ICC to Open Arbitration Office in New York City

Ottawa, February 21, 2012 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is opening an office in New York City.

The New York office will increase ICC’s North American presence and make the services of the Court’s Secretariat directly available to parties, their counsel and arbitrators in North America.

Perrin Beatty, President of the Canadian Chamber, welcomed the announcement, stating that: “The addition of an office of the Court in New York City is recognition of the importance of the North American market to the ICC. This provides another strong reason for Canadian and American businesses to agree to use ICC Arbitration to resolve their disputes, including, most importantly, in transactions between Canadian and American parties.”

Barry Leon, Chair of ICC Canada (the Chamber’s International Arbitration Committee) and Partner and Head of the International Arbitration Group at Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP in Ottawa, added: “The establishment of the ICC Court’s Secretariat in New York is a significant development for Canadian businesses. It will make it easier for Canadian businesses and the companies with which they transact to adopt ICC Arbitration as their dispute resolution method of choice.”

The New York office will join the ICC Court’s Secretariats in Paris and Hong Kong, as well as the ICC’s representative office in Singapore.

The International Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to promote international trade and investment. Arbitration is one of the organization’s three main activities along with rules-setting and policy.

ICC Canada is part of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The International Arbitration Committee of the Canadian Chamber is the Canadian National Committee of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC. It encompasses most of the leading Canadian international arbitrators and arbitration counsel. The ICC is the world’s leading and most trusted arbitration institution for resolving international commercial disputes.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 420 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 192,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at www.chamber.ca  or follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom.

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