USCIB Delegation Makes Interventions at UN Meetings on Investment Reform

Published on October 14, 2020

USCIB member Lauren Mandell from Wilmer Hale and USCIB Senior Director Eva Hampl represented the USCIB delegation at the meetings of the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Working Group III on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) Reform that took place October 5-9. The meeting sought to address a variety of issues crucial to USCIB and its membership.

USCIB participated in the discussions as an observer and made interventions on alternative dispute resolution and mediation, shareholder claims and reflective loss, frivolous claims, as well as treaty interpretation.

“USCIB appreciated the opportunity to make interventions at UNICTRAL,” said Hampl. “As next steps, we are planning a briefing with the U.S. government negotiators in these discussions to take place in November.”

The next meeting of UNCITRAL Working Group III will take place April 12-16, 2021 in New York. UNICTRAL will also hold a Virtual Pre-intersessional Meeting of the working group on November 9.

USCIB/ICC USA Arbitration Fall Series: Update on Committee Activities and Tribunal Secretaries: Uses and Misuses

Date: September 8, 2020

Time: 12:30pm – 2:00pm ET

Join us for our first webinar in fall 2020 during which the new chair of USCIB/ICC USA’s Arbitration Committee, Peter Sherwin, will provide an update on committee activities and projects. This will be followed by a panel discussion on tribunal secretaries.

Tribunal secretaries are regularly used by arbitral tribunals seated in Europe and elsewhere, particularly for large or complex arbitrations; however, North American tribunals have traditionally been less likely to employ secretaries. Organized by the Sole Practitioner’s Group as part of its “Nuts & Bolts Arbitrator Series,” the panel will examine the reasons for this disparity, explain the circumstances in which tribunal secretaries are appropriate and promote efficiency, and discuss best practices.

A copy of the program can be found here. To register please click here.

USCIB Announces the Appointment of Peter Sherwin as Chair of its Arbitration Committee

Published on August 3, 2020

After five years of service, Grant Hanessian hands over the role and is appointed Chair of the group’s newly created Amicus Subcommittee

New York, N.Y., July 31, 2020 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), the U.S. affiliate of several global business organizations, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), announced today the appointment of Peter Sherwin as Chair of its Arbitration Committee. Sherwin, who is also head of the International Arbitration Group at Proskauer, has been a USCIB member since 2007 and will succeed Grant Hanessian, who served as chair since 2015.

“It has been an honor to have served as chair of USCIB’s Arbitration Committee,” said Hanessian. “I am incredibly proud of our accomplishments these last five years. We have become a true partner for the ICC in the U.S., and I am confident in the Committee’s future under Peter’s leadership as it continues to grow and expand our impact in the U.S. market.”

Sherwin is a partner in the Litigation Department at Proskauer and head of its International Arbitration Group. Sherwin was resident in the firm’s Paris office for several years, and, while his practice focuses on acting as counsel, he also regularly serves as an arbitrator.

“I am honored to have been appointed as the Chair of this dynamic group,” said Sherwin. “I look forward to leveraging our strategic network of companies and practitioners who are united in the desire to promote the use of arbitration and ADR in resolving international business disputes. I also look forward to working closely with Nancy Thevenin, USCIB’s general counsel, who assists in managing the group, Marek Krasula, the ICC director for Arbitration and ADR for North America, and our experienced and dedicated members.”

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson added: “We are grateful to Grant for his dedication and leadership, which has improved the function of our Arbitration Committee. We are equally excited for what the future holds under Peter’s leadership. Peter brings a wealth of experience to our organization, which will be critical to our ability to scale and meet the growing demand of U.S. users for ICC’s dispute resolution services and products.”

About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. As the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and Business at OECD, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Boston International Arbitration Day

This is the first annual Boston International Arbitration Day, organized by the Boston International Arbitration Council and hosted by Ropes & Gray. Our panels of in-house counsel,arbitrators, policymakers and practitioners will discuss recent developments that are shaping the city of Boston into a new seat of international arbitration, and will examine how international arbitration is used by the city’s diverse industries and practices.