P.R.I.M.E. Finance Arbitration – A Lighthouse Safe Harbour in the Mare Magnum of Financial Dispute Resolution?

Attention to litigation in financial matters is becoming an important issue for both investors and lending institutions. The recent trend has witnessed a shift from litigating before Courts towards arbitrating disputes on complex financial instruments. Quite recently, a new institution has been established in The Hague with the aim of becoming a milestone in the settlement of disputes on complex financial transactions: P.R.I.M.E. Finance. A Panel of financial markets and dispute resolution experts support the activity of such institution. The aim of this paper is to assess whether or not the use of arbitration in financial disputes and transactions may constitute a valid option, when compared to Court litigation. Furthermore, a particular focus will be on the institutional aspects of P.R.I.M.E. Finance arbitration