The Chartered Institute for Arbitrators (CIArb) Creates New Trustee Position for Europe

Elections were held in autumn 2012 to appoint six CIArb Trustees, effective from 01 January 2013. The elections followed the approval of a new Bye-Law, reducing the number of Trustees for Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland and Channel Islands) from six to five, with one new Trustee representing mainland Europe for the first time in the Institute’s history. The new Trustee for continental Europe was announced as Dr Axel Reeg MCIArb, past Chairman of the European Branch (2008-2011). Reeg is a lawyer admitted to the Bars in Germany and Spain and experienced in cross-border commercial dispute-resolution and international business law. In addition, Reeg is an author and a lecturer at the University of Heidelberg for International Commercial Arbitration.

Dr Reeg sees the creation of this new trustee position as a milestone on the path towards CIArb becoming a truly global organisation. Reeg said “Continental Europe is the origin of the civil law world. When a common law based organisation like CIArb recognises the importance of civil law approaches to dispute resolution by creating a new trustee position for the continent, this will help overcome the classic common/civil law divide and may, over time, translate into a substantial increase in the importance of and membership of the Institute in other civil law jurisdictions such as Latin America, parts of Africa and Asia and countries like Japan, China, Korea and Indonesia.”

This change to CIArb’s board composition reflects the 30% growth of European members in the past two years, with the number of European Branch members growing to 500. CIArb’s Irish region now covers the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Other elected Trustees are as follows: James Bridgeman FCIArb (Ireland), David Brynmor Thomas MCIArb (GB), Nayla Comair Obeid FCIArb (Middle East and Indian Sub-Continent), Malcolm Holmes FCIArb QC (Australasia), Bruce Kettle MCIArb (GB), Wendy Miles FCIArb (GB), Christopher Ojo FCIArb (Africa), Ann Ryan Robertson FCIArb (North America), Colin Wall FCIArb (Asia), and John Wright FCIArb (GB). Further details of CIArb’s board are available at www.ciarb.org/about/whos-who/board-of-trustees/

For further information, please contact:

Lucy Chakaodza
Communications and PR Executive
E: LChakaodza@ciarb.org
T: 020 7421 7488
www.ciarb.org

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

CIArb is the world’s leading professional membership body for arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. A not-for-profit organisation, CIArb promotes the use of alternative dispute resolution internationally through a membership of 12,500 professionally qualified members in more than 110 countries. In addition to providing education and training for arbitrators, mediators and adjudicators, CIArb acts as an international resource centre for practitioners, policy makers, academics and those in business concerned with the cost-effective and early settlement of disputes. CIArb was originally granted a Royal Charter in 1979. Significant changes to the Institute’s governing structure have resulted from the new Charter and Bye-laws granted in 2005, which reflect the need to represent the Institute’s worldwide membership. www.ciarb.org

Dr Axel Reeg MCIArb

In 1993, Axel Reeg established REEG RECHTSANWAELTE, a German niche law firm providing assistance for cross-border litigation and business transactions. REEG has associated offices in Kuala Lumpur and Madrid. Axel read law at the Universities of Munich, Singapore and Freiburg.

He has extensive experience in dispute resolution, both as an arbitrator (primarily ICC and DIS), as counsel in international commercial arbitration and as a litigator before state courts.

In addition to CIArb, Axel is a member of DIS, ASA, the CEA and the Latin American Association for Arbitration as well as of the Arbitration Committees of both the IBA and the IPBA.