London numbers
DONALD Szostak, who edits "The Arbitrator", the Society of Maritime Arbitrator’s newsletter, has written to ask how we know that there are many more arbitrations in London than in New York (Issue 51. He asks, "How many times more, and how does one know? Is your statement factual and is it verifiable? I would love to report some valid statistics, which, alas, have been stubbornly elusive. Even in New York, it is impossible to know how many arbitrations occur. We can only count published New York awards, which might represent half the arbitrations commenced, the others being settled between the parties. Do you know of any reliable way of counting, or even estimating, London arbitrations commenced and/or completed?"
Can anyone give us accurate numbers?