ICC announces new Young Arbitrators Forum regional representatives

With over 10,000 members worldwide, ICC YAF is the largest young arbitration practitioners’ association of its kind, reflecting ICC’s position as the world’s leading arbitral institution.

Drawing on ICC expertise, the forum‘s educational programmes and conferences offer an ideal environment for young practitioners to exchange views on international arbitration developments and to learn directly from some of the world’s leading experts in the field.

José Feris, ICC YAF Co-Chair and Deputy Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration said: “ICC YAF has significantly expanded in recent years, in quantity, diversity and geographical reach. This has led to a record number of applications in this year’s selection process and to growth in the number of representatives chosen.

“We are delighted to have been able to choose an incredibly diverse and talented group of young professionals located all over the world in response to such expansion.”

Mr Feris added: “For the first time ever we have representatives from Afghanistan, Finland, Guatemala, Japan, Latvia, Morocco, Pakistan, Panama, Romania and Thailand. For the first time, we will also have multiple representatives in important regional arbitration hubs including Beijing, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, London, Mexico, Paris, Singapore, and New York. These measures will allow us to continue the advancement of our global network and build stronger ties among our members.”

With the help of the new representatives, ICC YAF will continue to organise first rate arbitration conferences and seminars in every region of the world. The new members will also play a key role not only developing the network in their respective countries but also in neighbouring states.

“We believe that through training and mentorship, we can mould the next generation of leading international arbitration and ADR experts. YAF is our far-reaching platform to better inform, connect and inspire young professionals with interests in dispute resolution,” said Mr Feris.

The new representatives will participate and take an active organising role in the forum’s flagship event, the ICC YAF Global Conference which takes place every two years. The next conference will take place in New York on 9-10 June 2017 and see current representatives hand down their roles to the new members.

During their mandate, representatives will also take part in the series of ICC YAF Regional Conferences scheduled to take place in 2018 in their respective regions.

“We are very grateful for all the hard work the former representatives put into fulfilling their mandate and the enthusiasm with which the new group members are taking up their roles. It is thanks to them that YAF continues to grow and to further open access to dispute resolution education and know-how worldwide,” said Alina Leoveanu, ICC YAF Co-Chair and Manager of the ICC International Centre for ADR.

In line with the ICC Court’s efforts to enhance transparency and diversity of international arbitration, Ms Leoveanu said that the selection process for new representatives aimed to respect gender balance, diversity of backgrounds and jurisdictions, as well as a diverse range of law firms.

“We can now rest assured that the new candidates will bring a variety of expertise that will enrich our network,” Ms Leoveanu said. “We eagerly look forward to working with them and are pleased to have them on board with us.”

The new ICC YAF Representatives are:

NORTH ASIA CHAPTER
Mingchao Fan, Regional Director, ICC YAF North Asia Chapter

CHINA
Wei Sun, Partner, Zhong Lun Law Firm, Beijing
Maggie Ying Pei, Tesla Motors, Beijing
Yanhua Lin, Fangda Partners, Beijing

HONG KONG
Bryan Fok, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hong Kong
Eleanor Hughes, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Hong Kong
Vee Vian Thien, Allen & Overy, Hong Kong

JAPAN
Yuichiro Omori, Baker & McKenzie, Tokyo

REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Kyongwha Chung, Bae, Kim & Lee, Seoul

TAIWAN
Chloe Chun-Ju Tai, TransGloble Life Insurance Inc, Taipei

PAKISTAN
Anees Ahmed Pechuho, Abraham & Sarwana, Advocates & Solicitors, Karachi

SOUTH AND EAST ASIA CHAPTER
Abhinav Bhushan, Regional Director, ICC YAF South and East Asia Chapter

AFGHANISTAN
Emraan Rahmani, Qaderdan Rural Technology Development Workshop, Kabul

AUSTRALIA
Jaclyn Smith, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Melbourne

INDIA
Shashank Garg, Advani & Co., New Delhi
Anish Wadia, Chambers of Anish Wadia, Mumbai

MALAYSIA
Jocelyn Lim, SKRINE, Kuala Lumpur

SINGAPORE
Tim Robbins, Norton Rose Fulbright, Singapore
Mahesh Rai, Drew and Napier, Singapore

THAILAND
Chananya Rattanacharoen, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Co. LTD., Bangkok

EUROPE AND RUSSIA CHAPTER
Laetitia de Montalivet, Regional Director, ICC YAF Europe Chapter

AUSTRIA
Ulrich Kopetzki, PLATTE, Vienna

FINLAND
Aapo Saarikivi, Roschier, Attorneys Ltd, Helsinki

FRANCE
Clement Fouchard, Linklaters LLP, Paris

GERMANY
Arne Fuchs, McDermott Will & Emery, Frankfurt

GREECE
Marina Papadatou, Leboulanger & Associés, Paris and Athens

ITALY
Michele Curatola, Lombardi Molinari Segni, Milan

ROMANIA
Cosmin Vasile, Zamfirescu Racoţi & Partners, Bucharest

RUSSIA
Julia Popelysheva, Clifford Chance, Moscow

SPAIN
Mélanie Riofrio Piché, Armesto & Asociados, Madrid

SWITZERLAND
Eva Kalnina, Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler, Geneva

UNITED KINGDOM
Rachel O’Grady, Mayer Brown International LLP, London
Maria Claudia Procopiak, Dechert LLP, London

LATIN AMERICA CHAPTER
Katherine González Arrocha, Regional Director, ICC YAF Latin America Chapter

ARGENTINA
Ignacio Minorini, Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi, Buenos Aires

BRAZIL
Rodrigo Gabardo, Lee Taube Gabardo, Curitiba
Flavia Mange, Mange & Gabbay, São Paulo
Ana Carolina Weber, Eizirik Advogados, Rio de Janeiro

COLOMBIA
Diana Correa, Diana Correa International, Bogota

ECUADOR
Hugo García, Corral Rosales Carmigniani Pérez CRCP, Quito

GUATEMALA
Edson López, Integrum, Guatemala City

MEXICO
Daniel García Barragán, García Barragán Abogados, Mexico City
René Irra de la Cruz, Irra Ibarra, Mexico City

PANAMA
Cristina López, López, Villanueva & Heurtematte, Panama City

PERU
Briana Canorio, Petróleos del Perú S.A. – PETROPERÚ, Lima

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA CHAPTER
Sami Houerbi, Regional Director, ICC YAF Middle East and Africa Chapter

EGYPT
Salma El Baz, Rizkana & Partners, Cairo

IRAN
Hamideh Barmakhshad, Dadandish Charter International Law Firm, Tehran

LEBANON
Myriam G. Eid, Hajj & Kanaan Law Office & Legal Consultancy, Beirut

MAURITIUS
Jamsheed Peeroo, Chambers of A.R.M.A. Peeroo SC GOSK, Port-Louis

MOROCCO
Mehdi Kettani, DLA Piper, Casablanca

NIGERIA
Adebayo Folahan Ajayi, ACAS-Law, Lagos

QATAR
Ghada M. Darwish, Ghada M. Darwish Law Firm, Doha

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Matei Purice, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Dubai

TURKEY
Simel Sarıalioğlu, Paksoy, Istanbul

NORTH AMERICA CHAPTER
Soeun (Nikole) Lee, Regional Director, ICC YAF North America Chapter

CANADA
Eric Morgan, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Toronto
Alexandra Mitretodis, Fasken Martineau, Vancouver

UNITED STATES
Andy Tuck, Alston & Bird, LLP, Atlanta
Seth Meyer, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, Chicago
Silvia Marchili, King & Spalding, Houston
Marike Paulsson, University of Miami School of Law’s International Arbitration Institute, Miami
Floriane Lavaud, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York
Ignacio Zapiola, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP, New York
Amy Endicott, Arnold Porter LLP, San Francisco
Chip Rosenberg, White & Case LLP, Washington DC

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