Changes to the LCIA Court and Board of Directors The LCIA announces the selection of its next President, the appointment of new Members of the LCIA Court and changes to the LCIA Board of Directors. 8 May 2015 On 8 May 2015, at a meeting of the LCIA Court and the Board at the LCIA European Users’ Council Symposium at Tylney Hall, it was announced that Judith Gill QC will become the next President of the LCIA Court in May 2016 when the current President, Professor William W (Rusty) Park, steps down from the role, having served two terms in office. As President Elect, Judith will work closely with Rusty over the next year. “One could hardly imagine any better choice” says Rusty. Bill Rowley, Chairman of the LCIA Board, adds, “With Judith’s appointment today as President Elect of the Court, she will become its first, modern-day, English President a year from now. I cannot think of a better person than Judith to return the presidency to the UK. (The Court has not had an English President since the 1980s, when Sir Michael Kerr served as its first President.) That Judith will carry out her duties primarily from her new Singapore base is an added plus, and could not be more timely. With the recognised importance of international arbitration to dispute resolution in Asia, and the gold standard of service the LCIA provides to its users, Judith will be uniquely placed to help make the benefits of the LCIA clause better known in Asia”. Judith is recognised as one of the leading practitioners in the field of international arbitration and is listed as the second most highly regarded individual in the field in the 2014 edition of The International Who’s Who of International Arbitration. She joined Allen & Overy in 1983, qualifying two years later, and was made partner in 1992. She headed the Allen & Overy’s global international arbitration practice for 10 years from 2001 to 2011 and again from 2012 to 2013. Judith has conducted cases under various sets of rules and subject to many different systems of law. In particular she has experience of arbitrations under the rules of the LCIA, the ICC, ICSID, DIAC, AAA, UNCITRAL, SIAC and the LMAA. She has particular experience of projects (specifically in the energy and infrastructure sectors), joint ventures, distributorships, investor protection disputes, insurance claims and warranty claims. In 2009, Judith became only the second female solicitor advocate to be appointed a QC and the first in the field of international arbitration. She regularly acts as lead advocate in arbitration cases and also sits as arbitrator in a wide variety of arbitrations. Her professional memberships include: Fellow, CIArb; Fellow, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies; Vice Chair, International Commercial Dispute Resolution Committee of the ABA Section of International Law (ABA International); Member, Board of Directors, AAA; Member ICC UK Arbitration Group, Former Co-Chair, Arbitration Committee of the International Bar Association Legal Practice Division; Former Chair, The International Arbitration Club and Former Member, Board of Directors, SIAC. Judith has been a member of the LCIA Board of Directors since 1998 and will continue to sit on the Board when she takes up the Presidency next year. The LCIA looks forward to working with Judith in her new role representing the LCIA, and in liaison with the LCIA secretariat on the many duties required of the Court by the LCIA rules. Jackie van Haersolte van Hof, Director General of the LCIA, is “delighted by Judith's selection. Having had the pleasure to work with her as a Board member, I look forward enormously to working with her in this new capacity. I have no doubt that she will be an inspiring President who brings to the role vast experience as counsel and arbitrator and is simply a wonderful person. The fact that she will act as President Elect will ensure a smooth transition while benefiting for another year from Rusty's skilful presidency.” Judith says, “it is a great honour, and a somewhat daunting prospect, taking on this role. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to deepen my involvement with the LCIA in these exciting times. I shall count on Rusty and the other Court members to show me the ropes over the next year so that we can have what I hope will be a seamless transition.” New Court Members At the LCIA Court meeting, 8 new Members were recommended to the Board for appointment to the Court, effective 1 June 2015: Professor Juan Fernández-Armesto (Armesto and Asociados, Madrid), Dr Yas Banifatemi (Shearman & Sterling LLP, Paris), Doak Bishop (King & Spalding LLP, USA), Dominique Brown-Berset (Brown & Page, Geneva), Professor David Caron (King’s College London), Dr Inka Hanefeld (Hanefeld Rechtsanwälte, Hamburg) and Karyl Nairn QC (Skadden Arps Meagher & Flom LLP, London). The Board was delighted to make the appointments. From left to right: Juan Fernández-Armesto, Yas Banifatemi, Doak Bishop, Dominique Brown-Berset, David Caron, Inka Hanefeld, Karyl Nairn New Vice Presidents Paula Hodges QC and Eun Young Park (both members of the Court since 2012) have been appointed Vice President. The LCIA offers its congratulations and thanks to all new members of the LCIA Court and to those who have been appointed or re-appointed to Vice President. Retiring Court Members At the same meeting of the Court it was announced that the following Members will retire, having completed their allotted terms of office: Pierre Bienvenu; Mark Friedman; Antonio Hierro; Doug Jones; Yoshimi Ohara; Klaus Sachs and Nassib Ziadé. The LCIA wishes to thank the outgoing members of the Court for their great support of the institution, with special acknowledgement to Pierre, Klaus and Yoshimi who step down from their role as Vice President. Our thanks also go to Alexis Mourre, who succeeds John Beechey as President of the ICC on 1 July, and to Joe Huse (special LCIA DIFC-LCIA delegate to the Court), who have retired from the Court, effective 8 May 2015 and 26 May 2014, respectively. Changes to the LCIA Board of Directors The LCIA is pleased to announce that Audley Sheppard QC, Partner and Co-Head of the International Arbitration Group at Clifford Chance LLP in London, has joined the LCIA Board of Directors. His appointment was formally announced on 8 May 2015. Audley joins the LCIA Board as Helen Dodds, Standard Chartered Bank, steps down. The Board thanks Helen and shows unanimous appreciation for her contributions to the LCIA Board. Bill Rowley described Audley’s appointment as “a wonderful addition to the LCIA Board. Having served on the Court since June 2010, and as Vice President since 2011, Audley has a thorough understanding of the workings of the LCIA. Through his leadership roles in both his firm’s international arbitration group and the IBA’s Arbitration Committee, Audley has the background, experience and skill-set to benefit the board enormously in its oversight of the LCIA ‘s business and strategic direction”. Audley specialises in the resolution of major disputes arising out of infrastructure and energy projects, and international trade and investment. He has conducted many LCIA, ICC, AAA, UNCITRAL and ICSID arbitrations and also regularly sits as an arbitrator. His professional activities include: Vice President of the LCIA Court; Visiting Professor, School of International Arbitration, Queen Mary, London; Editorial Boards of Business Law International, Journal of International Arbitration, International Arbitration Law Review; and Advisory Board, BIICL Investment Treaty Forum. Audley is “very honoured to be appointed to the Board of the LCIA. I look forward to being more closely involved and assisting the LCIA to continue to provide an outstanding service to its users”. Audley joins the LCIA Board of Directors, which comprises prominent arbitration practitioners: J William Rowley QC, 20 Essex Street (Chairman); Christopher Style QC, One Essex Court (Deputy Chairman); Juliet Blanch, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP; Judith Gill QC, Allen & Overy LLP; Dr Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof, LCIA Director General; Paul Hannon; Richard Hill, Shell International Ltd; Paula Hodges QC, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP; Toby Landau QC, Essex Court Chambers; Professor William W Park, Boston University School of Law; Dr Wolfgang Peter, Python & Peter; Nigel Rawding, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP; David St John Sutton, 20 Essex Street; and Adrian Winstanley OBE. For further information please contact: London Court of International Arbitration Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 207 936 6200 Web: www.lcia.org