by Gladwin Issac, Associate, S&R Associates, Mumbai, India

This next instalment of RAI’s “Interview the Institution” Series features Luis Martinez and Thomas Ventrone, Vice Presidents at the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), interviewed by Rocío Digón, RAI co-founder and legal consultant at White & Case.

In this engaging conversation with Rocío, Luis and Tom discuss the significant role that initiatives like RAI play in welcoming new players to the field and offer valuable insights into the arbitrator appointment process at the ICDR. They also discuss the criteria that the ICDR takes into account while making appointments, the significance of the “list procedure” and recent appointment trends at the ICDR. Luis and Tom particularly highlight the significance of the ICDR’s unique case management training programme, the arbitrator’s manual and the various support systems in place to aid new and upcoming arbitrators with their first appointment. Lastly, they offer some useful advice and resources to upcoming arbitrators - the importance of the tribunal secretary role, the AAA Higginbotham Fellows Program and the forgotten virtue of patience for anyone interested in making a lasting career in this field.

Watch the full recording of the interview on the RAI website, available here.