For veterans of the legal profession, the world has a way of feeling incredibly small at times. Law school roommates become judges. Former colleagues end up on the opposing side in lawsuits. In any given case, it can take a Venn diagram to detail the shared histories between opposing lawyers, judges, arbitrators and experts.

The age-old challenge is determining where to draw the line and when to disclose a potential conflict. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) tried to tackle the topic with new disclosure rules for arbitrators, but Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP partner Juan M. Alcalá of Austin says there’s more work to be done.

 "With respect to an arbitrator's disclosure standards, there remains uncertainty as to what constitutes a circumstance worthy of disclosure,” says Alcalá, who co-wrote the chapter "Arbitrator Disclosure Standards in a State of Flux" in the International Centre for Dispute Resolution book, "ICDR Awards and Commentaries." “The uncertainty will continue until there is a uniform standard and rules for determining an arbitrator's disclosure responsibilities."