International Advisory Board

The members of Arbitration Ireland’s International Advisory Board provide high-level counsel on how Ireland can increase its profile as a seat for international arbitration. The members are senior lawyers with a commitment to bringing arbitration to Dublin.

Donald F. Donovan

Donald F. Donovan is a leading arbitrator with Arbitration Chambers in New York and is former head of international disputes and public international law at Debevoise & Plimpton.

John L. Gardiner

John L. Gardiner is partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, New York. John serves as Co-head of Skadden’s International Litigation and Arbitration Group.

Lucy Reed

Lucy Reed is an arbitrator based in New York, specializing in investor-State and complex international commercial disputes. She is President of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre Court (SIAC) and President of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), and formerly served as a Vice President of the ICC Court, President of the American Society of International Law, the Chair of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA), and a member of the LCIA Court and the HKIAC Board.

Audley Sheppard KC

Audley Sheppard KC is an Arbitrator Member of Twenty Essex, London.

He is a vice president of ICCA and the chair of the Board of Sport Resolutions.

He is a former: partner at Clifford Chance LLP (28 years) and co-chair of the firm’s international arbitration group; chair of the Board and vice president of the Court of the LCIA; member of the ICC Court; co-chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee; and rapporteur of the ILA Arbitration Committee.

Pierre Yves Tschanz

Pierre Yves Tschanz is a partner at Tavernier Tschanz, Geneva. He has been admitted to the Bar in Paris, New York and Geneva, and has served as an arbitrator in over 100 cases.

Honorary Member Mr. Justice Brian J. McGovern

Mr. Justice McGovern is a judge of the Court of Appeal and an honorary member of Arbitration Ireland. While at the Bar he had an extensive civil law practice involving arbitration. He was, for a time, the designated Arbitration Judge under the Arbitration Act 2010.

Honorary Member Mr Justice David Barniville

David Barniville is the President of the High Court of Ireland. He was appointed a judge of the High Court in December 2017 after almost 27 years in practice as a barrister and Senior Counsel. He was the judge in charge of the Commercial Division of that Court (2019-2021). He was also designated as the Arbitration Judge to hear all arbitration related matters in the High Court. He was previously the judge in charge of the Strategic Infrastructure List in the High Court (2018-2019). David was appointed to the Court of Appeal in August 2021. He was appointed President of the High Court in July 2022.

In July 2018, David was appointed as a member of Ireland’s National Group on the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of European Law (ERA) and of the Board of Trustees of BAILII (the British and Irish Legal Information Institute).

David was the President of the Association of Judges of Ireland (2019-2021) and is Senior Vice Chair of the Judges Forum of the Judges Forum of the International Bar Association (IBA).

Prior to his appointment to the High Court, David was Chairperson of the Council of the Bar of Ireland (2014-2016) and was Chairperson of Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) (2015-2019). He was a member of the Bars of Ireland and of England and Wales (Middle Temple) and is a Bencher of the King’s Inns in Dublin and of Middle Temple in London.

Edward K. Lenci

Edward K. Lenci has a diverse practice that focuses on the litigation and arbitration of complex commercial disputes, including reinsurance disputes, and the defense of businesses sued in class action lawsuits. He is a Partner in Hinshaw’s New York Office.

Donald F. Donovan

Donald F. Donovan is partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP, New York. Donald serves as Co-Head of the International Disputes Group with Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

John L. Gardiner

John L. Gardiner is partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, New York. John serves as Co-head of Skadden’s International Litigation and Arbitration Group.

Lucy Reed

Before joining the Centre for International Law and the law faculty of the National University of Singapore in July 2016, Lucy practised in New York and Asia.

Audley Sheppard

Audley Sheppard QC is a partner at Clifford Chance, LLP, London. He is also Chair of the LCIA Board.

Pierre Yves Tschanz

Pierre Yves Tschanz is a partner at Tavernier Tschanz, Geneva. He has been admitted to the Bar in Paris, New York and Geneva, and has served as an arbitrator in over 100 cases.

Honorary Member Mr. Justice Brian J. McGovern

Mr. Justice McGovern is a judge of the Court of Appeal and an honorary member of Arbitration Ireland. While at the Bar he had an extensive civil law practice involving arbitration. He was, for a time, the designated Arbitration Judge under the Arbitration Act 2010.

Honorary Member  Mr Justice David Barniville

David Barniville was appointed a judge of the High Court of Ireland in December 2017. He was appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal in August 2021. At the time of his nomination for appointment to the Court of Appeal in June 2021 he was the judge in charge of the Commercial Division of the High Court. He was also designated as the Arbitration Judge to hear all arbitration related matters in the High Court and was one of the judges assigned to deal with examinership applications. He was previously the judge in charge of the Strategic Infrastructure List in the High Court (2018-2019).  In July 2018, David was appointed as a member of Ireland’s National Group on the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Edward K. Lenci

Edward K. Lenci has a diverse practice that focuses on the litigation and arbitration of complex commercial disputes, including reinsurance disputes, and the defense of businesses sued in class action lawsuits. He is a Partner in Hinshaw’s New York Office.