New international experts appointed as ICC YAF regional coordinators

The new RCC members, representing 30 countries, will be in charge for the next two years of promoting and developing the ICC YAF global network which includes over 7,500 members worldwide.

ICC YAF is the biggest young arbitrators association of its kind and represents a unique network for young professionals in the field. The forum grows bigger every year and its educational programmes and conferences offer an ideal environment for young practitioners to exchange their views on international arbitration and learn from experts.

“ICC YAF has significantly expanded over the past years in quantity, diversity and geographical reach. We are delighted to have been able to choose an incredibly diverse and talented group of young professionals located throughout the world in response to such expansion,” said Jose Feris, ICC YAF Co-Chair and Deputy Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. He added: “Each of them brings a great deal of energy, experience and new ideas. We look forward to collaborating with them individually and as a group to create new synergies that will continue to push our global network forward and build stronger ties among our members.”

With the help of the new members, ICC YAF will continue to organize first rate arbitration conferences and seminars in all regions of the world. So far this year, ICC YAF has already organized conferences in 20 cities, including Amman, Bogota, Kiev, Lagos, Mumbai, and Vilnius, as well as in major arbitration hubs such as London, New York, Paris, and Singapore. ICC YAF events in such cities have enabled young practitioners to access the latest discussions and developments in the field of arbitration. The new members will also play an essential role in developing the network not only in their respective countries, but in neighbouring states, ensuring a global presence for the ICC YAF network.

The new RCC members will participate and take an active organizing role in the ICC YAF Global Conference, which takes place every two years with the next one set to take place in London in June 2015.

During their mandate, RCC members will also take part in two ICC YAF Regional Conferences. This year’s regional conferences will see current members hand down their roles to the new members. The European Regional conference took place in Rome, Italy on 13-14 June and the other four chapters will hold their regional conference this autumn, as follows:

• The North American Chapter will hold their regional conference in New York on 9 September;
• The Middle East and Africa Chapter regional conference will take place on a cruise through the Bosphorus on 12 September starting from Istanbul;
• The Asian Chapter will hold their regional conference just before the start of the Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore on 19 September;
• The new RCCs from the Latin American Chapter will be introduced during the annual meeting of the Latin American Group, which will reunite on 25 September in Paris.

“We are very grateful for all the hard work the former RCC members put into fulfilling their mandate and the enthusiasm with which the new group is taking up their roles. It is thanks to them that YAF continues to grow and to develop the access to arbitration and dispute resolution education and know-how worldwide,” said Hannah Tumpel, ICC YAF Co-Chair and Senior Counsel of the ICC International Centre for ADR. “We received a high number of applications from extremely talented candidates. Our careful selection process aimed to respect gender balance, diversity of backgrounds and jurisdictions. We now rest assured that the new candidates will bring a variety of expertise that will enrich our network. We eagerly look forward to working with them and are pleased to have them on board with us,” she added.

The new RCC members are:

Asia Chapter

Sylvia Tee, Regional Director, ICC YAF Asia Chapter
Thayananthan Baskaran, Zul Rafique, Kuala Lumpur
Kun-Hee Cho, Kim & Chang, Seoul
Anne Hoffmann, Herbert Smith Freehills, Sydney
Smitha Menon, WongPartnership, Singapore
Lei Shi, Clifford Chance, Hong Kong
Sonal Kumar Singh, AK Singh & Co, Delhi
Janie Wong, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Hong Kong

Europe and Russia Chapter

Alina Leoveanu, Head, ICC YAF Europe & Russia Chapter
Ania Farren, K&L Gates, London
Stepan Guzey, Lidings, Moscow
Giulio Palermo, Lalive, Geneva
Marily Paralika, White & Case, Paris
Patricia Saiz, Esade Law School, Barcelona/Madrid
Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts, Hanefeld Rechtsanwälte, Hamburg
Christof Strasser, 42Law, Vienna
Volodymyr Yaremko, Arzinger, Kiev

Latin America Chapter

Katherine González Arrocha, Regional Director ICC YAF Latin America Chapter
Claudia Benavides Galvis, Baker & McKenzie, Bogota
Laura Carmiol, ADR Deparment of Lara, López, Matamoros, Rodríguez & Tinoco, LLM Abogados, San José
Rodolfo Miranda Miranda, Amprimo & Flury Abogados, Lima
Julieta Ovalle Piedra, Bufete Ovalle Favela, S.C., Mexico City
Flavio Spaccaquerche Barbosa, Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados, Rio de Janeiro
Joaquin Vallebella, Brons & Salas Law Firm, Buenos Aires

Middle East and Africa

Sami Houerbi, Regional Director, ICC YAF Middle East & Africa Chapter
Alain Farhad, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Dubai
Kristen Jarvis Johnson, Squire Patton Boggs, Qatar
Amani Khalifa, Khalifa Arbitration and Construction Legal Consultants, Cairo
Armindo Moisés Kasesa Chimuco, AJA Associação Jelembi e Advogados, Huambo
Greg Nwakogo, Rosberg Legal Practitioners & Arbitrators, Lagos
Mireille Rached, Rached Law Firm, Beirut
Gül Yanik, Koksal Attorney Partnership, Istanbul

North America

Josefa Sicard-Mirabal, Regional Director, ICC YAF North America Chapter
Teresa Garcia-Reyes, GE Oil & Gas, Houston
Daniel Grodisky, Borden Ladner Gervais, Montreal
Yasmine Lahlou, Chaffetz Lindsey, New York
Sarah Reynolds, Mayer Brown LLP, Chicago
Quinn Smith, Gomm & Smith, Miami
Elizabeth Silbert, King & Spalding, Atlanta
Tomas Solis, Squire Patton Boggs LLP, Washington

Register for free to become a YAF member.

For information on events taking place around the world, visit www.iccyaf.org