Squire Patton Boggs is pleased to announce that the former Deputy Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration, José Ricardo Feris, has joined the firm as an International Dispute Resolution partner in Paris.
A highly respected arbitration specialist, Mr. Feris joined the ICC in 2004, where he held a number of posts, including Managing Counsel of the Court and Secretary of the ICC Latin American Arbitration Group, before he was appointed Deputy Secretary General in 2011. He has played an important role in a number of key strategic activities, such as the 2012 and 2017 revision of the ICC Rules of Arbitration, the upcoming Rules of ICC as Appointing Authority currently under review and the ICC Court’s new policies to increase efficiency, transparency and diversity in international arbitration. Mr. Feris also assisted in the establishment of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC in New York City and Sao Paulo, the ICC Arab Arbitration Group and the opening of a representative office in Shanghai.
Prior to joining the ICC, Mr. Feris served as a law clerk at the International Court of Justice in The Hague and worked for the Legal Advisor to the President of the Dominican Republic. He was Secretary of the ICC Latin America’s arbitration Group and a founding member of ALArb (Latin American Arbitration Association), and he has played a key role in the development of arbitration in Latin America.
George von Mehren, Global Practice Group Leader for International Dispute Resolution at Squire Patton Boggs, commented: “We are delighted to welcome José to the firm. There are few other lawyers who can claim to be at the forefront of the development of international arbitration. With his unique experience and insight gained from his career at the ICC Court and the role he has played in the development of arbitration in Latin America, José is a recognised specialist in this field. His depth of his knowledge and expertise will be highly prized by our clients.”
“José’s arrival adds a new dimension to our strong international disputes practice in Paris; important to the continued development of our services in international arbitration globally,” added Marie-Aimée Peyron, who leads the firm’s International Dispute Resolution Practice in Paris and who will be appointed Bâtonnier (President) of the Paris Bar on 1 January 2018.
Mr. Feris holds a law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic and an LLM in International Legal Studies from New York University. He is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Feris said: “I am excited to have joined one of the world’s preeminent international dispute resolution practices and utilizing my experience in support of its continued success.”
Squire Patton Boggs has been repeatedly recognized as one of the leading international arbitration firms in the world by leading industry journal Global Arbitration Review. With a team of more than 90 lawyers with arbitration experience, the firm is a leader in energy industry and bilateral investment treaty arbitrations and has participated in many high-profile cases.
The Paris office of Squire Patton Boggs was established in 1995 and represents international and domestic clients on corporate/M&A, litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, competition, employment law, tax and commercial and regulatory matters. In 2015, the firm expanded its International Dispute Resolution Practice with the appointment of two partners, Carole Sportes and Valérie Ravit, and a team of three associates. In 2016, Stephan Adell was added to the partnership. The arrival of José Feris takes the total number of lawyers based in the Paris office to 40, 16 of whom are partners.