Five Alumni Named to Global Arbitration Review's "45 under 45" List of Top International Arbitrators
Five Alumni Named to Global Arbitration Review's "45 under 45" List of Top International Arbitrators
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New York, Nov. 7, 2011—Five graduates of Columbia Law School have been named “leading figures of the international arbitration bar” by Global Arbitration Review (GAR), the leading arbitration law journal. The list of “45 under 45” top international arbitrators was selected from hundreds of nominees by GAR’s editorial board, with consultation from previous winners of the honor.
The Law School alumni selected include three men and two women:
Julie Bédard ’01 LL.M., a partner in international litigation and arbitration group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. She regularly advises clients on the drafting of dispute resolution clauses and has served as counsel in international arbitration proceedings held under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the American Arbitration Association, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
Sébastien Besson ’00 LL.M., a partner Python & Peter in Geneva, a major Swiss firm with offices in several cities in Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Zug, Sion), as well as Brussels and Tokyo. His practice is focused on international arbitration and litigation, private international law, commercial contracts and sport-related disputes. He has acted as chairman, sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator, and counsel in many international and domestic arbitrations, including before the International Chamber of Commerce and the Swiss Chambers of Commerce. Besson earned a Doctorate in Law from Lausanne Univerity.
Cristian Conejoro Roos ’03 LL.M.,a partner with Cuatrecasas, the largest independent law firm in Spain. He leads the firm’s Latin American-focused arbitration practice. Previously, Roos was Director for Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce based in Paris, overseeing hundreds of arbitrations involving both public and private companies in diverse sectors.
Ank Santens ’99 LL.M., a partner in the international arbitration group of White & Case LLP, based in the New York office. She has served as counsel in arbitrations under all major international arbitration rules, as well as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and ad hoc arbitrations and arbitrations under the rules of several regional centers. Santens also represents clients before New York courts in arbitration-related litigation, and has overseen complex multi-jurisdictional and parallel proceedings.
Gaëtan Verhoosel ’01 J.S.D., ’00 LL.M., a partner in the London office of Covington & Burling LLP and a co-chair of the firm's International Arbitration Practice. He has acted as counsel in numerous commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, both under the rules of the major arbitral institutions and ad hoc. Verhoosel’s engagements have involved a variety of jurisdictions in Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia, and a wide range of industries.
George Bermann, ’75 LL.M., Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law, Walter Gellhorn Professor of Law, director of European Legal Studies, and international arbitration expert said of the recognition, “We in the arbitration community at Columbia Law School are all deeply proud of these five young stars. Each was a stand-out while at Columbia, and it is gratifying to see that they have had not only the attainments we knew they were capable of, but also the recognition. They are among the things that make teaching international arbitration law at Columbia so gratifying."
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Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, stands at the forefront of legal education and of the law in a global society. Columbia Law School joins traditional strengths in international and comparative law, constitutional law, administrative law, business law, and human rights law with pioneering work in the areas of intellectual property, digital technology, sexuality and gender, criminal, and environmental law.