Inside ArbSI 2025: Fast Five with Nicole Smith

One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading arbitrators, Nicole Smith FAMINZ (Arb), is co-directing this year’s Arbitration Skills Intensive, or ArbSI. A popular course, ArbSI doesn’t come around often – it was last offered in 2023. We sat down with Nicole to ask her five questions about the course, what attendees can expect, and why it’s valuable training for arbitrators. 

Kia ora Nicole, thank you for speaking with us today. First off, how would you describe ArbSI?  

ArbSI is a three-day course with a mix of practical sessions and sessions that provide a detailed consideration of the case law, statutes and rules that apply to arbitration in New Zealand. Attendees get the inside word from those working in the industry on how to run an arbitration, how to write an Award, where the work comes from, and how to develop their own practice.  

Who typically attends this event – early-career professionals, experienced arbitrators, or a mix? 

 We have a mix of attendees with different levels of experience. Some want to come out of the course with the skills to be great advocates in arbitration proceedings. Others are ready to be arbitrators (or other independent neutrals) and want to ensure that they have a full understanding of the process and the role of an arbitrator.  

We also have participants who already have experience as an independent neutral in a specific field (for example: valuation, employment, dairy industry) who want to apply those skills to a wider set of issues.  

We also have experienced arbitrators who want to continue to hone their skills and learn from others in the field. It is a truly interactive course as the course attendees have their own insights and experiences to share, and I always learn new things from the attendees which is part of the reason I love teaching the course. 

What can participants expect from the more hands-on, practical sessions? 

In the hands-on practical sessions, we will be asking participants to put on their “arbitrator” hats and experience presiding over a procedural hearing. They will learn how to manage the process, keep the parties on track, control the time, move the process along and deal with issues such as confidentiality, commercial sensitivity, cultural diversity and equity between the parties. They will learn how to write a procedural order and also how to write the crucial parts of an arbitration award (based on a fact pattern that is provided during the course). 

How does this training add to an arbitrator’s toolkit?   

It gives participants the confidence to accept appointments, and a clearer sense of how leading professionals approach their work. As arbitrations are usually private and confidential, it is difficult to know what best practice is, and how others approach the many and varied issues that arise in arbitration. This course truly opens the curtain and lets the course participants be part of collegial discussions about how to approach standard and thorny issues.   

This year we have an impressive faculty. Will there be an opportunity to network?    

We have a great faculty this year and there will be lots of opportunities to chat in the breaks between sessions, but also during the sessions. We aim for a friendly and interactive course and it helps that the faculty are all friends that I really enjoy working with. Whoever is available gathers for dinner on the Friday night, which is a great chance to catch up in an informal setting and tell all the war stories that we didn’t manage to slip in during the course sessions.   

Thanks Nicole, we’re looking forward to seeing you there! 

ArbSI is co-directed by Nicole Smith and Ben Vanderkolk FAMINZ (Arb), and runs from Thursday 8 May to Saturday 10 May at Residium in Parnell. To learn more, see this year's faculty and register, click here.