Updates to the LCIA Court, Board and Rules

15 May 2019

The LCIA is pleased to announce the appointment of the organisation’s new President as well as the new Vice Presidents and members of the Court, confirmed during the Court and Board meeting at the May 2019 LCIA European Users' Council Symposium at Tylney Hall. These appointments represent our continued commitment to diversity and the advancement of the field of international commercial arbitration. We also shared updates to the LCIA Rules with our delegates at our latest event, which address the expedition of the arbitration process as well as GDPR and regulatory language.

Judith Gill QC (L) and Paula Hodges QC (R) at Tylney Hall in May 2019

Paula Hodges QC appointed as President of the LCIA Court

Paula Hodges QC, head of the Herbert Smith Freehills’ Global Arbitration Practice, has officially stepped into the role of the President of the LCIA Court. Her appointment was announced in September 2018, and since that time she has worked with former President Judith Gill QC to ensure a smooth handover.

Paula previously served as a Vice President of the LCIA Court for several years and acted as an LCIA Board member for over a decade.

“Following its 125th anniversary and meteoric growth in the last twenty years, I am honoured and delighted to become President of the LCIA,” noted Paula. “I am following in the footsteps of some arbitration legends, including the outgoing president, Judith Gill. A very hard act to follow, but I look forward to working with Jackie, Audley and the team to take the LCIA to even greater heights.”

For more information about Paula’s appointment, please click here.

The LCIA thanks Judith Gill QC for her time as President of the LCIA Court

Judith Gill QC has retired as President of the LCIA Court after three years of service. Judith has been a member of the LCIA Board of Directors since 1998, and has helped the organization develop into a key player in international commercial arbitration and ADR.

Last year, Judith discussed the importance of the LCIA Rules as the “lifeblood of the institution” in the article series, LCIA Perspectives. To review the article, LCIA Rules Past, Present and Future, please click here

Welcoming new Vice Presidents and Members of the LCIA Court

After considering a large number of qualified candidates, the LCIA has elected the following as new members of the Court:

• Stavros Brekoulakis, 3 Verulam Buildings and Queen Mary University, London
• Anneliese Day QC, Fountain Court Chambers, London
• Nicola Dunleavy, Matheson, Dublin
• Raed Fathallah, Bredin Prat, Paris
• Steven Finizio, Wilmer Hale, London 
• Beatrice Hamza-Bassey, Atlas Mara, New York
• James Hope, Vinge, Stockholm
• David Joseph QC, Essex Court Chambers, London
• Ank Santens, White & Case, New York
• Mohamed Shelbaya, Shearman & Sterling, Paris
• May Tai, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hong Kong

The LCIA is pleased to promote the following members of the Court to Vice Presidents:

• Karyl Nairn QC, Skadden, London
• Luca Radicati di Brozolo, ArbLit and Fountain Chambers, Milan/London

The LCIA would also like to thank retiring Court Vice President John Townsend (USA) and Court Members: Professor Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahab (Egypt), Babatunde Fagbohunlu SAN (Nigeria), Hilary Heilbron QC (UK), Vladimir Khvalei (Russia), Toby Landau QC (UK), Alison Pearsall (USA, France), Harsih Salve SA (India), Anne Véronique Schlaepfer (Switzerland), and Adrian Winstanley OBE (UK).

A full listing of all LCIA Court Members can be viewed here.

The LCIA Rules

During the afternoon session at the May 2019 LCIA European Users' Council Symposium, Judith Gill and Paula Hodges presented proposed updates to the LCIA Rules. These updates, put forth by a committee and discussed by the LCIA Court and Board the day before, aim to make the arbitral process even more streamlined and clear for arbitrators and parties alike. Delegate, Court and Board comments are being reviewed, and the organisation aims to release the updates in the summer of 2019.

LCIA Users' Council Officers

We will be sharing our new slate of Users’ Council Officers with you in the coming weeks. These focused, agile groups will continue to ensure that the LCIA provides relevant events and services for our worldwide users and members. They will work closely with the LCIA Board and Court to ensure that the LCIA is best serving its broad group of users and to advance the organization and industry best practices across their respective regions.

Tylney Hall, Hampshire, England