INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION 1/3LY
DEVIKA How did you develop an interest/become involved in international arbitration? Is it true that (like all good lawyers!), you have a background in shipping law? JACKIE I began my career in arbitration by accident, effectively. As a law student, I went to see Professor Piet Sanders who was a family friend and one of the few lawyers my parents, both doctors, knew. I needed a topic for a paper and he suggested arbitration. I needed to look up the word in the dictionary but followed his advice anyhow! After I finished my PhD and work for an international tribunal, I set out to become a lawyer in Rotterdam. My first firm, like all large firms in those days, had a significant maritime practice. This is where you would typically get your basic training, being on your feet and getting plenty of experience in court. As a young associate, that mainly meant arresting ships and doing witness hearings in court. It certainly taught me the wisdom of first ensuring that there are assets before you begin arbitration or litigation! DEVIKA Who do you consider to be your role model(s) in international arbitration?
JACKIE There are a number of people I greatly admire in our field. Some people I admire for a specific component of what they do, such as legal expertise, or advocacy skills; others I admire more generally. If I could name one, I think I would like to mention Sally Harpole. She has done an amazing job in bridging two cultures, as an American woman, becoming a respected arbitrator in China as well as elsewhere. DEVIKA With your background on the ICSID panel for the Netherlands and in investment treaty arbitration, are you keen to develop the name of the LCIA for such disputes given the continued boom in claims by investors, also increasingly within Europe? JACKIE Treaty arbitration is booming and appears to continue to boom. It is certainly an area that I will monitor closely to see to what extent the LCIA can play a role. While we are not traditionally as big in this field as certain other institutions, we do have our share of interstate and treaty related cases. Whether expanding our role in this field is going to be a short term priority is something I will need to reflect on and discuss with the various stakeholders. What you can be sure of, is that shipping will remain an area close to my heart and very much on my mind!
WE MUST LOOK AT THE SERVICES OFFERED BY OTHERS, INCLUDING IN SOME CASES THE INCREASED WILLINGNESS OF THE COURTS TO PROVIDE MORE TAILORED SERVICES.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs