ICC Institute of World Business Law Prize names laureate of third edition

The €10,000 prize is awarded biennially for demonstrating excellent legal writing and making an outstanding new contribution in the field of international commercial law, including arbitration, by anyone under the age of 40. This competition jury, made up of a select number of ICC Institute Council members, selected Ms Debourg’s thesis from 34 entries covering 16 nationalities and five continents, a marked increase over the previous two editions of the Prize. Ms Debourg commented that the prize offered her a great opportunity to promote her research beyond academic circles. “I am deeply honoured that my thesis has been selected and has received recognition from such a prestigious institution,” Ms Debourg said. “The Prize represents a major achievement after several years of hard work.” “The issue of conflicting decisions in international arbitration is very complex and reflects a current practical concern while raising interesting and difficult theoretical questions,” Ms Debourg replied when asked why she chose her topic. “It was an inspiring challenge to devote several years of study to this issue.” She added that she would use the prize money to publish her work and conduct further research in France and abroad in the field of international arbitration. Entries for this year’s edition covered a wide variety of topics, ranging from international arbitration to banking, investment, trade finance, and sustainable development, among others. “When launching the Institute Prize five years ago, our aim was to encourage the analysis of jurisprudence, and also to inspire young scholars to consider how those legal principles are applied in practice in today’s global economy,” said Georges Affaki, Vice-Chairman of the ICC Banking Commission and Head of Structured Finance, CIB Legal at BNP Paribas. “The Prize’s success is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the number of applications has grown year-on-year to this year’s record level.” “We have been delighted with both the number and the quality of the theses,” Mr Affaki said. Sponsors for the 2011 edition include BNP Paribas, and the law offices of Erdem & Erdem and L.O. Baptista. The deadline for applying for the next edition of the Prize is 1 July 2013. To download an application form and view applicable rules visit the ICC Institute Prize webpages