About Us
A Word from the Chairman
As Chairman of the Portuguese Arbitration Association (APA), I welcome you to our new website.
Created in 2006, APA is the institutional expression of the Portuguese Arbitral Community, comprising about 251 members professionally and academically dedicated to arbitration, which the Association has as its mission to study, disseminate and promote.
The relevance of this means of extrajudicial resolution of disputes is today undeniable, both in the internal and international order, enabling the rapid and fair settlement of disputes by specialists, generally chosen by the parties themselves and in accordance with rules agreed upon by them.
Being an indispensable component of the system of administration of justice – as recognized by the Portuguese Constitution – arbitration thus creates value for the economy and fosters its internationalization.
Since its creation, the APA has been responsible for very significant developments in the arbitration regime in Portugal. APA is responsible for the project that gave rise to the current Voluntary Arbitration Law, which placed Portugal at the forefront of legislation on the matter; the Code of Ethics binding on all its members, which implemented an important form of self-regulation in this area; the Code of Good Practice for Arbitration Experts; the regular publication of a Specialised Magazine (the first five volumes of which are freely available on our website) and of an annotated version of the Voluntary Arbitration Law, now in its 6th edition; and the holding of a large number of conferences and other public initiatives which have brought renowned specialists to Portugal. A large number of conferences and other public initiatives have brought renowned specialists in the world of arbitration to Portugal, thereby seeking to strengthen the ties that unite the Portuguese Arbitration Community with those of other countries.
In the exercise of its statutory duties, APA pursues a policy of age and gender diversification, clearly evident in the current composition of its Board of Directors and in the importance assumed by the under-40 members, who are now an essential component of the Association.
APA also seeks to decentralize its activities, entrusting the responsibilities inherent to specific matters to Councils endowed with broad autonomy in their respective areas of competence, in which all members can participate. You can consult more information about each of the Councils here.
APA also cooperates actively with other public and private organisations - in particular, Universities, the Judiciary, the Bar Association and the main institutionalised Arbitration Centres, with which it has carried out numerous joint initiatives - as well as with various foreign organisations.
APA is open to the participation, as associates, of all natural and legal persons who are interested in its statutory purposes and are willing to contribute, in that capacity, to their achievement.
On this website, interested parties will find the most relevant information regarding these purposes and the activities undertaken by the Association, as well as its members.
Sofia Martins
Members
At APA we are open to the participation, as members, of all natural and legal persons who are interested in our statutory purposes and we are willing to contribute, in that capacity, to its realization.