News
News
Lawyer of the Year Award
On Monday 15 May 2017, during a ceremony at the Plaisterers’ Hall in London, Professor Albert Jan van den Berg was honoured with the Lawyer of the Year Award for Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal (WWL).
Following the conduct of hundreds of interviews conducted and the analysis of the nominations received from the arbitration community, WWL’s research has empirically identified van den Berg as standing apart from all other practitioners in 2017. For van den Berg, it was the third time he received the prestigious award, having been recognized by his peers and client as arbitration lawyer of the year also in 2006 and 2011.
Speaking to Global Arbitration Review, van den Berg explained that the award was probably a result of his much debated win in the Yukos setting-aside proceedings in The Hague. Pointing at the important contribution of women in the team that secured this decision, van den Berg dedicated his award to the Equal Representation Arbitration Pledge. For van den Berg, this is “an initiative dear to my heart” and he urged his colleagues “to bring it into practice”.
GAR Award for Most Important Published Decision
On 29 March 2017, the Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Award for Most Important Published Decision went to the setting aside judgment of the District Court in The Hague in the Yukos Cases. In this April 2016 judgment, the Court annulled six Energy Charter Treaty arbitral awards ordering the Russian Federation to pay US$ 50 billion to former majority shareholders in the Yukos Oil Company on jurisdictional grounds. The team representing the Russian Federation in what has been named “a spectacular reversal of fortune for Russia” was led by Professor Albert Jan van den Berg.
Who’s Who Legal – Future Leaders
In December 2016, Who’s Who Legal for the first time released a list of Future Leaders, featuring partners and non-partners aged 45 or under who are considered to be the future leaders of the international legal community.
In Future Leaders – Arbitration 2017, Who’s Who Legal noted that “the two name partners of Hanotiau & van den Berg are internationally renowned in this sector” adding that “their colleagues in this edition share their reputation for quality.”
Among partners, Niuscha Bassiri was not only nominated as a future leader, but ranked as one the Most Highly Regarded Individuals by her clients and peers. Who’s Who Legal describes Bassiri as “‘a personable, responsive and innovative arbitration specialist’ who is praised for her ‘clever and sophisticated advocacy’”.
In the non-partners category, Maarten Draye received a nomination as future leader. According to Who’s Who Legal, Draye “‘has done a lot of good work’ and has ‘broad experience on both sides of the bench, as counsel, sole arbitrator and as secretary sitting with the greats of his firm’.”
Additional information on the Who’s Who Legal Future Leaders – Arbitration 2017 can be found at: http://whoswholegal.com/news/specials/article/33571/future-leaders-arbitration-2017-analysis/
Emily Hay, Eric van Eyken and Véronique van den Berg received an Honourable Mention
On 12 December 2016, Emily Hay, Eric van Eyken and Véronique van den Berg, associates at HVDB, received an Honourable Mention at the second edition of the Young Arbitrator’s Match in Paris. The Young Arbitrators Match is “the first and only competition which provides young arbitration practitioners with an opportunity to draft an arbitral award based on a set of facts and an exchange of written submissions between two parties to a dispute, in similar conditions to a real life arbitration.” The Honourable Mention was not initially planned, but was decided to be provided due to the jury’s high appreciation of the award drafted by the named HVDB associates, deserving more than just a mention. More information with regard to the winners of the Young Arbitration Match can be found at: https://www.pvyap.org/single-post/2016/12/13/YAM-2016-Results
NIUSCHA BASSIRI AND MAARTEN DRAYE CO-AUTHOR BOOK ON ARBITRATION IN BELGIUM
Niuscha Bassiri and Maarten Draye are very pleased to announce the release of their book Arbitration in Belgium – A Practitioner’s Guide.
Since the adoption of a new arbitration law in 2013, Belgium is a UNCITRAL Model Law country. The book, which will feature in Kluwer’s “country series”, is the first comprehensive treatise in English to provide practical guidance to arbitration practitioners, in-house counsel, and judges on how to conduct arbitrations in Belgium under this new regime. To facilitate its use, it is structured as an article-by-article commentary on the 2013 Law, addressing the following aspects of each article:
- the purpose of the provision;
- comparison with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Commercial Arbitration;
- party autonomy;
- issues of costs; and
- the interplay with the rules of other major arbitration institutions and the New York Convention.
The core of each article commentary is an in-depth analysis that provides recommendations to practitioners and judges. This analysis goes beyond the contents of the commented article and deals with related issues that are not addressed expressly in the Belgian arbitration law, but may be of relevance for issues covered in the provision in question. It further guides the reader to relevant Belgian case law and doctrine and the practices of CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation.
In addition to contributions from editors Niuscha Bassiri and Maarten Draye, the book also features contributions from Professor Olivier Caprasse (Hanotiau & van den Berg, Universities of Liège and Brussels), Professor Maud Piers (University of Ghent), Erica Stein (Special Counsel – Dechert, Brussels) and Caroline Verbruggen (Judge at the Court of First Instance of Brussels).
The book is published by Kluwer Law International. It can be consulted online at www.kluwerarbitration.com
It is available for purchase at: http://www.wklawbusiness.com/store/products/arbitration-belgium-practitioner-s-guide-prod-9041152253/hardcover-item-1-9041152253
SIX HVDB LAWYERS IN WHO’S WHO LEGAL ARBITRATION 2016
Six lawyers from HVDB have been selected for inclusion in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2016. Bernard Hanotiau, Albert Jan van den Berg, Paul Lefebvre, Pascal Hollander, Niuscha Bassiri and Olivier Caprasse are listed by the international publication as top arbitration practitioners. The Legal Marketplace Analysis editorial stated that Bernard Hanotiau is “undeniably one of the best in the world” while Albert Jan van den Berg, “former double winner of [Who’s Who’s] Arbitrator of the Year Award” is described as “clever, tough and deadline-oriented” and “the recipient of praise from all quarters”. Bernard Hanotiau and Albert Jan van den Berg were included “at the very top of the list” of the “Most Highly Regarded Individuals”.
Hanotiau & van den Berg has been named “Belgium Law Firm of the Year 2015″ in Who’s Who Legal Awards
Hanotiau & van den Berg has been named “Belgium Law Firm of the Year 2015″ in Who’s Who Legal Awards.
In a ceremony organized in Washington DC by the legal research publication Who’s Who Legal, Hanotiau & van den Berg received the Award for Belgium Law Firm of the Year 2015. Addressing the guests, the editor of the publication shed light on the research method behind the awards. “For each practice area, WWL’s researchers spend months collecting hundreds of thousands of recommendations from private practitioners and in-house counsel. The winners are not picked at our discretion”, he explained. “They are those lawyers and firms most widely recognised for their achievements by the global legal market”.
Six lawyers of HVDB are listed in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2015
Six lawyers of HVDB are listed in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2015. Bernard Hanotiau, Albert Jan van den Berg, Paul Lefebvre, Pascal Hollander, Niuscha Bassiri and Olivier Caprasse are listed by the international publication Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2015 as top arbitration practitioners. In its editorial section, the publication writes: “Bernard Hanotiau has à “long-standing reputation” for his work in the arbitration field. He is praised for his “very sharp mind”. Albert Jan van den Berg is equally well regarded. He is “highly sought after” as an arbitrator. Pascal Hollander “represents clients in complex arbitration cases and is a “marvellous advocate”. He also acts as arbitrator and is “greatly respected.”” Bernard Hanotiau Albert Jan van den Berg are both featured in the top 8 list of the Most Highly Regarded Individuals in arbitration in the entire world.
Pascal HOLLANDER appointed new Chair of the IBA Sub-Committee on Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards
Pascal Hollander will become the new Chair of the IBA (International Bar Association) Arbitration Committee’s Sub-Committee on Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards, effective January 1, 2015. The IBA is the world’s largest professional association of lawyers, with a membership of 55,000 individual lawyers and 206 bar associations and law societies spanning all continents. The IBA Arbitration Committee is one of the largest specialised committees within the IBA and its Sub-Committee on Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards conducts scientific projects addressing mostly issues arising under the 1958 New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.
Pascal HOLLANDER is the only Belgian lawyer named in Who’s Who Legal Franchise 2014
Pascal Hollander is the only Belgian lawyer named in Who’s Who Legal Franchise 2014. The annual publication Who’s Who Legal just released its 2014 issue on Franchise law. Pascal Hollander is the only Belgian lawyer named in the publication: “At Hanotiau & van den Berg,the “splendid” Pascal Hollander is the “top practitioner in Belgium” according to lawyers around the globe. They especially single out his “sterling” dispute work, calling him “one of the best informed arbitrators in this field”.”