Originally from Reflections on International Arbitration - Essays in Honour of Professor George Bermann

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Before I get to the heart of the matter indicated in the title of this brief intervention, I hope that you will indulge me a few passages to introduce the profound impression that Professor George Bermann has made on my career and life.

I knew immediately that I had met someone very special when I first met George while I was Deputy Director of the New York Office of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and the United States Council for International Business.  George was one of the first “movers and shakers” to whom I was introduced in New York after I joined the ICC.  I soon crossed paths with George again in a Parisian airport in November 2008 on the heels of the historic election of President Barack Obama.  His infectious smile and joie de vivre were then, and still are, so uplifting and contagious that he even made a lasting impression upon my spouse, who was traveling with me at the time.

In a word, George is vivacious.  His zest for life is electric enough to light up any room he enters, and George especially lights up every room he enters as an ambassador for the international arbitration community.