New York Arbitration Week 2026
China's Growing Role in Life Sciences: Preparing for the Next Wave of Cross-Border Disputes
Freshfields International Arbitration Partner Tom Walsh will be speaking on a panel titled "China's Growing Role in Life Sciences: Preparing for the Next Wave of Cross-Border Disputes" on November 17, organized during New York Arbitration Week 2026.
As the center of life sciences innovation increasingly shifts to China, companies must be ready for a more complex international arbitration landscape. This panel discussion with experienced practitioners in life sciences arbitrations will explore how the panelist's experiences on intellectual property misappropriation, diversion to China, limited discovery, difficult collections, and rulings that attempted to cross geographic boundaries can inform companies’ licensing, contracting, and strategies to prepare for disputes.
The panel will also examine how China’s growing role in clinical trials (particularly in oncology and biologics, along with expanding PD-1/PD-L1 development and broader clinical trial capabilities) raises new considerations for anticipating and understanding arbitration needs in an increasingly China-centered innovation environment.
Moderator:
- Tiago Duarte-Silva, Vice President, Charles River Associates, Boston, MA
Speakers:
- Preeti Bhagnani, Partner, White & Case, New York, NY
- Joe Profaizer, Partner, Global Co-Head of International Arbitration, Linklaters
- Peter Rankin, Vice President, Charles River Associates
- Thomas Walsh, Partner, Freshfields
