Bankside Chambers recently hosted a luncheon for New Zealand lawyer Sarah Grimmer who was recently appointed Secretary General of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). Sarah took up her new role at the HKIAC this month.

Sarah is a very experienced international arbitration lawyer.  Following her graduation from Victoria University (LLB/BA), she completed her LLM at the University of Cambridge.  Sarah practiced in New Zealand for three years before heading to Paris where she was a member of the international arbitration group at Shearman & Sterling LLP and thereafter joined the Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) as Assistant Counsel.  For the last 10 years as Senior Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, she has been deeply involved in administering international arbitrations involving States, State-entities, intergovernmental organisations and private parties.

The HKIAC is one of the world’s leading arbitration centres and Sarah’s appointment to this important position is a tribute to the standing she has achieved in the field of international arbitration.

The luncheon was attended by Bankside Chambers members and also by leading members of the international arbitration community in New Zealand including Auckland barrister, Derek Firth, Sophie East, a Partner in Bell Gully, Daniel Kalderimis, a Partner in Chapman Tripp, Derek Johnson, a Wellington barrister, Graeme Christie, a Partner in Simpson Grierson and international arbitrator, David Kreider, who divides his practice between New Zealand and Hong Kong.

‍