Melanie Van Leeuwen Reappointed As Chair Of ICC Commission On Arbitration And ADR

Melanie Van Leeuwen Reappointed As Chair Of ICC Commission On Arbitration And ADR

Melanie van Leeuwen, a Partner at the Parisian arbitration boutique Derains & Gharavi, has been reappointed as chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Commission on Arbitration and ADR.

Her reappointment coincides with the appointment of 12 new vice-chairs to the commission’s steering committee, aimed at ensuring balanced representation of both established and emerging jurisdictions and promoting regional diversity—a key priority for Claudia Salomon, president of the ICC Court of Arbitration, who was also recently reappointed.

Many of the newly appointed vice-chairs, all leading professionals from various regions, were women. They include Sabrina Aïnouz of Squire Patton Boggs from Tunisia, Cecilia Azar of Galicia Abogados from Mexico, and Rachel Howie, a Partner at Dentons from Canada. Marily Paralika from Fieldfisher, who heads the firm’s Paris arbitration team, represents Greece, while Shaneen Parikh, a Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, represents India. Justyna Szpara, head of dispute resolution at Łaszczuk & Partners, was selected to represent Poland, and Nathalie Voser, a Partner at Schellenberg Wittmer, represents Switzerland.

Cristiano de Sousa Zanetti, a professor of civil law, represents Brazil, while Peter Durning, Senior Counsel at Boeing, will represent the USA, bringing in-house expertise to the commission. Patrick Ikwueto SAN, name Partner of an eponymous law firm, will represent Nigeria, and Patrick Leonard SC, the vice-chair of Arbitration Ireland, will represent the Republic of Ireland. Matthew Secomb, White & Case’s Asian head of international arbitration, represents Australia.

The new committee composition for 2024-2027 reflects van Leeuwen’s contribution to diversify the commission’s membership. She said the previous commission had “been particularly productive in providing guidance and establishing best practices in effective conflict management, settlement facilitation, leveraging IT in arbitration and disability inclusion.” She paid tribute to the outgoing vice-chairs, who she said had been “instrumental in providing the thought leadership necessary to ensure arbitration was attuned to the needs of its users.”

The commission’s work on disability was featured at a panel session hosted by CMS in London International Disputes Week and won an Equal Representation in Arbitration award for its work. At the same time, its upcoming term promises ongoing work on anti-corruption, expedited arbitration proceedings, and other thought leadership projects.

Hélène van Lith, the commission’s secretary, said: “The new composition of the commission and its leadership for 2024-2027 is marked by increased corporate and regional engagement and reflects Melanie’s vision and perseverance, as well as the strength of ICC’s global network.”