Since its launch in 2011, the Moot Shanghai International Commercial Arbitration Shanghai Invitational Competition, as one of the global pre-moot events for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vis Moot), has become an influential international moot arbitration competition in the Asia-Pacific region. From March 25 to 28, 2025, the 15th Moot Shanghai International Commercial Arbitration Shanghai Invitational Competition (the “Competition”) was successfully held.

The Competition was co-hosted by East China University of Political Science and Law and Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, jointly organized by the Shanghai Arbitration Commission and the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (Shanghai International Arbitration Center), and strongly supported by the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, the Shanghai Bar Association, the Hongkou District Bureau of Justice (North Bund International Legal Service Port), the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the Moot Alumni Association (MAA), Wolters Kluwer, and the North Bund Commercial Mediation Center, among others. Partner law firms included Adaltys, CMS, Dacheng, Dentons, Fangda, Global, Han Kun, Herbert Smith Freehills Kewei, Hui Zhong, Jincheng Tongda & Neal, Jin Mao, Jingsh, Lianhe, Longan, ShineWing, Zhong Lun, and other renowned firms. The Competition attracted 24 teams from jurisdictions including Germany, Russia, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, and China, featuring internationally recognized institutions such as Peking University, the National University of Singapore, the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Bucerius Law School, Renmin University of China, the University of Hong Kong, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Over the four-day schedule, the teams staged more than 40 exciting rounds of competition.

As one of the partner law firms for this year’s competition, Landing Law Offices actively participated and provided multidimensional support. A number of Landing lawyers were deeply involved in the event’s preparation and academic exchanges, contributing to the professional advancement of moot arbitration activities and the cultivation of young legal talent.

On March 26, 2025, at the themed exchange event “Careers After the Moot: Alumni Stories and Insights,” jointly hosted by the Moot Alumni Association (MAA), Moot Shanghai, and Landing Law Offices, Senior Partner Attorney Li Yueqing, Director of the International Investment and Trade Department at Landing Law Offices, delivered the opening remarks. She introduced the firm’s development philosophy and international footprint to the guests present, and encouraged young legal professionals to stay true to their original aspirations, move forward courageously, and continuously pursue excellence in their legal careers.

Attorney Yueqing Li

Senior Partner Attorney Xu Mingyan of Landing Law Offices was also invited to serve as a panel guest at the exchange event. Drawing on her own career development experience, Attorney Xu shared her reflections on making career choices at key turning points in life, especially her experience working at the United Nations, which sparked strong interest among the audience. Based on her practical experience, she offered many inspiring suggestions to young legal professionals, receiving an enthusiastic response.

Attorney Mingyan Xu (second from left)

During the main hearing rounds of the competition, Senior Partner Attorney Wang Jianyong, Deputy Director of the International Investment and Trade Department at Landing Law Offices, and Director Li Yueqing were respectively invited to serve as arbitrators on March 26 and 27, adjudicating two key rounds of the event.

Attorney Wang Jianyong served as an arbitrator in the moot arbitration hearing on March 26, evaluating the match between the University of Hong Kong team and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University team. Through precise questioning, he helped both teams better focus on the key issues of the case, demonstrating his deep understanding of international arbitration disputes. After the competition, Attorney Wang provided a comprehensive assessment of both teams’ performance, offered valuable suggestions for improvement, and highly praised their overall presentation.

Attorney Jianyong Wang

Attorney Li Yueqing served as an arbitrator in the quarterfinal round on March 27, witnessing the outstanding matchup between Moscow State Institute of International Relations and Xiangtan University. As a quarterfinal arbitrator, Attorney Li highly commended the participants for their outstanding performance and offered professional comments on their excellent skills and solid grounding in international arbitration practice. She also engaged the participants in in-depth discussions on several key issues in moot arbitration, helping them better understand and grasp the core elements of international arbitration.

Landing Law Offices has always been committed to cultivating international legal talent and advancing the professional development of international commercial arbitration. Looking ahead, Landing will continue to participate actively in high-level moot arbitration activities of this kind, promote deeper interaction between the legal profession and academia, and support the continued development of China’s legal services industry on the global stage.