Clifford Chance partner of the Young Arbitrators Match

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance announced it is a sponsor of the 2016 edition of the Young Arbitrators Match (YAM).

2015-07-22 15:03:58

This is a competition which offers the opportunity to young arbitration practitioners to write an arbitral award on the basis of a case file based on the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot 2015 problem and which comprised relevant procedural correspondence and exchanges of written submissions and evidence between the two parties part of the dispute. This year, the dispute concerns the trading of commodities.

Clifford Chance offices of Paris, London, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Hong Kong, Milan, Rome, Dusseldorf, Munich, Frankfort, Bucharest and Perth all contribute to the competition, which is becoming an important event for the international arbitration community.

An initiative proposed by the Paris Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (PVYAP), the inaugural edition of the YAM was voted "Innovation of the Year" in February 2014 in the Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Awards. PVYAP also received a Rising Star award from the OGEMID community in 2013 for its contribution to the emergence of new talents in arbitration.

The first edition of the YAM attracted more than 110 candidates of 37 different nationalities, and has caught the attention of the international arbitration community.

Registrations for the second edition open on 15 July and close on 30 September 2015. The Jury of this 2016 edition will be chaired by Margarita Louis Dreyfus (Groupe Louis Dreyfus). She will be accompanied by the following jury members: Anthony Charlton, Partner, Deloitte, Coralie Darrigade, Partner, Shearman & Sterling LLP, Jose Ricardo Feris, Deputy Secretary General, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Simon Greenberg, Partner, Clifford Chance, Wendy Miles QC, Partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Christophe Seraglini, Professor, Partner, Betto Seraglini

A share of the participants′ registrations fees will be donated to Avocats Sans Frontières ("lawyers without borders").

Simon Greenberg, partner at Clifford Chance, has declared "I am looking forward to sit as a jury member of this 2016 edition. The previous one distinguished itself by its innovating spirit, its originality and the quality of the awards given by the young practitioners, as well as the competence of the organizing team. This event is a springboard for new talented arbitration practitioners, which offers them a greater visibility".

Simona Neagu, Counsel Clifford Chance Badea and Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution, added: "Our office has been involved and is currently advising on complex international arbitration cases. Our practice is constantly developing and consolidating, leveraging on both its international experience and the direct involvement of our colleague Vlad Peligrad, arbitrator. Any project aimed at sharing experiences and mobilizing the international arbitration community is welcome. YAM promotes cross-generational exchanges between litigators and arbitrators, stimulates the exchange of ideas, creativity and enthusiasm in young talents, thus motivating junior and mid level practitioners."

Vlad Peligrad, PhD, LL.M., Counsel, said: "With an economic and commercial landscape ever more complex and globalized, investors feel intensified pressure, but also understand the advantages of aligning themselves to international standards, including for solving any commercial conflicts. More and more companies decide to present their case against business partners or state institutions in front of international arbitration courts, considering that they can often select the arbiters for their litigation from a wide number of professionals with international and local experience in various areas. Lately, the number of arbitration cases involving Romania or companies active in Romania has risen, the trend reflecting increased confidence in this practice. From my experience, litigators looking for an international career must familiarize themselves with the relevant arbitration practices. Any initiative giving young generations access to this area is laudable and needs to be supported. The YAM initiative is an opportunity young litigators should not miss".