Maxwell Chambers is pleased to announce the launch of MAXWELL CONNECTher, an ongoing initiative aimed at highlighting women arbitrators in the Asia Pacific region. 

In collaboration with our partner arbitral institutions – ACICA, AIAC, HKIAC, JCAA, KCAB, and SIAC, MAXWELL CONNECTher presents a directory of women arbitrators who are (1) residing in Asia Pacific and (2) are also listed as an arbitrator with one of the partner arbitral institutions based in the region.

Commenting on the initiative, Karen Tan, Chief Strategy of Maxwell Chambers says, “Given Asia’s projected ongoing economic growth, MAXWELL CONNECTher aims to collectively showcase women arbitrators in the Asia Pacific region by making them more visible and accessible. We thank our partner arbitral institutions for supporting our efforts in compiling this list.”

The support from partner arbitral institutions underscores the significance of this initiative in advancing gender diversity in arbitration. Gloria Lim, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), shared her enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, “SIAC is pleased to support this excellent initiative by Maxwell Chambers to launch a directory featuring women arbitrators who are based in the Asia-Pacific region, to help promote gender as well as geographical diversity.”

Joanne Lau, Secretary-General of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), expresses her support, stating, “HKIAC is proud to support MAXWELL CONNECTher, with the shared aim of promoting greater diversity in arbitral appointments and showcasing female talent in the region. I am happy to see that HKIAC’s appointments of women arbitrators increased from 27% in 2021 to 35% in 2023. There is a lot we can still do, and we are committed in our efforts in promoting diversity.” 

“ACICA is also proud to support this initiative to showcase the breadth of female arbitrator talent across the Asia-Pacific region. This will be an invaluable resource and aligns closely with ACICA’s efforts in diversifying arbitral appointments” says Deborah Tomkinson, Secretary-General of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA). 

As part of Maxwell Chambers’ commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the international arbitration community, this list will continue to expand as the initiative seeks to collaborate with other Asian arbitral institutions to include more women arbitrators based in Asia.

For more information about MAXWELL CONNECTher, please visit our directory here.