Arbitrators and lawyers converge on the Marriott Castle Harbour Hotel today for the start of the three-day spring conference of ARIAS US.

Some 80 of the 100 participants are being welcomed this evening at a reception and dinner at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, hosted by the Bermuda Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and sponsored by leading Bermuda law firms, Appleby Spurling & Kempe, Conyers Dill & Pearman, Cox Hallet & Wilkinson, Mello Hollis Jones & Martin, and, Milligan-Whyte & Smith.

The guest speaker tonight is Bermuda's Attorney General Elliott Motley.

Discussions during the conference will include topics such as "Bermuda as a Venue for Arbitrations'' and "Bermuda/US Conflicts in Arbitration'', the latter being addressed by law partner Narinder Hargun of Conyers Dill & Pearman.

During the session, participants will cover issues that include conflicts between the practice of arbitration in the US and Bermuda, including enforceability clauses and awards, security and public policy.

The conference will also include a mock arbitration involving seven participating counsel, three of whom are Bermuda lawyers.

Mr. Hargun and Jan Woloniecki of Milligan-Whyte & Smith will be representative attorneys, while John Riihilouma of Appleby Spurling & Kempe will be one of the three arbitrators.

Mr. Woloniecki said, "We are pushing Bermuda as a venue for international arbitration.'' ARIAS US is the AIDA Reinsurance and Insurance Arbitration Society, a not-for-profit corporation that promotes the use, and assists in the development of, insurance and reinsurance arbitration for the international and US market.

It provides initial training and continuing education seminars in the skills necessary to serve effectively on an insurance/reinsurance arbitration panel.

BUSINESS BUC