Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner David W. Rivkin, co-chair of the firm’s International Dispute Resolution Group, has been appointed co-chair of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). Mr. Rivkin will serve as co-chair alongside Rimsky Yuen GBM, SC, JP, former Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong and now arbitrator, mediator and barrister at Temple Chambers. The appointment will go into effect June 15, 2020.
Mr. Rivkin acts as counsel in both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations (acting for both investors and states), as well as transnational litigation in US courts. He has won some of the largest awards in both categories and has handled international arbitrations before virtually every major arbitration institution. Subjects of these arbitrations have included long-term energy concessions, investment treaties, joint venture agreements, insurance coverage, pharmaceutical claims, construction contracts, distribution agreements and intellectual property, among others and they have involved common law, civil law, Islamic law and other systems. Currently, Mr. Rivkin represents a wide variety of clients, including General Electric, Occidental Petroleum, the governments of Qatar and Korea and the United Nations.
In addition to leading Debevoise’s International Dispute Resolution Group, Mr. Rivkin has held leadership roles in many international arbitration institutions on every continent. In his role as President of the International Bar Association in 2015-16, Mr. Rivkin led projects related to business and human rights, climate change, judicial integrity, human trafficking and the core principles of the rule of law, among others.
HKIAC is one of the world's leading dispute resolution organizations, specializing in arbitration, mediation, adjudication and domain name dispute resolution. HKIAC maintains one of the largest caseloads in the Asia-Pacific region, having handled over 10,500 commercial cases since its establishment in 1985. HKIAC is at the forefront of arbitration innovation and best practice offering users market-leading arbitration rules and state-of-the-art facilities for physical and virtual hearings.
Read the HKIAC press release here.