• About
  • Offices
  • Careers
  • News
  • Students
  • Alumni
  • Payments
  • EN | FR
Background Image
Bennett Jones Logo
  • People
  • Expertise
  • Knowledge
  • Search
  • FR Menu
  • Search Mobile
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
View all
Practices
Corporate Litigation Regulatory Tax View all
Industries
Capital Projects Energy Funds & Finance Mining View all
Advisory
Crisis & Risk Management ESG Strategy and Solutions Governmental Affairs & Public Policy
View Client Work
International Experience
Insights News Events New Energy Economy Series
Business Law Talks Podcast Economic Outlook Class Actions: Looking Forward Quarterly M&A Insights
ESG & the CIO Subscribe
People
Practices
Industries
Advisory Services
Client Work
About
Offices
News
Careers
Insights
Law Students
Events
Search
Alumni
Payments
Subscribe

Stay informed on the latest business and legal insights and events.

LinkedIn LinkedIn Twitter Twitter Vimeo Vimeo
 

Valerie Hughes Selected as Arbitrator for WTO Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement

August 17, 2020

Valerie Hughes, Senior Counsel in the International Trade & Investment practice of Bennett Jones, has been selected as a member of the standing pool of arbitrators for the WTO Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA). In this prestigious role, Valerie will hear appeals of WTO panel reports involving Canada and 22 other WTO members who have agreed to participate in the arrangement. MPIA members include China, the European Union, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. Other WTO members may join at any time.

The MPIA allows appeals to continue in the absence of an operational WTO Appellate Body, which has not been able to hear appeals since December 2019 because the United States blocked the selection of new Appellate Body members to replace those whose terms had expired. The MPIA will be in place until the WTO Appellate Body is able to function again, which could take two or more years.

Canada helped lead the creation of the MPIA. It was first announced in March 2020 by Canada and 15 other WTO members as an interim appeal arbitration procedure. MPIA members put in place the arrangement in order to preserve an independent and impartial appellate stage in WTO dispute settlement, an essential feature of the WTO dispute resolution mechanism.

"The world needs a stable, multilateral rules-based system for global trade," says Valerie. "It is needed to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to respond to the growing protectionism we have witnessed in recent years."

MPIA arbitrators are among the global elite in international trade and WTO law. Ten arbitrators were selected from around the world. Valerie was Canada's nominee and is one of four women appointed to the body. The MPIA also includes arbitrators from China, the European Union, Brazil, Singapore, Mexico and New Zealand. Each appeal is heard by three arbitrators from the pool who are selected on the basis of rotation.

Valerie has served as counsel for the Government of Canada before WTO panels and the organization’s Appellate Body, as an adjudicator in WTO disputes, and as the only person to have served as both Director of the WTO Legal Affairs Division (2010-16) and Director of the WTO Appellate Body Secretariat (2001-05). She has been involved in more than 70 WTO disputes.

The Government of Canada's statement on the MPIA is available here. The EU's statement is here.

About Bennett Jones

Bennett Jones is one of Canada's premier business law firms and home to more than 400 lawyers and business advisors. With deep experience in complex transactions and litigation matters, the firm is well equipped to advise businesses and investors with Canadian ventures, and connect Canadian businesses and investors with opportunities around the world.

 

Key Contact

  • Valerie  Hughes Valerie Hughes, Senior Counsel

A Pivotal Moment: Fintech in Canada Q1 2023

Related Links

  • Insights
  • Media
  • Subscribe

Related Expertise

  • International Trade & Investment
  • WTO Law & Policy

Recent Posts

Speaking Engagements

Investment Restrictions and Vacancy Taxes and the Impacts on Developers

June 08, 2023
       

Speaking Engagements

Strategies to Manage New, Complex and Conflicting Sanctions

June 08, 2023
       

In The News

What's the Big Picture in the Canadian Economy?

June 07, 2023
       

Speaking Engagements

Capitalizing Indigenous Business: Towards A Supercharged Canadian Economy

June 02, 2023
       

Client Work

Low-Carbon Energy Leader EDF Issues $500 Million Maple Bond

June 01, 2023
       

Updates

Class Actions: Looking Forward 2023

June 01, 2023
       

Speaking Engagements

Advising Tech-Enabled Startup Companies

May 30, 2023
       

Speaking Engagements

Land Use Compatibility

May 30, 2023
       

Articles

U.S. and Canadian Cross-Border Transactions: U.S. Governing Law and Unique Deal Terms

May 29, 2023
       
Bennett Jones Centennial Footer
Bennett Jones Centennial Footer
About
  • Leadership
  • Diversity
  • Community
  • Innovation
  • Security
  • History
Offices
  • Calgary
  • Edmonton
  • Montréal
  • Ottawa
  • Toronto
  • Vancouver
  • New York
Connect
  • Insights
  • News
  • Events
  • Careers
  • Students
  • Alumni
Subscribe

Stay informed on the latest business and legal insights and events.

LinkedIn LinkedIn Twitter Twitter Vimeo Vimeo
© Bennett Jones LLP 2023. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
Logo Bennett Jones