Independent arbitration institution Delos has created a free universal open access database of potential arbitrator candidates, in a bid to open up a wider pool of talent and foster greater diversity of arbitrators.

The database is available here. It is free to use, and any arbitrator or aspiring arbitrator can register and appear in it for free. Arbitrators, including aspiring arbitrators, can enter as much information as they would like, including their gender, age, nationality, location, and cultural and ethnic background, alongside their experience as counsel and arbitrator, language skills, and regional, industry or other specialist expertise.

As well as assisting Delos to make diverse appointments, the database provides parties and counsel, and other arbitral institutions with a straightforward tool to put together lists of arbitrator candidates who can sit in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations, in all seats and under all procedural rules, across a wide range of areas of expertise. The database also helps new counsel entrants in the international arbitration market gain access to valuable information about potential arbitrator candidates, thereby supporting diversity amongst legal counsel. The database can also be used to identify and promote diverse conference speakers and publication contributors.

In a statement published today on the Delos website, May Tai, Managing Partner for Asia of Herbert Smith Freehills and member of the Delos Board of Advisors, independent arbitrator Professor Pierre Tercier, and Hafez Virjee, President of Delos, explain that, “with the rise of cross-border litigation and mediation, ‘diversity’ matters in arbitration in the same way that ‘efficiency’ matters because it helps make a positive case for choosing international arbitration above and beyond purely its technical features and the lack of available alternatives.”

The database has been created with support from Herbert Smith Freehills. It has the backing of leading arbitration diversity initiatives including Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers (“REAL”), Rising Arbitrators Initiative (“RAI”) and Careers in Arbitration.

Neil Kaplan CBE QC SBS, who chairs the Delos Board of Advisors, said: “By creating this database, we hope to grant users of arbitration access to a larger pool of candidates, and thereby foster and facilitate greater diversity of arbitrators – in terms of gender, geography, age, culture and ethnicity – for the benefit of the arbitral community and international arbitration more generally.”

Professor Pierre Tercier stated: “I am delighted to lead the support of Delos’ new open access database. I would encourage arbitrators – whether aspiring or experienced – to register your arbitrator profile in the database. The more people who register, the better a tool it will become, and the greater the impact it will have on diversity in the arbitration market.”

Paula Hodges QC, Global Head of Herbert Smith Freehills’ International Arbitration Practice added: “It goes without saying that lack of easy access to information about potential arbitrators, and the inability of newcomers to promote their arbitrator credentials, hampers diversity. Consistent with its aim to support arbitral users with innovative resources, we are delighted to have worked with Delos to devise this free and open access database. We hope that this will help to improve diversity of arbitrators and counsel and will be a tool that will be used and added to for many years to come.”

To continue this diversity conversation, join Delos, Herbert Smith Freehills, Careers in Arbitration, RAI and REAL for a webinar on 22 March, which will feature a keynote by Professor Pierre Tercier and include a presentation of the database. Speakers include Dr Kabir Duggal, Amanda Lee, May Tai and Hafez Virjee. Register here.