Georgia State University, College of Law. Photo: John Disney/ALM

The international arbitration center housed at Georgia State University's law school has expanded its scope to handle domestic arbitrations and mediations for business disputes.

With the changes, the center has updated its name, effective July 1. Previously called the Atlanta Center for International Arbitration and Mediation since its launch in 2015, it's been redubbed the Georgia State University Law Center for Arbitration and Mediation.

A partnership between GSU College of Law and the Atlanta International Arbitration Society (ATLAS), the center's state-of-the-art hearing facility opened almost four years ago in GSU Law's new building in downtown Atlanta. ATLAS itself was founded in 2012 by a group of local lawyers to further Atlanta's bid to become a hub for international arbitrations.

The center has expanded into domestic arbitrations to take advantage of “demand we wanted to tap into locally and the fact that we are right here in downtown Atlanta,” said Nick Fomin, GSU Law's director of conference and event services

“We are building on the work that the arbitration center has already done to establish itself in the international market,” Fomin said. “We look forward to being a resource for the community.”

The name change is to take advantage of GSU Law's name-recognition in the local market and to reflect that GSU Law is now handling day-to-day logistics and event planning for the center, Fomin said. That allows it to take advantage of GSU Law's existing infrastructure, which includes a conference center.

It will continue to be a hearing space for international arbitrations and mediations and to host related conferences and educational events, he added.

The center will continue to collaborate with ATLAS and will honor all the memoranda of understanding agreements it has developed with a number of international arbitral institutions to collaborate on training and related activities. Those groups include the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the ICC Court of International Arbitration, JAMS and the Vienna International Arbitration Centre.

Parties booking space at the GSU Law Center for Arbitration and Mediation through those institutions and ATLAS members also receive a 40% discount.

If a cross-border business contract has an arbitration clause, it typically specifies an arbitral location.

GSU Law's center has state-of-the art technology and concierge services for lawyers making the trip to Atlanta for their arbitrations and mediations. That includes airport transportation, hotel and restaurant reservations. It also can supply court reporters, interpreters and translators.