On 18 November 2016 Dublin-based Barrister James Bridgeman was elected by the world-wide membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators to serve as its President in 2018 and as Deputy President in 2017.
James Bridgeman is a practicing Barrister, Chartered Arbitrator, certified mediator and a member of the Ministerial panel of construction adjudicators. He holds practicing certificates as Barrister both in Ireland and in England and Wales. He is in general practice as advocate based at the Law Library Dublin and Lamb Chambers London with a focus on civil and commercial litigation, intellectual property, technology law, arbitration and ADR.
He is a member of the panel of arbitrators and conciliators established by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, as a nominee of the Irish government. He has been appointed to resolve international disputes by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO, Geneva), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC, Paris), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb, London), the National Arbitration Forum (Minneapolis, USA), Czech Arbitration Centre ( CAC, Prague), Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and Nominet (Oxford, UK).
In 2010 he was appointed by DG Justice of the EU Commission to the expert group advising on the revision of the Brussels 1 Regulation and arbitration. In August 2014 he was appointed by the Central Bank of Ireland as a member of the panel of experts to carry out investigations of regulated entities under the Administrative Sanctions Procedure.
In November 2014 he was appointed by the Council of the EU as a member of the panel of 15 arbitrators for the Protocol on Cultural Cooperation to the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Korea (Council Decision 2014/794/EU).
More recently he has been appointed as one of the two Irish barristers on the panel of construction adjudicators established by the Minister for Jobs, Equality and Innovation under the Construction Contracts Act 2013.
He is a member of the ADR sub-committee of Bar Council of England and Wales, a former Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Irish Branch and a past Vice-Chair of the Mediators Institute of Ireland. A liveryman of the Arbitrators Company in London and a Freeman of the City of London.
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators is a global body of arbitrators, mediators, conciliators and adjudicators which has recently celebrated its centenary in 2015. It provides training, accreditation and support for its 14,000 strong membership in 133 countries around the world through its network of 38 branches, its administration in London and a regional office in Singapore. The Irish Branch which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year has approximately 600 members in Ireland with a chapter in Northern Ireland.
Speaking of his election he said:
” I am delighted and honoured to be elected worldwide Chair of the CIArb for 2018. It presents a great opportunity to raise the awareness of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators which sets the gold standard of professionalism for arbitrators, mediators and adjudicators across the world. I hope that my term as President to bring the benefits of Arbitration, Mediation and Adjudication to the attention of the business communities and their advisors across the globe.
It is well known that the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland have proven to be most suitable seats for international dispute resolution and I hope that an Irish President will raise the profile of not only suitability of the two jurisdictions as venues but also the very high standard and professionalism of the Irish practitioners .”
Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Irish Branch, Gerard P. Monaghan, welcomed the election of Mr. Bridgeman and stated that ‘James is a long-standing member of the Irish Branch having previously served as Chairman and more recently as Branch Trustee. This is a real vote of confidence for the Branch and in the quality of dispute resolvers that we are privileged to have as members and further should serve to strengthen the profile of Ireland as a seat for international arbitration. We wish James the very best in his role of Deputy President in 2017 and President in 2018’