The International Dispute Resolution Centre

What The International Dispute Resolution Centre does

The International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC) is a London-based private limited company operating a purpose-built venue for international arbitration, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Founded in 2000 and relocated in 2021 to a 60,000+ sq ft facility at 1 Paternoster Lane, St. Paul's — opposite St. Paul's Cathedral in the City of London — IDRC offers over 100 rooms including 20 large hearing rooms, with audio-visual, telephony, climate control, and secure access throughout. Revenue is generated principally through day-rate rental of hearing rooms (£915-£2,295), mediation rooms (£525-£1,040), retiring/breakout rooms (£315-£590), and virtual or hybrid hearings (£1,265-£1,435), supplemented by ancillary services such as court reporting, interpretation, translation, catering, document storage, couriers, and administrative support.

The centre's flagship asset is the IDRC Opus 2 Suite, launched in August 2023 as a co-development with legal technology provider Opus 2. The Suite integrates TV studio-grade AV, plug-and-play individual desk setups, live speaker feeds, and a dedicated on-site Opus 2 engineer to support in-person, fully virtual, and hybrid hearings accommodating over 100 participants. Underlying technology infrastructure includes 5G connectivity, Cat 6 cabling in every room, and a 10-gigabit fibre WiFi backbone over a 1,000 Mb fibre optic core. Distribution is principally direct (website, phone, email, on-site tours) supplemented by institutional referrals from 18+ dispute resolution bodies — including the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA, co-located at the same address), CEDR, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, JAMS International, ICC, ARIAS (UK), the London Maritime Arbitrators Association, RICS, and Sport Resolutions. The Corporation of the City of London holds a shareholder position alongside LCIA and CEDR, reflecting public-sector and institutional backing of London's status as a global arbitration hub.

IDRC's customer base comprises large international law firms, in-house corporate legal teams, mediation service providers, dispute resolution institutions, government and regulatory bodies, and legal education organisations. Marketing and customer acquisition are event-driven, anchored on hosting and sponsoring London Arbitration Week, London International Disputes Week, the International Arbitration Charity Ball, and ICCA events, alongside corporate website presence and earned media coverage. The company does not disclose revenue, headcount, or utilisation metrics, operates without external venture or private equity investment, and has no subsidiaries or M&A activity on record.

Name

The International Dispute Resolution Centre

Legal name

International Dispute Resolution Centre Ltd.

Website

https://idrc.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC) is a London-based private venue operator offering purpose-built hearing, mediation, and conference facilities for international arbitration and ADR proceedings, serving global law firms, corporate legal teams, and dispute resolution institutions from its 60,000+ sq ft St. Paul's facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Dispute Resolution Facilities

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue & Facility Reservations (Private Rooms, Event Spaces) (HSACALAJ)

Keywords

• Arbitration hearing rooms
• Mediation facilities
• Virtual hearings
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Conference room rental

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Room Rental - Arbitration/Hearing Rooms: Daily rate rental of hearing/arbitration rooms accommodating 15-100 people. Premium pricing for larger facilities.
2. Room Rental - Retiring Rooms: Daily rate rental of sound-proofed retiring rooms with large display screens and VC solutions.
3. Virtual & Hybrid Hearings: Fully virtual, semi-virtual (hybrid) and singular party hearing options accommodating over 100 participants with integrated technology services.
4. Room Rental - Mediation Rooms: Daily rate rental of mediation rooms accommodating 15+ people.
5. Support Services: Translation services, court reporting, interpretation, administrative support, printing, document storage, couriers, catering, and reception services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IDRC operates a 60,000+ sq ft flagship physical dispute resolution venue in central London, renting fully-equipped hearing, mediation, retiring, conference, and virtual/hybrid hearing rooms to law firms, corporate legal teams, dispute resolution institutions, and government bodies. The offering is anchored by the purpose-built IDRC Opus 2 Suite with integrated electronic hearing services and complemented by ancillary support services including court reporting, interpretation, translation, catering, document storage, internet access, and accommodation arrangements.

Product overview

IDRC is a world-leading physical dispute resolution venue offering fully-equipped hearing facilities for arbitration, mediation, conferences, training, and public inquiries. The core offering comprises room-based hire across five room types (Arbitration/Hearing Rooms, Retiring Rooms, Mediation Rooms, Conference Rooms, and Virtual & Hybrid Hearings), anchored by the flagship IDRC Opus 2 Suite — a purpose-built hearing room integrated with Opus 2's cloud-based legal technology platform providing electronic evidence presentation, real-time transcription, and hybrid hearing connectivity. Supporting services include video conferencing, court reporting and interpretation, translation, catering, document storage, multifunctional copiers, internet access, reception services, and accommodation arrangements. IDRC operates from 60,000+ sq ft of space at St. Paul's, London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IDRC Opus 2 Suite A flagship, purpose-built hearing room jointly developed with Opus 2, providing integrated electronic hearing services for in-person, virtual, and hybrid international arbitration. Features customisable plug-and-play desk setups, built-in studio-quality AV, live video feed of speakers, EPE screens, simultaneous interpretation support, and a dedicated Opus 2 on-site support engineer.
• Arbitration / Hearing Rooms Fully equipped arbitration hearing rooms accommodating 15 to 100 people, designed for international arbitration proceedings. All rooms include audio-visual equipment, telephony, air conditioning, and security access. Day rates range from £915 to £2,295.
• Virtual & Hybrid Hearings State-of-the-art virtual and hybrid dispute resolution hearing services supporting fully virtual, semi-virtual (hybrid), and singular party configurations accommodating over 100 participants. Powered by Opus 2 platform with real-time transcription and integrated evidence presentation. Day rates from £1,265 to £1,435.
• Mediation Rooms Mediation meeting rooms at IDRC's London centre accommodating 15 or more participants, equipped with conference and communication facilities. Day rates from £525 to £1,040.
• Retiring Rooms Strategically designed retiring and breakout rooms, fully sound-proofed and each equipped with large display screens and video conferencing solutions. Day rates from £315 to £590.
• Conference Rooms Conference rooms at IDRC offering natural light, vibrant surroundings, and the latest technology for conferences, training, and public inquiries.
• Video Conferencing High-speed video conferencing facilities available in any room at the Centre, with the ability to arrange remote video-conferencing sites worldwide.
• Court Reporting and Interpretation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ sq ft of world-class dispute resolution facilities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, flagship and minor.

• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor dispute resolution institution providing support as a shareholder and referring clients to IDRC for hearings and proceedings. LCIA is headquartered at the same address (1 Paternoster Lane) as IDRC.
• CEDRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre for Effective Dispute Resolution - major ADR body supporting IDRC as a shareholder and referring mediation clients.
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIBarb)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body for arbitrators providing institutional support and membership referral network for IDRC services.
• Corporation of the City of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of London Corporation has invested as a shareholder in IDRC, demonstrating institutional support for the dispute resolution hub in the City of London.
• JAMS InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal alternative dispute resolution provider referring international clients to IDRC facilities.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal business organization offering arbitration and ADR services, referring clients and hosting events at IDRC.
• ARIAS (UK)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance and reinsurance arbitration specialists providing institutional support and referrals.
• ArbitramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArbitration service provider with shared London location and cross-referral relationship.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body for RICS members requiring dispute resolution services, referring construction and property disputes to IDRC.
• Independent MediatorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional mediation organization referring clients and using IDRC facilities for mediation proceedings.
• London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary professional body for maritime arbitrators, referring shipping and maritime disputes to IDRC facilities.
• Sport ResolutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent sports dispute resolution service referring sporting industry disputes to IDRC.
• Opus 2flagshipTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership to deliver the IDRC Opus 2 Suite - a purpose-built hearing room using TV studio technology. Opus 2 provides cloud-based legal technology and integrated electronic hearing services for in-person, virtual, and hybrid hearings. Includes dedicated on-site support engineer.
• In Place of StrifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediation service provider referring clients to IDRC facilities.
• RESOLEXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDispute resolution service provider with cross-referral relationship.
• Society of Construction ArbitratorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body referring construction arbitration disputes to IDRC.
• Worshipful Company of ArbitratorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of London livery company providing professional arbitration network referrals.
• Civil Mediation Council (CMC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK regulatory body for civil mediators referring accredited members' clients to IDRC.
• Mediation for ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist construction mediation service referring disputes to IDRC facilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maxwell Chambers: Singapore's flagship integrated ADR and hearing venue offering arbitration and mediation hearing rooms with integrated technology. Directly comparable to IDRC as the leading Asia-Pacific alternative for international arbitration hearings, competing for the same global case-load.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Hong Kong-based international arbitration institution that administers cases and provides purpose-built hearing facilities. Closely comparable to IDRC as a venue-plus-institution model serving international commercial arbitration with comparable target customers.
• Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC): Dubai-based arbitration institution providing hearing facilities and administering disputes across the Middle East. Comparable to IDRC as a competing regional ADR hub targeting the same international arbitration market from a different geography.
• Arbitration Place: Canadian arbitration hearing venue with facilities in Toronto and Ottawa offering purpose-built hearing rooms and arbitration support services. Directly comparable niche hearing-venue business model to IDRC's core offering.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC): Leading international arbitration institution administering cases in Singapore with associated hearing facilities. Comparable to IDRC as an institution-anchored venue serving the same cross-border arbitration customer base.

Broad incumbents

• JAMS International: Major global ADR services provider with a wide portfolio of mediators, arbitrators and hearing locations. IDRC lists JAMS International as a strategic referral partner; comparable as a broader incumbent in the same industry with overlapping customers but wider scope than IDRC's single-venue model.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration: World's largest international arbitration institution administering cases globally and referring hearings to facilities including IDRC. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the ADR ecosystem, operating across multiple venues rather than as a single facility.
• American Arbitration Association - ICDR: US-headquartered international ADR institution providing arbitration, mediation and hearing services across multiple jurisdictions. Comparable to IDRC as a broad incumbent serving overlapping international arbitration customers, though operating a network model rather than a single venue.

Others

• Opus 2: Cloud-based legal technology provider for arbitration hearings, transcript management and electronic evidence presentation. Closely tied to IDRC through the flagship Opus 2 Suite partnership; comparable as an enabling/adjacent technology provider serving the same arbitration customers.

Regional players

• One Great George Street: Central London purpose-built conference and events venue close to government and legal institutions. Comparable as a London venue serving legal conferences, training and professional events that overlap with IDRC's conference and training use cases, though not specialised in arbitration hearings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IdrcLondon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The International Dispute Resolution Centre