On 7 April 2025, MUTE OFF Thursdays (MOT), the network for senior women in arbitration, marked its fifth anniversary with a celebratory event in during Paris Arbitration Week. Hosted at the newly opened offices of Pinsent Masons, the gathering drew a full house of around 60 women, all eager to connect in person and reflect on the network’s journey.

The event, generously sponsored by Pinsent Masons, Greenberg Traurig, Debevoise & Plimpton, Dentons and Ontier, offered a celebratory lunch in classic MOT style — focused on fostering real, in-person connections first formed online. As participants mingled and reminisced, they also raised a toast to five years of growth, community, and visibility for senior women in arbitration.

Co-founders Gaëlle Filhol, Catherine Anne Kunz and Claire Morel de Westgaver, along with both former co-chairs (Lindsay Gastrell, Elena Gutiérrez García de Cortázar and Shreya Aren*) and current co-chairs (Clea Bigelow-Nuttall, Juliana de Ureña, Diora Ziyaeva and Laura Halonen), took to the stage for a brief address, reflecting on the network's past, present and future. What began as a simple initiative for connection during lockdown has since grown into a global community of over 800 members.

The anniversary celebrations continued in London on 4 June during London International Disputes Week, where MOT hosted a second event—this time a special afternoon tea generously hosted by DAC Beachcroft (with thanks to special thanks to Clarissa Coleman). This gathering, bringing together members from both MOT and Young MUTE OFF Thursdays, provided an intimate yet equally powerful setting for reflecting on five years of progress. Attendees exchanged stories, shared professional experiences, and engaged in discussions about the future of the network. The London celebration reinforced MOT’s ongoing mission: to foster knowledge-sharing, boost confidence through visibility, and challenge familiarity bias in arbitral appointments.

Adding to the festivities, on 5 June, ArbitralWomen’s Dora Grunewald organised a special tour of the National Gallery, led by art historian Simona Dolari and sponsored by Osborne Partners. The tour spotlighted masterpieces by Tintoretto, Gainsborough, Caravaggio, Titian, and Rembrandt—paintings that remained on display at the National Gallery during World War II while the rest of its collection was hidden away for safekeeping during the Blitz. Against this historical backdrop, MUTE OFF Thursdays members reflected on themes of art, resilience, and the ways humanity perseveres even in times of crisis.

With heartfelt anecdotes and a clear vision for the future, these anniversary events in Paris and London were not just celebrations of MOT’s past but a powerful reminder of its unwavering commitment to supporting and elevating women in arbitration.

MUTE OFF Thursdays is is a weekly 30 min networking & knowledge exchange for mid-level to senior women in arbitration, founded in March 2020. ArbitralWomen members who are lawyers with seven or more years of professional experience are warmly invited to reach out to the co-chairs (Clea Bigelow-Nuttall, Juliana de Ureña, Diora Ziyaeva and Laura Halonen) to explore joining this inspiring network.

*Ema Vidak Friedman is the fourth co-founder. **Jennifer Bryant is the fourth former co-chair.

Submitted by ArbitralWomen Board Member and MUTE OFF Co-Chair, Clea Bigelow-Nuttal