INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION 1/3LY
IN CONVERSATION WITH LOUISE BARRINGTON 33
IN CONVERSATION WITH LOUISE BARRINGTON
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATOR, MEDIATOR AND CONSULTANT Alec Emmerson, Consultant at Clyde & Co in conversation with Louise Barrington, Independent Arbitrator, Director of Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot and Founding President of ArbitralWomen
So I said “Well, how about if I start one in Asia that will compete with Vienna, possibly siphon off some of the teams that would normally come to Vienna, and also make it easier for Asian people to attend? Both financially and psychologically a trip to Hong Kong would probably be a lot easier for them than Vienna?” So with some doubt Eric said “Well try it, we’ll see how it works out” and so that’s how the Vis East started in 1993. ALEC And how many teams did you get initially? LOUISE We started with 14 teams – Eric had started with 11 in Vienna – and in twelve years it has grown to over 100 teams. ALEC Remarkable. How fast did it grow in Hong Kong? LOUISE It grew very quickly, by about 10 teams per year. When it reached 64 teams, people started to say to me “This is getting really big, like Vienna”. Vienna was about 200 teams at this point. I felt very strongly that we should keep Hong Kong fairly small by comparison because part of what we noticed about Hong Kong was that the smaller community meant that it was very friendly. Everybody could meet each other and maintain friendships from year to year; whereas, I was finding that in Vienna it was hard to find my friends. I would say “Oh, I’ll see you in Vienna” and we would sort of wave at each other across a crowded room and then never cross paths again. Just as important was the logistical factor because Hong Kong just does not have access to the same number of professionals and space is at a great premium there, so unlimited growth would make running the Vis East very difficult to manage.
THE HISTORY OF THE VIS EAST MOOT AND THE ARBITRATORS OF THE FUTURE ALEC The Vis East International Arbitration Moot has had a successful run over the past 12 years. Tell me about how it all came about. LOUISE I was invited to go to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna as an arbitrator and I found that it was a fabulous experience both for the students and the arbitrators. It was a real joy to be there on the first day and to see those shy, nervous, unsure students and then to see them again on day four, by which time they had become quite open professionally. That really impressed me and what’s more, in my role as arbitrator I was sitting with people like Pierre Karrer and Professor Martin Hunter, whom I would never have had the chance to work with otherwise because I was just beginning my career at the time. ALEC Yes, and were you based in Hong Kong at the time? LOUISE Yes. I was teaching at City University in Hong Kong and having been in Asia for several years I was aware of the arbitration culture in various places and the lack of it in others. I loved the Vis Moot in Vienna but in talking to Eric Bergsten, the Director of the Vis Moot at the time, I became aware that they were very over-subscribed. Eric said “We’ve got well over 100 teams. It’s getting really big; it’s hard to manage. I don’t know what we are going to do – I hate to say no to anybody.” So I suggested a regional run off in Asia. He threw up his hands and said “No, absolutely not, EVERY Vis participant should have a truly international experience”.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker