this increase. They also discuss a number of differences between arbitration and litigation and why parties might opt for one over the other.

What's Happening in Pensions - Issue 117

Travers Smith's regular update on legal developments in pensions.

Payment issues in commercial contracts: the supplier perspective

In this short video, Rich Offord [/{localLink:umb://document/830cbf0333764b8a823fa3db426aad49}], Kirsty Emery [/{localLink:umb://document/aeff723f816a4cbdb8053f7f947f749c}] and Jonathan Rush [/{localLink:umb://document/ccddc6f2fef94a3287783a33a81254ea}] discuss what suppliers can do to make sure they get paid.  Topics covered include tips on how to push back against customer demands for long payment terms, additional protections such as parent company guarantees and the value of reporting obligations to provide early warning of financial problems at the customer.