The Campaign for Greener Arbitrations has newly constituted its Global Steering Committee and Sub-Committees for the 2022-2023 Term, spotlighting several ArbitralWomen members. The Campaign for Greener Arbitration is an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitrations by promoting awareness of the arbitration community's carbon footprint and producing best practice guides and concise action for better environmental behaviors. The Global Steering Committee is led by ArbitralWomen member Lucy Greenwood, who founded the Campaign in 2019 as a "Green Pledge" which now has hundreds of signatories She has now taken on the role of President. ArbitralWomen Board Member Cherine Foty and ArbitralWomen Member Christine Falcicchio have been appointed as Vice Presidents of the Global Steering Committee and serve under the direction of the President. Both Christine and Cherine were integral members of the working group which launched the Campaign's Green Protocols on Earth Day in April earlier this year. The launch was covered in an article co-authored by Lucy, Christine, and Cherine on the Kluwer Arbitration Blog. Other board members of the Global Steering Committee include ArbitralWomen members Stephanie Collins (Law Firm Co-Liaison), Rebecca James (Research & Policy Co-Director), Maguelonne de Brugiere (Green Protocols Director), and Nicola Gare(Website and Social Media Co-Director). In addition to the Global Steering Committee, the Campaign has announced that six regional sub-committees formed in the course of June 2021 are now fully operational. The regional sub-committees are led by 14 co-chairs and 4 vice-chairs, and have nearly 150 regional sub-committee members. The following ArbitralWomen members sit as chairs of regional sub-committees: Bronwyn Lincoln (Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Sub-Committee), Nathalie Allen Prince (Co-Chair of the Europe Sub-Committee), and Antonia Birt (Co-Chair of the MENA Sub-Committee). In addition, the following ArbitralWomen members serve on regional sub-committees: ArbitralWomen President Dana MacGrath (North America Sub-Committee), ArbitralWomen Board Member Affef Ben Mansour (Africa Sub-Committee), ArbitralWomen Board Member Rekha Rangachari (North America Sub-Committee), and ArbitralWomen members Laura Keily (Asia Pacific Sub-Committee), Chloé Vialard (Asia Pacific Sub-Committee), Iuliana Iancu (Europe Sub-Committee), Charlotte Matthews (Europe Sub-Committee), Monika Diehl (Europe Sub-Committee), Patricia Snell (Europe Sub-Committee), Pamela McDonald (MENA Sub-Committee), Seema Bono (MENA Sub-Committee), Christine Falcicchio (North America Sub-Committee), Laurence Marquis (North America Sub-Committee), and Victoria Sahani (North America Sub-Committee). The Campaign also formalized five subject-matter sub-committees committed to further carrying forward the work of the Campaign. The following ArbitralWomen members sit on those sub-committees: ArbitralWomen Board Member Rekha Rangachari (Institution Sub-Committee) and ArbitralWomen members Nicola Peart (Green Protocols Sub-Committee), Sarah Vasani (Green Protocols Sub-Committee), and Charlotte Matthews (Website and Social Media Sub-Committee). Click here to sign the Green Pledge. Submitted by ArbitralWomen Board Member and Campaign for Greener Arbitration Vice President Cherine Foty

ArbitralWomen was a proud supporting organisation of New York Arbitration Week 2021 that included a full week of programming by the AAA/ICDR, ICC, ASIL, SIAC, New York City Bar Association, Columbia Law School, King’s College London and Three Crowns, ArbitralWomen, CIArb New York Branch and NYIAC, YIAP and NYIAC, CPR, JAMS, SVAMC and Fordham Law School. ArbitralWomen hosted a panel discussion on November 19, 2021, “New York Stories: Career Options, Opportunities, and Challenges in International Arbitration,” focused on career options and opportunities, as well as the challenges faced by international arbitration practitioners. Speakers shared stories about their professional paths and career transitions. Panelists included Chris Alberti, Lorraine Brennan, Dana MacGrath and Friedrich Rosenfeld. The panel was moderated by Yasmine Lahlou and Louise Woods. Louise Woods introduced the panel with words by the famous poet, Robert Frost:

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Speakers noted that with globalization, arbitration has expanded across the world, and that increased diversity in the business community calls for a diverse arbitration community. Additionally, due to technological advancements, virtual hearings and meetings are more common, and has afforded younger practitioners opportunities to launch initiatives, access mentoring opportunities, and participate in virtual webinars. Also, there is increasing transparency in international arbitration. Panelists emphasized the importance of senior practitioners and arbitrators giving back to the arbitration community through coaching, mentoring, sponsoring and sharing advice. Speakers also highlighted the importance of networking among all levels, including peer to peer networking. Panelists also encouraged younger practitioners to join committees and activities relevant to their areas of interest and to be actively engaged participants. Finally, speakers encouraged younger practitioners to periodically “check-in” with themselves about the status of their career and, if appropriate, dare to change, even at the risk of failure. A professional journey involves planning together with periodic reflection on its development. Sometimes “taking the road less traveled” and being entrepreneurial can reap wonderful professional rewards. Consider looking for a practice area in line with your interests that is underrepresented and develop a niche expertise in that area. The ArbitralWomen event concluded by sharing ways to increase diversity in international arbitration, such as providing younger arbitration lawyers with advocacy opportunities, involving younger lawyers as tribunal secretaries on matters, providing younger lawyers visibility to arbitral institutions. Speakers noted that diversity extends far beyond gender and acknowledged there is much work still to be done to achieve diversity in arbitration. For more information on this event and others during New York Arbitration Week 2021, see Kluwer Arbitration Blog posts between 6-10 December 2021, including the KAB post about the ArbitralWomen and YIAP programmes here.

The Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge (Arbitration Pledge) has formed a new USA Subcommittee which launched in November 2021 to take forward the promotion of the Arbitration Pledge among the broad geographic reach of the United States, focusing on increasing awareness and driving change in the appointment of female arbitrators, female practitioners as lead counsel and the advancement of female in-house counsel. The group is led by ArbitralWomen President and Arbitration Pledge USA Subcommittee Co-Chair Dana MacGrath, ArbitralWomen Member, Arbitration Pledge USA Subcommittee Co-Chair Sarah Reynolds (Managing Partner, Goldman Ismail Tomasseli Brennan & Baum), and ArbitralWomen Member and Arbitration Pledge USA Subcommittee Co-Chair Victoria Sahani (Associate Dean and Professor of Law, Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law), together with ArbitralWomen Member and USA Pledge Subcommittee Secretary Nilufar Hossain (Legal Counsel and Associate Investment Manager, Omni Bridgeway). The Arbitration Pledge USA Subcommittee is composed of a diverse cross-section of men and women in the US arbitration community. USA Subcommittee Members will work closely with the international arbitration community and other groups to understand the needs and challenges which diverse arbitrators face in getting appointments, diverse arbitration practitioners face coming up through the ranks at law firms, and diverse in-house arbitration counsel face in advancing within their organisations.     The Press Release issued by the Equal Representation in Arbitration is accessible here.

ArbitralWomen is proud to support ARBinBRIEF, a new initiative that offers practical video guides on handpicked arbitration topics while showcasing diverse arbitrator talent. The ARBinBRIEF series is divided into seasons consisting of 10 episodes each. Each episode features a 15-minute live conversation between two arbitrators that is recorded, followed by a (not-recorded) 15-minute audience Q&A. The number of “live” audience members is limited for each episode to allow for meaningful engagement with the speakers. The episodes air every fortnight on Wednesdays. The recorded conversation is then shared as part of a library of video guides on ARBinBRIEF’s YouTube Channel and the Delos Dispute Resolution’s website. The first season of ARBinBrief launched in October 2021. Over the course of ten episodes in the first season, ARBinBRIEF moves through the lifecycle of an arbitration. The first four episodes focused on the early stages of an arbitration, where arbitrators’ decisions may have important implications for the rest of the arbitration. The decision-making stages discussed during the first four ARBinBRIEF episodes included:

1. 1. appointing arbitrators,
   2. immediate steps to take after being appointed as arbitrator,
   3. case management conferences, and
   4. drafting Procedural Order No. 1.

  The ARBinBRIEF format of two arbitrators in conversation offers a unique opportunity to showcase arbitrator talent. These conversations give arbitrators not only the opportunity to share their relevant experience and demonstrate their presentation skills but also to give insight into their general approach in conducting arbitrations. Arbitrators featured in episodes to date (including several ArbitralWomen members) are: Wendy Miles QC and Jennifer Bryant (Episode 1); Chiann Bao and Fatima Balfaqeeh (Episode 2); Preeti Bhagnani and Suzanne Rattray (Episode 3); Dana MacGrath and Krystle Baptista Serna (Episode 4).     Elizabeth Chan, a member of the founding ARBinBRIEF team, ArbitralWomen Board member, and member of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge Young Practitioners Subcommittee, said, “ARBinBRIEF is a fantastic resource for everyone in the arbitration community, whether they are arbitrators, counsel, parties, experts, academics or others, looking for a quick, go-to guide on how to conduct specific parts of the arbitral process. It’s also a chance to celebrate the diversity of the global arbitrator pool, as a step towards achieving more diverse arbitrator appointments. The first four episodes featured arbitrators from diverse regions, including North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.” Ibukunoluwa Owa, another member of the ARBinBRIEF team observed, “ARBinBRIEF is a practical resource not just for young arbitrators but anyone conducting their first arbitration. For example, I enjoyed hearing Suzanne Rattray explain how the time management skills she gained as an engineer influenced how she conducts case management conferences efficiently.” ArbitralWomen President Dana MacGrath commented, “ARBinBRIEF is a fantastic virtual platform for knowledge-sharing on specific arbitration issues through short interviews followed by a Q&A session. You can learn a significant amount and gain unique insights from experienced arbitrators in less than 30 minutes per episode. It is also a wonderful way to feature diverse talent in the arbitration field.” To join the live audience for future ARBinBRIEF episodes, visit www ARBinBRIEF.com, follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe on YouTube, and consult our video library hosted by Delos. Submitted by the members of the ARBinBRIEF founding team: Elizabeth Chan, Nata Ghibradze, Dr. Nadja Harraschain, Olga Hamama, Emily Hay, Iuliana Iancu, Ibukunoluwa Owa, Dara Sahab, Olga Sendetska, Mrinalini Singh and Vanessa Zimmermann de Meireles.

Lack of diversity in arbitration is a well-documented problem. Women account for only about a fifth of arbitrators, and ethnic diversity is largely absent. A 2021 survey by White & Case found that 61% of respondents agreed that some gender diversity progress has been made in recent years, but less than a third felt similarly about ethnic diversity. Burford Capital reviews hundreds of billions of dollars in commercial disputes annually, but since its inception in 2009, of the thousands of matters brought to it each year for funding, less than 5% had a woman in a leading role, and even fewer were led by people of colour. In 2018, Burford launched The Equity Project, a $50 million pool of capital earmarked to back litigation and arbitration led by women. As of December 31, 2020, Burford had committed nearly $57 million to matters led by women. Building on this success, in October 2021 Burford announced its expansion of The Equity Project with an additional $100 million and broadening its mission to address both female and racially diverse lawyers. In earmarking capital through The Equity Project, Burford seeks to provide lawyers who have been historically underrepresented in the business of law an edge as they pursue leadership positions in significant commercial litigations and arbitrations. Further, when Equity Project investments resolve successfully, Burford will contribute on behalf of the client some of Burford’s profits to a charitable organisation focused on advancing the careers of female and diverse lawyers. Arbitration is a focus area for Burford and the Equity Project. Of the 25 global Equity Project Champions—men and women who help Burford ensure that female and racially diverse lawyers are aware of the capital available—nine are leaders in international arbitration and dispute resolution. Further, of the nearly $57 million committed in phase one of The Equity Project, 24% was committed to support women-led international arbitration claims. Arbitration claims that may qualify for Equity Project financing include matters where a female or racially diverse lawyer is first or second chair, serves as lead counsel, earns the origination credit, is the client-relationship manager, or where the client is being represented by a law firm that is owned by female or racially diverse lawyers. Maria Eugenia Ramirez commented: “I am delighted to have been invited to join the next phase of The Equity Project as an Equity Project Champion, and I look forward to its continuing growth throughout 2022.” We are pleased to share this announcement and requests for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Submitted by Aviva Will, Co-Chief Operating Officer of Burford Capital, ArbitralWomen member and Founder of The Equity Project, and Maria Eugenia Ramirez, Partner at Hogan Lovells, ArbitralWomen member and Equity Project Champion.

We are pleased to announce that ArbitralWomen and Arbitrator Intelligence formalised their longstanding relationship by entering into a Cooperation Agreement in October 2021. The Cooperation Agreement was signed on behalf of ArbitralWomen by Dana MacGrath, ArbitralWomen President, and on behalf of Arbitrator Intelligence by Catherine Rogers, Founder and CEO of Arbitrator Intelligence. The Cooperation Agreement encourages collaboration on the organisation of dispute resolution-related events as well as providing support and promotion for events, projects, and initiatives. “We are excited to formalise ArbitralWomen’s collaborative relationship with Arbitrator Intelligence and encourage the sharing of information about diverse arbitrators with Arbitrator Intelligence to increase the visibility and recognition of the many diverse arbitrators in international arbitration,” commented ArbitralWomen President Dana MacGrath. “Arbitrator Intelligence contributes significantly to raising the profile of diverse arbitrators and we share a common goal of promoting the visibility of qualified female arbitrators.” Arbitrator Intelligence Founder and CEO Catherine Rogers commented, “Given ArbitralWomen’s leadership in putting diversity on the agenda in international arbitration, we could not be prouder about the opportunity to work together with ArbitralWomen to improve informational resources about female and diverse arbitrators.” ArbitralWomen recently supported Arbitrator Intelligence’s 2021 Diversity Campaign, which encouraged members of the arbitration community to share feedback on diverse arbitrators and help them to turn places on shortlists into appointments. As part of the Arbitrator Intelligence Diversity Campaign, ArbitralWomen President Dana MacGrath joined representatives of leading diversity organisations and arbitral institutions from across the globe for a webinar focusing on “Assessing and Resolving Disparities in Arbitrator Appointments.” A recording is available here. Previously in 2018, ArbitralWomen and Arbitrator Intelligence co-sponsored the Campaign on Women Arbitrators, encouraging members of the arbitration community to complete a feedback questionnaire about female arbitrators. The insights obtained from feedback provided to Arbitrator Intelligence are used to produce Reports that will help to promote diversity and transparency by making information about lesser-known diverse arbitrators widely available, enabling their reputations to develop. Readers can help Arbitrator Intelligence to continue to provide the market with information about female arbitrators and further the cause of diversity by completing an online questionnaire about them here or by scheduling an appointment to provide feedback to a member of the Arbitrator Intelligence team here. For media enquiries, please contact ArbitralWomen at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Arbitrator Intelligence at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.