HNLU places second at 23rd Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot

A team from Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur finished as runners-up at the 23rd Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, 2026 held in Hong Kong.

The team comprised Soumya Jain, Gaurav Agarwal, Shriyuth Singh, Shaurya Jha, Vidhi Choudhary and Aditya Maharwal.

Soumya Jain was also part of the Honourable Mentions for Best Oralist.

Humboldt University, Berlin won the competition.

Other Indian teams at the moot were National Law School India University, Bangalore; National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad; National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata; Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam; National Law University, Jodhpur; National Law University, Delhi; Gujarat National Law University; Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow; Symbiosis Law School, Pune and Hyderabad; Rajiv Gandhi National Law University, Patiala; Christ University, Bangalore; Nirma University; Government Law College, Mumbai and University of Mumbai.

The moot problem centred on a cross-border commercial dispute arising from a contract for the supply of vanilla orchids, governed by Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and adjudicated under Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Rules.

The problem also examined whether third-party funding agreements should be disclosed, requiring a balance between confidentiality and procedural fairness. Another issue involved whether a CITES Appendix I trade ban served as a valid excuse for non-performance, or if the ban was a foreseeable risk.