U.S. Courts' Assistance to International Arbitrations: Recent Developments and Impact on Arbitrations Seated in Switzerland.

For years parties to international arbitrations have used the discovery mechanism of § 1782 to seek the U.S. courts' assistance in obtaining evidence from persons in the United States. Over time, a circuit split developed on whether § 1782 extended to private arbitral tribunals. This summer, the United States Supreme Court resolved the circuit split, holding that the scope of § 1782 did not encompass private international arbitration, but leaving the door open for arbitral tribunals imbued with some level of governmental authority. After providing a summary of the Supreme Court's decision, the article focuses on the implications of this new precedent and its impact on participants to arbitration proceedings seated outside the U.S. with a focus on arbitrations seated in Switzerland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]