The University of Cambridge Faculty of Law is delighted to celebrate the outstanding success of the Cambridge University Arbitration Society's (CUArb) 2026 Vis Moot team comprising Tripos students Dawn Chow (Newnham), Sam Moore (Trinity Hall), Ewan Crease (Fitzwilliam) and Thomas Loke (Trinity), who recently reached the final of the prestigious international competition.
The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, held annually in Vienna, is one of the world's largest and most rigorous advocacy competitions. This year's event saw 384 universities from across the globe competing in a series of grueling rounds. The Cambridge team demonstrated exceptional legal reasoning and oral advocacy, navigating complex issues of international commercial law against a diverse field of international opponents to reach the final.
In addition to the success in the oral arguments, the team's legal writing and argumentation was also recognized. The Cambridge team earned 2nd place for the Claimant Memorandum and an Honourable Mention for the Respondent Memorandum exemplifying the high standard of advocacy across the disciplines.
The team's success was made possible through the generous support of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. The firm is a long-standing supporter of the Faculty and CUArb, and their continued commitment to fostering interest in international arbitration was vital to the team's preparation and participation.
The students were coached by doctoral candidate Leo F. Souza-McMurtrie and LLM student Margaret Driscoll, whose expert guidance proved instrumental in the team's progression. The squad also benefited from the expertise of Professor Campbell McLachlan and Dr Faidon Varesis, who provided invaluable mentorship throughout the competition.
Reflecting on the team's performance, Professor McLachlan commented:
"I am so delighted at the stellar success of the Cambridge Vis team, which is a tribute to their own abilities and dedication and to the hard work and support of our excellent postgraduate student coaches, Leo and Margaret. It is a pleasure to see Cambridge re-entering the competition this year and then reaching the top table at the world’s premier international arbitration moot."
This significant achievement continues the Faculty's strong tradition of excellence in international mooting and reflects the high standard of advocacy currently being practiced within the student body.
The final was streamed, and is available to view on YouTube.