A group of in-house counsel have recently formed the Corporate Counsel International Arbitration Group (CCIAG) which will provide a forum for discussion of policy and practices in international commercial arbitration.

The initiative was spearheaded by Jean-Claude Najar, senior counsel and chief compliance officer for GE Commercial Finance. The group will be exclusively composed of corporate counsel and held its inaugural meeting in November 2006, attended by representatives from 23 leading organisations. CCIAG is expected to formulate its by-laws, membership rules and operational guidelines by the end of February 2007. For further information see Global Arbitration Review.