Patricia Albuquerque Pimentel represents clients in domestic and international arbitration disputes involving, among others, corporate and contractual issues, construction, energy and real estate. Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). Master’s degree in Juridical Forensic Sciences from University of Coimbra (UC). Co-Chair of the Latin America Committee of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations. Founder of BRVYAP (Brazilian Very Young Arbitration Practitioners). 

Her LinkedIn profile is at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-albuquerque-pimentel-666a1a161/.

Eugene Thong is effectively trilingual in English, Chinese and French, and conversant in Russian and Japanese. He read law in Paris, qualified as a solicitor in England, and is a CIArb Fellow. He has experience as arbitrator and also as tribunal secretary assisting several of Asia’s most prominent arbitrators, and used to work as ICC Deputy Counsel in Hong Kong and Singapore. In the span of his career, Eugene has handled both commercial and investment arbitration cases.  His LinkedIn profile is at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenethong166/.

2024 marked the second edition of the End-of-Cycle of the Young ICCA Mentoring Programme. The retreat took place in Paris from 24 to 26 October. 

This time, the gathering saw a notable rise in participants (over 40!), uniting mentors, group advisors, and mentees for days filled with debates, networking, and, naturally, fun! 

Founded in 2011, Young ICCA, which is part of ICCA, is a leading global network for young arbitration practitioners. The Mentoring Programme provides small group mentorships with distinguished arbitration experts and a seasoned young practitioner as an advisor. It is currently in its 11th and 12th cycles, structured over two years program. 

The Mentoring Programme connects young practitioners with experienced professionals and arbitrators, providing valuable insights, skill development, and networking opportunities.  Each mentoring group includes diverse members from various genders, geographies, races, cultures, and legal systems, exposing mentees to various perspectives. This diversity enhances their understanding of international arbitration, supporting the growth of future experts in the field.

The Retreat opened on Thursday afternoon at the Paris office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Welcome remarks were delivered by Dr Stanimir Alexandrov (ICCA’s President) and Professor Pierre Tercier (organiser of the Retreat and member of the Young ICCA Committee of ICCA). After participants introduced themselves, Freshfields hosts Matei Purice (Counsel) and Veronika Timofeeva (Senior Associate) presented on written and oral advocacy. The event included a roundtable discussion moderated by Shirin Gurdova (former Young ICCA Co-Chair), featuring insights from retreat participants Rawdha Hidri, Yuliia Demianchuk, and Nermeen Mandouh. Following the panel, there was a formal dinner where participants could network with some of the biggest names in the international arbitration field. 

Friday’s events commenced on Friday morning at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), where Professor Tercier welcomed attendees and initiated a discussion on the importance of scrutinising awards in arbitration. Following him, Alexander Fessas (Secretary General of the ICC) provided an overview of the organisation, outlining the roles of the ICC Court of Arbitration, the Court Secretariat, the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, and the ICC International Centre for ADR. The roundtable discussion, moderated by Julio Rivera Ríos (Young ICCA Mentoring Co-director), featured presentations from Eléonore Toupart (Counsel at the ICC) and Margarita Chatzi (Deputy Counsel) regarding the intricacies of the ICC’s award scrutiny process. Participants from the retreat, Jan Ciaptacz, Roslyn Lai, and Karol Bucki, also contributed additional presentations. 

In the afternoon, the retreat progressed with a session at Bredin Prat focusing on financing arbitration, including security for costs and third-party funding. Following a presentation of the hosts Tim Portwood (Partner), Shane Daly (Counsel), and Giulia Carbone (Counsel), Professor Tercier and Raquel Macedo Moreira (Co-director of Young ICCA Mentoring) moderated a roundtable discussion where Federico Achard and Vytautas Vaicekauskas shared practical examples to enrich the topics discussed.

On Friday evening, all the retreat participants came together for a casual dinner, which allowed them to connect better and strengthen the relationships formed through the Mentoring Programme. 

The retreat concluded with a farewell brunch, graciously sponsored by Ankura. This brunch brought together all participants of the retreat, Mentoring Programme Alumni, and emerging voices in the international arbitration community. Young ICCA Mentoring Co-Directors Julio Rivera Ríos and Raquel Macedo Moreira, along with current and former Young ICCA Co-Chairs Shirin Gurdova and Eva Chan, were present to acknowledge Professor Tercier for his unwavering contributions to the programme since its inception. His commitment to mentoring international arbitration practitioners and students from diverse backgrounds embodies the core values of the Mentoring Programme and is essential to the retreat’s success. 

The retreat gave Mentoring Programme participants with a unique opportunity to improve their theoretical and practical international arbitration skills while strengthening community connections. This event emphasised the importance of relationships in international arbitration, embodying Professor Tercier's vision of the “mentoring chain "to nurture future leaders in arbitration.  

After its successful second edition, the retreat will be held yearly to celebrate the conclusion of each mentoring program cycle.  

Applications for the Mentoring Programme open in July and close in September each year. For more information on the Mentoring Programme, visit the Young ICCA website.

The 2023 Young ICCA Mentoring Programme Retreat was organised by Professor Pierre Tercier, the former Young ICCA Co-Chairs Shirin Gurdova, the Young ICCA Mentoring Programme Co-Directors  Julio Rivera Ríos and Raquel Macedo Moreira, with the support of Zil Shah. This event also counted on the valuable support of the Young ICCA Committee members and Young ICCA Co-chairs.

Reporting by Eugene Thong (Independent arbitrator and Tribunal Secretary) and Patricia Albuquerque Pimentel (Associate at MAMG)