Voices
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Editorial

20 February 2024

Hello and welcome to the inaugural edition of  Young ICCA Voices!

 

We are very excited that, after months of behind-the-scenes work, we can now bring to you the very first issue of Young ICCA Voices, a fully digital, online magazine by, and for, young arbitration practitioners. 

 

In a space increasingly crowded with webinars, podcasts and blogs, Young ICCA Voices seeks to provide practical and current content on all things important to young arbitration practitioners in an accessible and interactive format.  

 

Young ICCA Voices embodies one of the founding principles of Young ICCA itself - that young practitioners around the world are the future of arbitration. Empowering young practitioners by creating and curating meaningful opportunities for growth and personal development is therefore central to the continued development of international arbitration. As a truly global network with well over 10,000 members across the world, Young ICCA is best placed to drive this mission, with Young ICCA Voices as the tip of the SPEAR:      

 

  • Showcasing the talent of young practitioners. Through interviews and write-ups, we shine a spotlight on young practitioners who have made their mark and who can serve to inspire others.  

  • Providing thought leadership. By featuring curated articles and commentaries by young practitioners from around the world on hot button issues, we bring to the fore dynamic, creative and provocative analyses that will help shape the system of arbitration.     

  • Educating the arbitration community.  Through highlighting key developments in arbitration around the world, we reduce informational gaps and hence uncertainty, whilst concurrently building a truly global understanding of arbitration as an international system of dispute resolution.

  • Accelerating personal growth. Each edition will provide information on ICCA and Young ICCA initiatives, from scholarships to mentoring, and conferences to workshops. 

  • Reaching out and connecting. By providing a platform and medium for young practitioners to connect, we enlarge and shrink the arbitration world all at once.     

 

The centrepiece of this first edition is an hour-long interview with May Tai (Partner, HSF, Hong Kong) who shares her experiences rising through the ranks to eventually taking on senior management responsibilities at Herbert Smith Freehills, and her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities for young arbitration practitioners in a fast-changing environment. 

 

That is followed by a critical analysis by Darius Chan (Singapore) of the seminal decision on arbitrability issued last year by the Singapore Court of Appeal in Westbridge .  Darius acted acted as Court-appointed amicus curiae in the proceedings and is therefore able to provide a unique perspective on this significant case. Two commentaries, by Farah El Hajj Purice (Dubai) on the new rules of the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration and Ankita Godbole (Switzerland) on the limits of secrecy of arbitral deliberations, provide additional food for thought on recent developments. Elizabeth Chan (Hong Kong), Anindya Basarkod (India) and Svenja Wachtel (Germany) share some of the activities undertaken by their respective Young ICCA mentoring groups providing further evidence of the continued success of that programme. Finally, contributions from young arbitration practitioners on significant legal developments across 20 jurisdictions spanning Europe, Asia, Middle East, South America and Africa remind us of the truly global reach of international arbitration in today’s world.         

 

We hope you will find this inaugural issue of Young ICCA Voices interesting and useful. The production of this first issue would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of many individuals, including Lucy Reed (former ICCA President), Stanimir Alexandrov (current ICCA President), Lise Bosman (Executive Director, ICCA Bureau), Paula Baldini (Deputy Executive Director for Publications, ICCA Bureau), Lucy Burns (ICCA Bureau), Siri Lundqvist (ICCA Bureau) and Araba Acquaisie-Maison. We are truly grateful for their support. 

 

Last but not least, the Young ICCA Co-Chairs would like to include a special dedication to Iuliana and Nick (Young ICCA’s Editorial Co-Directors).  Their indefatigable enthusiasm, drive and ambition for this project is the primary reason we have been able to launch today. We cannot thank you enough for your sterling efforts. 

 

Finally, as a new project, we would like to hear your thoughts and views on Young ICCA Voices, so please do send us your feedback at voices@youngicca.org. 

 

Happy reading!

 

Iuliana and Nick (Young ICCA, Editorial Co-Directors)

Rohit, Shirin and Maanas (Young ICCA Co-Chairs)