Christopher Newmark to chair ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR

Mr Newmark is a partner at the London firm Spenser Underhill Newmark LLP, a niche practice specializing in international arbitration and ADR. He has acted as chairman, sole arbitrator or party appointed arbitrator in several international arbitrations under ICC, the London Court of Arbitration (LCIA), the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and other arbitration rules. 

Mr Newmark also brings to his new role at ICC his extensive experience as a commercial mediator and a member of CEDR Chambers, which is the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution’s lead UK practice group of mediators, as well as CEDR’s mediator training faculty. He has conducted more than 100 mediations for CEDR, ICC, LCIA, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Sport Resolutions UK and Consensus Mediation.

“Having worked very closely with Chris in his roles as vice chair of the commission, member of the small drafting group on the Mediation, Expertise and Dispute Board Rules and as Co-Chair of the Task Force on Techniques for Controlling Time and Costs in Arbitration, I am more than confident that he will be an excellent Chairman of the Commission,” said Peter Wolrich, outgoing chairman of the commission.

The ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR brings together experts in the field of international dispute resolution from across the globe and across jurisdictions, and currently has over 690 members coming from more than 90 countries. It is responsible for drafting and revising ICC’s dispute resolution rules and clauses.

The commission successfully completed revision of the ICC Rules of Arbitration in 2011. It has also recently approved new ICC Mediation Rules, which will replace the ICC ADR Rules and will enter into force on 1 January 2014. It is also currently revising the ICC Expertise and Dispute Board Rules. In its research capacity, it proposes new policies in the interest of efficient and cost-effective dispute resolution and provides useful tools for the conduct of dispute resolution.

“I have been involved with the work of the Commission since 1999 and have always believed that it plays an important role, not only in the context of ICC Arbitration and ADR, but also for the international dispute resolution community more generally,” said Mr Newmark. “I am honoured to take over the Chairmanship from Peter and look forward to collaborating with members of the Commission to continue and develop its work over the next few years.”

Mr Newmark was the first emergency arbitrator to be appointed by ICC under the new ICC Emergency Arbitrator Provisions. He was also a member of the Drafting Sub-Committee of the new ICC Rules of Arbitration and is chairing the working group set up to review the ICC ADR, Expertise and Dispute Board Rules. He co-chaired the ICC task force on reducing time and cost in complex commercial arbitrations.

Mr Newmark was formerly a partner and chairman of the European Dispute Resolution Group at international law firm, Baker & McKenzie. From 2007 to 2010, Mr Newmark sat on the board of directors of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR). Mr Newmark was a rapporteur to the CEDR Commission on Settlement in International Arbitration whose report and rules were published in 2009. He is also a senior visiting lecturer at the School of International Arbitration, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London.

For more information visit the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR