Our Hong Kong face, Sala Sihombing attended the two day forum held on 16 and 17 November at the City University of Hong Kong which was organised by the City University and UNCITRAL. Speakers represented all parts of Asia including the PRC, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Hong Kong. Speakers reflected on the ways in which mediation has impacted their national legal systems. Straus's own Professor Eric van Ginkel (pictured above on the far right - with Professor Sharma, Judge Vichai of Thailand and Christopher To) presented on the impact of mediation on the US legal system. Professor van Ginkel ventured where few mediators are prepared to go in his speech and raised issues with confidentiality where it provides a shield for counsel who do not perform adequately and questioned the potential harm that can be done where a mediation agreement is based on fraud or mistake.