The Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook 2009 is the third in an annual series established by the Firm in 2007. The collection of articles on arbitration comprises of reports in key jurisdictions around the globe. Leading lawyers of the Firm's International Arbitration Practice Group, a division of the Firm's Global Dispute Resolution Practice Group, report on recent developments in national laws relating to arbitration and address current trends and tendencies in the jurisdictions in which they practice. This year, in continuation of the tradition that started in 2008, to report on a topic of interest in the field, the contributors provide information on parallel proceedings before state courts and arbitral tribunals — an issue that directly addresses the functionalities of arbitration and affects how it is perceived as an efficient tool for resolving commercial disputes. The aim of this Yearbook is to highlight the more important recent developments in international arbitration, without aspiring to be an exhaustive case reporter or a textbook to arbitration in the broad sense. It is hoped that this volume will prove a useful tool for those contemplating and using arbitration to resolve international business disputes.