Marking eleven years of excellence, Vienna once again served as the premier meeting point for the world’s sharpest minds in negotiation and dispute resolution.

As proud partners of the CDRC Vienna – The IBA-VIAC Mediation & Negotiation Competition, we remain dedicated to fostering the growth of tomorrow’s dispute resolution experts. With that, we extend our warmest congratulations to this year’s winners: Pepperdine Caruso Law / Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, represented by Richard Dreier and Catherine Davis (Mediators), and UNSW Law Society, represented by Marianne Abzack, Xiying Xie, Julia Maikari, and Katherine Vu (Negotiators). We also congratulate all participants for the dedication, preparation, and great enthusiasm they brought to the competition. Your passion made CDRC Vienna 2026 a resounding success!

Our partners, Bettina Knoetzl and Natascha Tunkel, returned this year as seasoned assessors. Bettina also had the honor of judging the high-stakes final round, joining a distinguished panel of experts alongside Zachary Calo, James Claxton, Sarah Tarar, and Chiara Tondini.
Beyond her role on the Organizing Committee and Case Working Group, Natascha also took the stage for the panel “Interactional Intelligence: The Wider Power of Mediation in Bridging Divides.” Alongside co-panelists Till Stadtmuller, Gabriela Ourivio Assmar, Catherine Peulve, James Claxton and Georges Hanot, she explored how recognizing diverse perspectives can transform connections and productively bridge deep divides.

A heartfelt thank you to Director Thomas John, MCIArb, as well as GhulamMuhammad Adnan and Inan Gupta, who are an essential part of the competition. We also thank all assessors, coaches, volunteers, and sponsors. We can’t wait to welcome the next generation back to Vienna next year!