HKIAC declares new management

HKIAC declares new management

Lawyer Mariel Dimsey has been appointed new secretary-general of the CMS, replacing Sarah Grimmer after six years

Mariel Dimsey, CMS's co-head of international arbitration, has been appointed secretary-general of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). She replaces Sarah Grimmer, who will depart in August 2022.

Dimsey first arrived in Hong Kong in 2016 with Hogan Lovells, then moved to CMS in 2018 and became a partner the following year.

"We are eager to welcome Mariel as the next secretary-general and look forward to her contributions," said David Rivkin, partner at Debevoise & Plimpton and co-chair of the HKIAC.

Griemer's deputy, Joe Liu, will also leave. In 2019, Eric Ng, a former IT professional who joined HKIAC in 2019, will replace him as managing counsel.

According to Ng's statement on LinkedIn, "It would be impossible to find a better mentor than Sarah, and I look forward to building that relationship anew with Mariel Dimsey. "Joe has set the high water mark for the role that I have now taken over, and I can only hope that I am able to meet that standard in the future."

After six years in the post, Grimmer will take a position as an independent arbitrator at Twenty Essex in Singapore; Liu will establish his own arbitrator-only boutique firm.

Prior to joining HKIAC, Grimmer spent more than a decade working at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration in Paris. After her tenure at HKIAC, it was ranked third in the QMU/White & Case international arbitration survey for 2021, behind joint rivals London and Singapore. She was also responsible for revising the arbitration rules of HKIAC.

It is relevant to note that she enabled a shift to virtual hearing services during the pandemic, in which the Special Administrative Region (SAR) had imposed stringent travel restrictions and public health restrictions due to the presence of Covid-19, many of which are still in effect today.

The HKIAC has nevertheless remained active internationally, albeit virtually, and hybrid and in-person hearings have also resumed with adequate safeguards. Additional Grimmer innovations include an award-winning digest of procedural decisions and significantly enhanced case management capabilities.

In the latter part of her tenure, Beijing imposed a controversial national security law in 2021, which led to two British senior judges resigning from the SAR's Court of Final Appeal this year, due to concerns about rule of law. English Court Chambers, renowned for its arbitration work, was also sanctioned by China in 2021, making them ineligible to carry out any business in China, including HKIAC.

While HKIAC's caseload has remained high, it has conducted a record number of arbitrations in three of the past six years, although cases declined in 2021.

Former Hong Kong justice secretary and current co-chair of HKIAC, Rimsky Yuen SC of Temple Chambers, stated, "Sarah's contributions to HKIAC's success over the past six years will be sorely missed."

The head of Twenty Essex, Duncan Matthews QC, stated, "We are happy that Sarah has chosen to continue her career at Twenty Essex. Given her background, notably with the HKIAC, she will be ideally suited to expand our Singapore hub's knowledge, as well as globally.

Grimmer stated that leading HKIAC for the past six years has been a pleasure. She stated, "I have had the good pleasure to work with a very competent team and the excellent Hong Kong legal community, including HKIAC councillors and staff."

Liu, however, leaves after eight years to establish his own exclusive arbitration firm, JLIU Dispute Resolution. Liu has held positions of increasing seniority, including five months as interim secretary-general.

Liu, who did not pursue promotion, collaborated with Grimmer to develop the HKIAC's practice for processing applications for interim measures in the PRC courts, an award-winning tribunal secretary service, and successive 2013 and 2018 modifications of the HKIAC's arbitration rules.

Liu stated, "I cherish my time at HKIAC and am honoured to be a part of the institution's road to growth and distinction. Regarding the future, I am enthusiastic about my new position and eager to serve as an independent, efficient, and dependable arbitrator using my institutional knowledge, private practice experience, and language abilities."