The inaugural meeting of the USCIB Young Arbitrators Forum was held on March 1 at the offices of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in New York.  John Fellas, a partner of Hughes Hubbard, served as Chair of this event.  Nearly 100 participants attended the meeting, coming from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Uruguay, Costa Rica and the Netherlands.  Participants heard members of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and distinguished practitioners in the field of international dispute resolution describe their experiences and provide strategies for those who wish to pursue careers in this field. 
 
ICC Director of Arbitration and ADR Lorraine M. Brennan joined Counsel to the ICC Court Secretariat Jennifer Kirby in discussing how ICC arbitrators are nominated and what steps aspiring lawyers can take to become more involved in this field.  They also described what kinds of expertise and arbitration experience are especially sought after.
 
Following the presentations of Ms. Brennan and Ms. Kirby, three leading members of the international arbitration community shared their experiences and provided advice and strategies for those wishing to advance their careers in international dispute resolution.  Gerald Aksen, one of the world’s leading Arbitrators and a former Vice-Chair of the Court, discussed his pivotal role in getting the NY Convention ratified by the United States early in his career.  He also gave advice to this new generation of potential international arbitrators on how to build a successful career in the field. 
 
Lucy Reed, a partner with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, shared her experiences working in the U.S. State Department as U.S. Agent to the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in the Hague from 1985 – 1992, and how that experience helped her to build her expertise into the successful practice she enjoys today.  John Townsend, a partner with Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and head of the firm’s International Arbitration practice, related his experience in the field of international dispute resolution, offering good advice for those aspiring to follow in the footsteps of these three distinguished panelists.