This event explored three fundamental issues of contract law from a comparative perspective:

· good faith
· principles of contractual interpretation
· change of circumstances

Leading practitioners discussed how these concepts are understood and applied under English, French, and German law, with a focus on underlying principles rather than jurisdictional advocacy. The discussion was structured topic by topic, with interactive exchanges between the panellists and time reserved for follow-up discussion.

The event featured Dame Elizabeth Gloster, Thomas Granier, Professor Philippe Stoffel-Munck and Professor Stefan Vogenauer as speakers. c, chair of the Delos Board of Advisors, introduced the event.

SPEAKERS

Dame Elizabeth Gloster practised as a commercial and Chancery QC at One Essex Court from 1991 until 2004, before accepting an appointment as a High Court judge, becoming the first woman to be appointed a judge of the Commercial Court. She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2013 and became Vice-President of the Civil Division of that Court in 2016. Since retiring from the Court of Appeal in 2018, Liz has returned to One Essex Court to practise as a full-time international commercial arbitrator, expert and strategic adviser. She has been appointed both as chair and co-arbitrator in a large number and wide range of international arbitrations including insurance/reinsurance, shipping, banking, gas and oil, electricity pricing, construction, joint venture and investment disputes. She is also frequently appointed to provide expert testimony on English law in foregin proceedings.  Liz is one of 25 persons listed as willing and able to serve as a member of an arbitration panel under the Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom relating to the UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. In November 2020 she produced her independent investigation’s report into the Financial Conduct Authority’s regulation of London Capital & Finance plc. In July 2021 she was appointed to the ICC International Court of Arbitration as an alternate member for the UK. Most recently, with effect from 1 September 2023, Liz was appointed by the Master of the Rolls, on the advice of an independent selection panel, to serve as a Deputy Chair of the Takeover Appeal Board. She was awarded Senior Arbitrator of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2023 and again in 2025.

Thomas Granier is a founding Partner at Anima Dispute Resolution. He has a decade of experience in representing companies and State-entities in international arbitrations and in setting aside proceedings with a particular focus on Africa-related work. He has developed a specific expertise in regulated industry sectors, including in particular renewable energies, oil & gas, power, nuclear, infrastructure, mining and life sciences. He has extensive experience in compliance and ESG related disputes. Thomas regularly acts as arbitrator under the rules of the ICC, the DIS, Delos Dispute Resolution and in ad hoc arbitrations. He is a co-founder of Delos Dispute Resolution. He works in English, French and German and has conducted proceedings in all three languages.

Neil Kaplan CBE KC SBS  has been a full-time practising arbitrator since 1995.  He has been involved in several hundred arbitrations as arbitrator.  Called to the Bar of England in 1965, Mr Kaplan has practised as a barrister, Principal Crown Counsel at the Hong Kong Attorney General’s Chambers, and served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong in charge of the Arbitration List. He was Chair of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) for 13 years and President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in 1999/2000. Since 2017 he has been the President of the Court of the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arbitration and Mediation Centre (MARC). Neil also serve as a judge on the Cassation Court in Bahrain.

Professor Philippe Stoffel-Munck has practised arbitration as an arbitrator, legal expert, or co-counsel. He has sat on more than 60 cases since 2010, whether ad hoc proceedings or those conducted under the auspices of the ICC, the LCIA, the Swiss Arbitration Center, the CMAP, the AFA, or other institutions, in English or French. He has extensive experience in cross-examination. Between 2005 and 2017, he was Of Counsel in the Paris office of Clifford Chance. He is a member of the Paris Bar. His area of ​​expertise covers civil law as applied to business; more specifically, the general law of contracts, liability, special contracts, and security interests.

Professor Stefan Vogenauer is Director at the Max Planck Institute of Legal History and Legal Theory. Previously, from 2003 to 2015, he served as Professor of Comparative Law, later Linklaters Professor of Comparative Law, and Director of the Institute of European and Comparative Law at the University of Oxford. He is the Chair of the Human Sciences Section of the Max Planck Society. From 2015 to 2025, he was Founding Chair of Max Planck Law, the network of the nine Max Planck Institutes promoting excellence in doctoral and postdoctoral legal education.