Special honour for ‘outstanding’ ICC lawyer

The standard of nominations for the 2011 award, which went to Francisco Pirez Gordillo of Montevideo, Uruguay, was of a particularly high calibre leading the judging panel, headed by Rouven Bodenheimer, Chair of the IBA Young Lawyers’ Committee to give honourable mentions to Ms Tuempel and to Amna Al Owais of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts. “Hannah has been a tireless promoter of mediation as a viable means of resolving different types of conflict,” said Michael McIlwrath, Senior Counsel, Litigation for GE Infrastructure, Oil and Gas, who nominated Ms Tuempel for the award. “Her efforts have both directly and indirectly contributed to the broader acceptance of mediation not just in transnational disputes, but in the domestic legal systems of many different countries.” Ms Tuempel is a German qualified lawyer and a trained mediator. Since 2009 she has been Manager of the International Centre for ADR of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in charge of all non-arbitration dispute resolution services of ICC, mainly mediation and expertise proceedings. “This award is well-deserved recognition of Hannah’s development as a lawyer and her contribution to the development of her chosen field,” said Jason Fry, Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and Director of the ICC International Centre for ADR. “One of the privileges of working at ICC is the opportunity to work with bright and dynamic young lawyers like Hannah. She is to be congratulated.” The award ceremony for the 2011 International Bar Association (IBA) Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award in recognition of William Reece Smith Junior took place during the IBA Annual Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 3 November. The award, sponsored by LexisNexis, is presented annually to a young lawyer who has shown excellence in their work and achievements in their career to date, and also a commitment to professional and ethical standards. Nigel Roberts, Senior Director Global Associations, LexisNexis said: “At LexisNexis, we believe that advancing the rule of law and giving back to the society in which we live and practice is both an opportunity and a responsibility. With this award, we hope to inspire young lawyers around the world to pursue the same values with passion and dedication. “This year, the judging panel was particularly impressed with the tremendous contributions these young professionals have made to their communities and countries and decided to recognize two professionals with honourable mentions. Congratulations to Dr. Francisco Pirez on becoming the 2011 Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year, and to Hannah Tuempel and Amna Al Owais on their honourable mentions.” Ms Tuempel is not only the first European to be considered for the prize but also the first one from the world of arbitration, ADR and mediation. The recognition bestowed on her was for activities that, according to IBA, go “beyond ‘just’ the job and ‘just’ the legal profession”. These activities include her pro-bono work for the United World College (UWC), where she was a scholar and is currently a board member. Ms Tuempel was actively involved in the setting-up of a UWC in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which focuses on post-conflict education and reconciliation.