ArbitralWomen has announced the new Steering Committee (SC) for its young practitioners’ arm, Young ArbitralWomen Practitioners (YAWP). The members of the new SC come from diverse professional and geographical backgrounds and include Manini Brar (Independent arbitrator in New Delhi), Marie Devereux (Senior Associate at Vinson & Elkins in London), Magda Kofluk (Managing Associate at Stephenson Harwood in Dubai), Anamaria Marin (Senior Associate at SLCG – Studio Legale Associato in Milan), Jae Hee Suh (Counsel at Allen & Overy in Singapore), and Alison Torline (Counsel at Busse Disputes in Frankfurt).
They will join ArbitralWomen Vice President Gaëlle Filhol (YAWP Chair and Partner at Pinsent Masons in Paris) and ArbitralWomen Board member Elizabeth Chan (YAWP Director and Registered Foreign Lawyer at Tanner De Witt in Hong Kong) in leading YAWP’s initiatives. The new SC has been appointed for a 2-year term, from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.
ArbitralWomen also thanks the outgoing YAWP SC members for their great commitment and invaluable contributions for the past two years: Sanaa Babaa (Director at EY in London), Krystle Baptista (Independent arbitrator in Madrid), Dilber Devitre (Associate at Homburger in Zurich), and Olga Sendetska (Associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Frankfurt).
YAWP Chair and ArbitralWomen Vice-President, Gaëlle Filhol, says “What Dilber, Jae Hee, Krystle, Manini, Olga and Sanaa have achieved over the past term on the YAWP SC is truly impressive. They have worked incredibly hard to bring ambitious projects to life, creating real opportunities for young women practitioners and increasing their visibility, with enthusiasm, creativity, excellence and dedication. I look forward to working with the new members of the YAWP SC – Allison, Anamaria, Magda and Marie, with Manini and Jae Hee. They are amazingly talented arbitration practitioners, and they already have excellent ideas for YAWP.”
YAWP Director, Elizabeth Chan, says, “It’s been a pleasure and a privilege working with the outgoing SC. Over the past two years, we’ve achieved so much for our members. A highlight for me was the YAWP Meet the Arbitral Institutions series, supporting aspiring arbitrators to get their first appointment. I thank Dilber and Olga for imagining and organising this series. Krystle has also done a fantastic job providing opportunities to members of our YAWP Speaker Panel Project, and Sanaa has ensured that YAWP’s initiatives are promoted in our Newsletter. I’m excited that Manini and Jae Hee will take the helm of the incoming SC. They have made outstanding contributions in the past two years, significantly growing YAWP’s presence in Asia – and online. I am also excited to welcome new members of the SC: Anamaria, Marie, Allison and Magda. They all bring incredible experience and networks, and we look forward to their contribution to YAWP.”
YAWP, the first young networking group established solely for female practitioners, was launched in 2016 by Gabrielle Nater-Bass, former Vice President of ArbitralWomen and partner at Homburger in Zurich. It provides a platform for female practitioners under 40 across the globe to network, develop their careers in arbitration and ADR, and address challenges that typically arise in the early stages of practice.
Recent YAWP initiatives include YAWP Meet the Arbitral Institutions series, which enabled aspiring arbitrators to meet and ask questions to the representatives of 35 different arbitral institutions across the world in a small-group setting; YAWP Speaker Panel, which seeks to expand opportunities for YAWP members to participate as speakers or in other relevant roles in arbitration and ADR events; ArbitralWomen-YAWP Parental Mentorship Programme, which provides a forum for members to share their concerns, experiences and tips on managing professional and parental commitments; YAWP Training Workshop Series on Expert Topics, which provides interactive workshops in a small-group setting on topics such as business valuation, effectively managing and collaborating with experts, and third-party funding; and Meet the YAWP Members Campaign, which showcases our and their professional achievements. YAWP also holds various networking events, trainings, and fireside chats with inspiring female practitioners in various cities around the world. [Further information on YAWP and its activities can be found here.
Please join us in congratulating the 2024-2025 YAWP SC Members.
All ArbitralWomen members under the age of 40 automatically become members of YAWP. Those interested in joining are invited to join ArbitralWomen here.
ArbitralWomen is an international non-governmental organisation for the promotion of women and diversity in international dispute resolution. Over the past 30 years, ArbitralWomen has developed many programmes and opportunities to support and promote women in international dispute resolution as well serving as a leader in the efforts to overcome gender bias in the legal profession.