With outstanding performance in oral advocacy and legal argumentation, winners secure support to compete in the 33rd Vis Moot in Vienna

By Pedro Augusto

Over three intense days of competition at Pre-Moot São Paulo, law students from 22 Brazilian universities and one Argentine institution took part in the country’s largest arbitration training event. The preparatory competition was organized by the Center for Arbitration and Mediation at the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada for the 33rd edition of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vis Moot) and concluded with the victory of the team from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP). The team will compete in Vienna, represented by students Mariana Carreira and Lara Farah—oralists in the Pre-Moot—along with other members of the team.

In the final round, the team defeated the University of São Paulo (USP) Law School (Largo São Francisco) in a closely contested match, according to the evaluating arbitrators. The assessment considered the consistency of the legal arguments and the teams’ advocacy skills before arbitrators Carolina Kleiner, full professor of law at Université Paris Cité; Carlos Forbes, independent arbitrator; and Fernando Eduardo Serec, CEO of TozziniFreire Advogados.

“It was very valuable to understand where we are succeeding, where we are making mistakes, and to realize that we are on the right path,” said Mariana Carreira, oralist for the winning team. “Performing well here shows that we are heading where we want to go; now it’s about preparing for the Vis Moot in a month,” she added.

Third place went to the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), which defeated Milton Campos Law School, based in Nova Lima (MG), in the third-place match. The Center for Arbitration and Mediation at the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada also awarded honorable mentions to the competition’s best oralists. First place individually went to Ana Luiza de Azevedo Veríssimo, from Milton Campos Law School, followed by Luiza Kuster Niec, from PUC-PR, and Maria Vilasboas Fagundes, from the University of São Paulo Law School.

“Winning this competition is the result of a lot of effort and hard work from our coaches,” said Lara Farah, from PUC-SP. “Our team is very close-knit, and that makes all the difference in how we grow and refine our arguments,” she added.

Considered one of the most important preparatory events for the Vis Moot—held annually in Vienna, Austria—Pre-Moot São Paulo challenges law students to simulate an international arbitration proceeding, tackling complex cases and developing essential skills for legal practice.

In this edition, participants analyzed a fictional case based on the CISG (United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods), involving the termination of an international sales contract for orchids. The plants were used in vanilla production and, following the inclusion of the species in Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and the resulting impossibility of obtaining an import license, the goods were resold to a third party at a lower price, leading to a subsequent claim for damages corresponding to the price difference.

According to Silvia Rodrigues Pachikoski, Vice President of the Center for Arbitration and Mediation at the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada, the competition plays a structuring role in the training of new professionals. “Our goal is to build critical mass and prepare students for real-life legal practice in the field of international arbitration,” she stated.

During the rounds, teams represented clients in an arbitration proceeding and were evaluated by experienced arbitrators, who assessed the development of legal arguments, clarity of advocacy, strategic coherence, and responsiveness to technical questions. According to one evaluator, the winning team stood out for its objectivity, argumentative flexibility, and confidence in oral advocacy.

The initiative also serves as a gateway for young talent into the arbitration field. Through these competitions, students demonstrate their knowledge of international law to arbitrators and seasoned professionals, expanding their opportunities to enter the job market.

“The Center for Arbitration and Mediation at the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada continues to invest in preparing Brazilian teams for what they will face in Hamburg—another competition supported by Brazil’s leading arbitration center—and especially in Vienna,” said Pachikoski. The organization’s proposal includes providing financial support to teams and students to enable their participation in international arbitration competitions.

“The Center for Arbitration and Mediation at the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada contributes by developing, fostering, and rewarding talent,” she explained. “It also allows students to travel without having to bear all the costs of competing internationally in Vienna,” she added.

The two finalist teams and the third-place team receive financial support from the institution. In the most recent edition of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, held in Austria, the event brought together 391 teams and around 2,500 students from across the globe. On that occasion, Brazil became the country with the third-highest number of participating teams, behind only the United States and Germany.