ArbitralWomen

🎉🎉ArbitralWomen celebrates 31 years!🎉🎉 Reflecting on our journey and embracing the future, ArbitralWomen continues to thrive as a powerful network connecting and empowering women in international dispute resolution. On this remarkable milestone, hear from our president Rebeca Mosquera, vice-president Katherine Bell, and co-founders Louise Barrington, JD, LLM, FCIArb and Mirèze PHILIPPE as they share memories and visions for the road ahead:

🎉Celebrating Diversity and Champions of Change at New York Arbitration Week!🎉 Last night, ArbitralWomen proudly contributed to #NYAW2024 with a dynamic panel and reception focused on enhancing retention and fostering the professional growth of #diverse attorneys in #disputeresolution. We were privileged to host an outstanding panel of trailblazers who shared invaluable insights and practical strategies for advancing diversity and inclusion in the field: ArbitralWomen members included: ⭐Randa Adra (Crowell & Moring) ⭐Katherine Bell (Schellenberg Wittmer, Vice President of ArbitralWomen) ⭐Julianne Jaquith (Quinn Emanuel) Other speakers included: ⭐Andrea Cardani (AlixPartners, Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses) ⭐David Perla (Burford Capital) ⭐Christian Leathley (Herbert Smith Freehills) The panel engaged in a candid discussion on successes, persistent challenges, and actionable solutions, captivating a room filled with aspiring young lawyers and experienced practitioners alike. ⚡ A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the ArbitralWomen Champion for Change Award by our President, Rebeca Mosquera, to Kabir Duggal, Ph.D. Kabir’s unwavering commitment to fostering gender diversity in arbitration has made a profound impact, and it was a privilege to honor him in person after his selection by our membership during the pandemic. 🌟 A heartfelt thank you to: Crowell & Moring for graciously hosting this memorable event. Rekha Rangachari (Board Member and Events Committee lead), Randa Adra, and Dana MacGrath (#AWAC Member) for their exceptional coordination and meticulous planning and dedication in bringing this impactful event to life for our members, allies, and champions. 📸 Featured in these pictures are some of our incredible ArbitralWomen members and leaders: 💎Rebeca Mosquera (Executive Committee, President) 💎Katherine Bell (Executive Committee, Vicepresident) 💎Cherine Foty (Executive Committee, Communications Officer) 💎Dana MacGrath (Past President and AWAC Member) 💎Amanda Lee FCIArb (Past Executive Committee Member and AWAC Member) 💎Randa Adra and Julianne Jaquith, valued members of ArbitralWomen. To learn more about ArbitralWomen’s #ChampionForChange, explore our initiatives, or inquire about membership, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/dcXENJKr. #DiversityInArbitration #ArbitralWomen #NewYorkArbitrationWeek

Meet Magda Kofluk, Managing Associate in Stephenson Harwood LLP's #internationalarbitration group based in #Dubai. Magda is a member of the YAWP Steering Committee.  Magda represents clients in a wide range of complex international arbitrations, particularly in the construction, infrastructure, real estate, transportation, and energy sectors. Her practice includes disputes related to major international projects, such as high-rise towers, infrastructure, power plants, and rail systems. Her clients include developers, contractors, subcontractors, government bodies, consultants, and investors. In addition to her client work, Magda also serves as an arbitrator and has been recognized as one of the Top 10 construction lawyers in the Middle East by Construction Week Magazine. She is a member of the Polish bar. In Magda's words: "I am excited to join the YAWP SC, as it offers a chance to make a meaningful impact on the younger generation of women in arbitration." Magda serves on the YAWP Steering Committee with: Manini Brar, FCIArB , Anamaria Marin, Marie D., Allison Torline and Jae Hee Suh 서재희, together with ArbitralWomen Vice-President and YAWP Chair Katherine Bell.    YAWP - Young ArbitralWomen Practitioners is the first young networking group solely for female practitioners, providing a platform for women under 40 to share ideas and build professional relationships, allowing them to excel and prosper as they advance in their careers in international arbitration. Visit https://lnkd.in/gxuHQ79Q for more information.

ArbitralWomen member Munia El Harti Alonso will speak at "Convención de Panamá, Convención de Nueva York y su Impacto en el Arbitraje CIAC - Quo Vadis?" virtually on 22 November, at 8:00 a.m. Panama time. On November 22, the Comisión Interamericana de Arbitraje Comercial (CIAC) Mujeres will organize a panel on the Panama Convention of 1975 and New York Convention of 1958 in the context of CIAC Rules cases. The following panelists will participate: Liliana Sánchez (President, CIAC; Director, CeCAP) Cristina López (Founding Partner, Lovill) Mariel Núñez (Associate, Arifa; PANYARB) Munia El Harti Alonso (Independent Practitioner, CEIA French Chapter) Carlos Arrue (Independent Arbitrator) The event will take place in hybrid form, virtually and in person at the Centro de Conciliación y Arbitraje de Panama, in Panama City. Register at: https://lnkd.in/eFMJczgC If you are a member of #ArbitralWomen and will be speaking at an upcoming event, please complete and submit the Event Form at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gjhfqeBs. The event form must be submitted at least 14 days before the event to be promoted, and at least 21 days before the event if you seek use of the ArbitralWomen logo.

Soraya Corm-Bakhos, FCIArb has left Watson Farley & Williams (Middle East) LLP effective 17 July 2024, after twenty years in private practice, to dedicate herself fully to her practice as an arbitrator. 

September saw the announcement of four new MUTE OFF Thursdays Co-Chairs, as the popular online forum for senior female practitioners in arbitration entered its fifth year. Laura Halonen, Juliana de Ureña, Diora Ziyaeva and Clea Bigelow-Nuttall – all of whom are members of #ArbitralWomen, with Clea being a member of the 2024-2026 board – were welcomed as Co-Chairs for the 2024-2026 term, taking over from outgoing Co-Chairs Shreya Aren, Lindsay Gastrell, Elena Gutiérrez García de Cortázar and Dr. Jennifer Bryant, Esq.. The online networking and knowledge-sharing platform was created in 2020 by founders Gaëlle Filhol, former ArbitralWomen Board Member and Executive Committee member, Claire Morel de Westgaver, Ema Vidak Friedman and Catherine Anne Kunz. Since its launch in April 2020 with 42 women, the Mute Off platform has grown to a community of over 750 members from around the world, all of whom have at least seven years of experience in #internationalarbitration. The incoming Mute Off Co-Chairs have stated their desire to increase and diversify geographical participation on the platform, particularly amongst senior female practitioners from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America to ensure that the group more accurately reflects the global community of arbitration practitioners.

Take the survey! Queen Mary University of London and White & Case LLP are partnering once again for the fourteenth major empirical survey in international arbitration, titled The Path Forward: Realities and Opportunities in Arbitration. The survey will explore current practices and future opportunities within the system of international arbitration, as well as key aspects of the arbitral process. We encourage #ArbitralWomen members to participate in this survey, which provides an excellent opportunity to share your experience and perspectives, whether you are a private practitioner, in-house counsel, arbitrator, academic or involved with an arbitral institution.  It was brought to our attention that only 10% of the participants so far have been women, which is surprising. We are confident that our members have much to share and can make a valuable contribution to this survey. Please consider completing the survey before Tuesday, 10 December 2024:

Submit your statement of interest to serve as ArbitralWomen’s representative at the forthcoming UNCITRAL Working Group III (Investor-State Dispute Settlement Reform) 50th Session! The session will be held from 20-24 January 2025 in #Vienna, Austria. ArbitralWomen has observer status with UNCITRAL and is invited to send a representative as an observer which may participate in the Working Group’s deliberations. Information about UNCITRAL’s rules of procedure and methods of work are available here: https://lnkd.in/gm-ZBKY. Please submit statements of interest to Mary Thomson (mary.thomson@pacificchambers.com) and Cherine Foty (cfoty@cov.com) on the UNCITRAL Committee by 24 November 2024. Indicate your availability and ability to travel to Vienna for the entirety of the session dates, and provide a paragraph explaining why you are interested in: (i) attending the UNCITRAL Working Group III session, and (ii) serving as ArbitralWomen’s representative in that context.

Meet Kate Corby, Partner in Baker McKenzie's #disputeresolution practice group based in #London.  Kate is a member of the AW Board for the 2024-2026 Term and a member of the AW Diversity Toolkit Committee, Marketing & Sponsorship Committee and Parental Mentorship Programme Committee.  This is her first term on the ArbitralWomen Board of Directors. Kate focuses on arbitration of construction, engineering and infrastructure related disputes, but also has experience in commercial and investor state arbitrations, and also has significant experience in advising on product liability, safety and regulatory compliance.  She is an English law qualified solicitor advocate. In Kate’s words: " With over 20 years’ experience in international arbitration at Baker McKenzie and demonstrated dedication to inclusion & diversity work within and outside of the firm, I am excited about contributing to the impressive work of the ArbitralWomen Board. I am looking forward to using this role to further pay forward the support I have received across my career.” I am particularly keen to support younger AW members by using the Parental Mentorship Programme to share my experiences of being a 4-day a week working mother Big Law equity partner.    Kate serves on the ArbitralWomen Board of directors with: Rebeca Mosquera, Katherine Bell, Nata Ghibradze, Cherine Foty, Sally El Sawah, Shanelle Irani, Louise Barrington, JD, LLM, FCIArb, Mirèze PHILIPPE, Elena Guillet, Clea Bigelow-Nuttall, Anna Hartley Kelly, Niamh Leinwather, Mary Thomson, Catherine Bratic, Dilber DeVitre, Rekha Rangachari, Nicola Peart, Nesreen Osman, and Alina Leoveanu. ArbitralWomen is an international non-governmental organisation with the primary objective of advancing the interests of women and promoting female practitioners and diversity in international dispute resolution. It consists of a network of women from diverse backgrounds and legal cultures active in international dispute resolution in any role that has grown to over a thousand members from over 40 countries.  ArbitralWomen is a source of practitioners from jurisdictions around the world, and a source of referrals for both women and men. It is an opportunity to meet other women in the field, exchange ideas, mentor new practitioners and celebrate the future of women in arbitration.  Additionally, it enjoys observer status at UNCITRAL Working Group Sessions and it is a supporter, promoter and signatory of the Equal Representation of Arbitrators (ERA) Pledge.  Visit https://lnkd.in/eQMr54pU for more information.

Meet Marie D., Senior Associate in Vinson & Elkins' #internationalarbitration and construction group based in #London. Marie is a member of the YAWP - Young ArbitralWomen Practitioners Steering Committee.  Marie specialises in helping clients to resolve complex cross-border disputes, with a focus on construction and commercial arbitration. She has experience representing clients in a range of industry sectors and has particular expertise in large-scale construction and infrastructure projects. In addition to acting for parties in high-stakes arbitration, litigation, mediation and adjudication, Marie also advises clients on project management and dispute resolution avoidance. She is also dual-qualified as a solicitor before the courts of #England and Wales and the courts of #HongKong. Marie says: “Through AW, I’ve connected with women in arbitration at all stages of their careers and from all over the globe. Being part of a community brimming with experience, expertise and fresh ideas has been invaluable to my career, and I look forward to giving back to this network and creating opportunities to shine a light on talented female practitioners in the field.” Marie serves on the YAWP Steering Committee with: Manini Brar, FCIArB, Magda Kofluk, Anamaria Marin, Allison Torline and Jae Hee Suh 서재희, together with ArbitralWomen Vice-President and YAWP Chair Katherine Bell.   Young ArbitralWomen Practitioners (YAWP) is the first young networking group solely for female practitioners, providing a platform for women under 40 to share ideas and build professional relationships, allowing them to excel and prosper as they advance in their careers in international arbitration. Visit https://lnkd.in/gxuHQ79Q  for more information.