Efficiency, diversity and innovation in global arbitration: Examining recent ICC and LCIA trends

The latest statistics recently released by the International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) and London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”) provide a comprehensive overview of recent trends in international arbitration. The data from these two leading institutions covers the geographic distribution of parties, dispute types and other indicators and  reveals some interesting convergences and distinctions. This note compares highlights from each institution’s reports – the full reports are available on their respective websites.

On the whole, the data for 2024 shows a continued trend of diversity in respect of subject matter, arbitral parties and the makeup of the tribunals.

Arbitrator Appointments and Diversity

In 2024, both institutions saw a slight increase in the number of three member tribunals (57% in the ICC and 54% in the LCIA) than sole arbitrators (43% in the ICC and 46% in the LCIA).

Both institutions also show strikingly similar statistics in respect of gender diversity in 2024, with the proportion of new female arbitrator appointments being 46% in the ICC and 45% in the LCIA. 

Appointments in both institutions were also diverse in terms of geography. The ICC appointed arbitrators from 91 jurisdictions, with close to 40% under the age of 50. The LCIA appointed arbitrators from 47 jurisdictions, with 45% of appointments being non-British.

Caseload and International Reach

The ICC registered 841 new arbitration cases in 2024 (this is a similar number to the previous year, which saw 890 new cases). The LCIA, meanwhile, received 362 referrals (again, a similar figure to 2023, which saw 377 new cases), of which 318 were arbitrations under the LCIA Rules. Both institutions report a strong international character: 95% of LCIA arbitrations involved at least one international (i.e non UK) party, and ICC cases involved parties from 136 countries or territories.

The table below reflects the geographic spread of newly filed ICC and LCIA cases in 2024 (some regions have been grouped together for comparative purposes):

For both institutions, Europe represented the region from which most parties originated. However, with respect to the second most popular region, the institutions diverge. This year, for the LCIA, that region was Africa (17% of all parties, with Kenya alone accounting for 7.7%), whilst the ICC showed a strong caseload of parties from Latin America and the Caribbean (21.4%).

Both institutions had significant proportions of parties from other regions, differing by only 1-4 percentiles in Asia, MENA and North America. Africa represented the smallest proportion of ICC parties, whereas North America represented the smallest proportion of LCIA parties.

The statistics display different areas of concentration in respect of parties in the LCIA and ICC. Both institutions exhibit an international and diverse portfolio of parties.

Seat of Arbitration

For both institutions, London constituted the dominant seat of arbitration, accounting for 89% of LCIA arbitrations and a substantial proportion of arbitrations in the ICC (for the ICC, Paris is the second most popular seat). This accords with the 2025 Queen Mary University of London International Arbitration survey, which confirmed London remains the preferred seat for arbitration. Overall, ICC arbitrations in 2024 took place across a total of 62 seats, whilst LCIA arbitrations took place across a total of 21 seats.

Nature of Disputes

The nature of disputes before both the LCIA and ICC in 2024 was diverse. In the ICC, Construction and Engineering (23.2%) and Energy (20.5%) disputes accounted for approximately 44% of cases. Other key sectors included Transportation (6.3%), Finance and Insurance (5.8%), and Telecoms and Specialised Technologies (5.8%).

In the LCIA, the most signification sector was Transport and Commodities (29%), followed by Banking and Finance (17%), Energy and Resources (10%), Construction and Infrastructure (8%), and Technology (6%). The LCIA also released statistics regarding agreement types, from which it can be seen that in 2024 over a third of agreements from which disputes arose were concerning the Sale of Goods.

While both institutions see a broad range of sectors, the data from 2024 indicates different dominant industries in respect of the LCIA and ICC, which generally accord with statistics from the previous year. 

Monetary Amounts in Dispute  

Both institutions saw a broad range for claim values in 2024. For the ICC, the average amount in dispute in new cases was $130 million. However, close to 37% of new cases registered in the ICC involved an amount in dispute not exceeding $3 million. This relatively high proportion of lower value cases is notable in light of the 2021 modification of ICC rules which raised the threshold for application of the Expedited Procedure Rules to $3 million.

The LCIA does not report aggregate values but notes that 54% of claims seeking monetary relief did not exceed $5 million USD in value. 36% of claims in the LCIA exceeded $10 million in value, with the remainder falling in between.

Procedural Innovations and Efficiency

Emergency Arbitrator Applications: Compared to other regional institutions, such as the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (which saw 21 emergency arbitrator applications in 2024, all successful) and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (which saw 40 applications), both the ICC and LCIA received relatively few emergency arbitrator applications. The ICC received 17 emergency arbitrator applications in 2024. Of these, partial relief was granted in two cases, full relief in three, and twelve applications were dismissed. In the LCIA, four applications were received, with one granted.

Multi-Party and Multi-Contract Cases: The LCIA’s 2020 Rules have facilitated composite requests, consolidation, and joinder, with 40 consolidation applications in 2024 (all but one granted). The ICC also reports a high incidence of multi-party cases (33% of new filings).

Expedited Procedures: The ICC administered 152 cases under its Expedited Procedure Provisions (EPP), with 56% of final awards delivered within the six-month time limit. The LCIA received 19 applications for expedited formation and emergency arbitration under LCIA Rule 9A, and 16 for early determination.

Mediation: Both institutions continue to promote mediation and other ADR mechanisms. The ICC ADR Centre received 61 cases (37 mediations), while the LCIA received five mediation requests. The ICC’s mediation cases involved parties from 33 countries, with disputes ranging from US$200,000 to over US$64 million.

Trends and Conclusions

Several trends emerge from the 2024 reports:

• Both institutions are attracting a broader range of parties from emerging markets, particularly Africa and Latin America.
• While traditional sectors like construction, energy, and commodities remain dominant, technology, healthcare, and finance are growing areas.
• There is increasing use of expedited procedures, early determination, and consolidation, reflecting user demand for faster, more cost-effective dispute resolution.
• Both the ICC and LCIA are making measurable progress in gender and geographical diversity among arbitrators.
• Mediation and other ADR services are being used for a wider range of disputes and values, indicating a maturing market for non-arbitral resolution.

Overall, both institutions continue to respond to party needs with procedural innovation, a commitment to diversity, and a focus on efficiency. As the global dispute resolution landscape continues to evolve, these trends are likely to shape the future of arbitration and ADR for years to come.