Ciarb London Branch 2023 Keynote Speech - "What makes a good arbitrator?”

Event Information

The Keynote Speech, which follows the Branch’s Annual General Meeting, is one of the highlights of the Branch’s calendar.

We are delighted that this year our Keynote Speaker is Mr Christopher Vajda KC.

Christopher Vajda KC was the UK judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) from 2012 until the withdrawal of the UK from the EU in January 2020 when his mandate ceased.

Prior to becoming a judge at the CJEU Christopher Vajda KC had a wide-ranging practice at the English Bar. He acted on numerous occasions for the UK Government, Government Departments and public bodies such as the Bank of England, the BBC and various sectorial regulators. He also acted for a large number of companies in fields such as aviation and transport, competition and state aid, energy, IT and telecommunications and tax. He appeared frequently before the CJEU, and all English courts, including the UK Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. He appeared before arbitration panels (including in the sporting field) and was appointed to chair an arbitration panel in the Middle East involving a telecommunications dispute.

Since his return to Chambers he was appointed by the President of the CJEU to chair a Conciliation Commission to resolve a dispute within an EU Institution. In 2022 he was appointed by the EU as a member of its panel of persons suitable for appointment as Chairpersons for Arbitrations to which the EU is a party. He is currently sitting as an arbitrator in an ICC arbitration.

He is a professor at the College of Europe in Bruges and a visiting professor at King’s College, London, a lecturer on private international law at Luxembourg University and a member of the LCIA. He has written and spoken extensively, including on investment protection treaties. He is fluent in French and speaks German.

Details:

Date and Time:

Thursday 27 April 2023 at 6.45pm

Venue:

The Ashworth Centre, The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, London WC2A 3TL

Registration:

Please register for the annual Keynote Speech by email to Elinor Pritchard: elinor@thevirtualpartnership.co.uk

Details of the Branch’s AGM have been sent separately.