Fourteenth Annual Prize Awarded to:
The Smit-Lowenfeld Prize Dinner took place in New York City on January 28, 2025, honoring Professor Catherine Rogers of Bocconi University Law School in Milan, Italy, as this year’s recipient of the prestigious award for her article "Reconceptualizing the Party-Appointed Arbitrator and the Meaning of Impartiality." The prize, which commemorates the distinguished New York arbitrators, Professor Andreas Lowenfeld of NYU Law School and Professor Hans Smit of Columbia Law School, recognizes outstanding scholarship in international arbitration. Both Lowenfeld and Smit were not only influential educators in the field but also frequently served as arbitrators in major international disputes. The award dinner, hosted by the International Arbitration Club of New York, brought together leading figures in arbitration to celebrate Professor Rogers’ contributions to the discipline.
The evening featured remarks from Professor Rogers, who accepted the honor, as well as from Ted Lynch of Jones Day, who led the jury that selected the winner, and Professor Robert Smit of Columbia Law School. Lawrence W. Newman of Baker McKenzie, the presiding member of the International Arbitration Club of New York, emphasized the significance of Professor Rogers’ work, stating, “Professor Rogers’ article on the party-appointed arbitrator in international arbitration is important because it brings historical and theoretical background to a practical reality of a widely used practice in international arbitration.” The event underscored the ongoing evolution of arbitration scholarship and practice, highlighting the impact of rigorous academic inquiry on the resolution of international disputes.
The Smit-Lowenfeld Prize is awarded annually by the International Arbitration Club of New York (IACNY) to recognize the outstanding article published in the previous year on any aspect of international arbitration. The Prize honors the late Hans Smit of Columbia Law School and Andreas F. Lowenfeld of New York University School of Law, both renowned scholars in international litigation and arbitration, well known arbitrators, and dearly missed members of this Club.
The deadline for receipt of submissions for each year’s competition is April 30. Nominations can be submitted to arbitrationclub@gmail.com
The winning article will be selected by a jury composed of members of the International Arbitration Club of New York. The winner of the Smit-Lowenfeld Prize will receive an honorarium of US$2500 to be presented at a ceremony in New York. The International Arbitration Club of New York considers articles submitted directly to the competition by the authors or their peers, as well as articles chosen through the Club’s survey of articles appearing in leading international journals. The winning article is chosen from those gathered through a two-phase winnowing process, involving close scrutiny by juries of members of the International Arbitration Club of New York. The articles are judged according to the following criteria: Originality of the subject matter or ideas developed therein; Quality of the writing style and expression; Significance of the piece to the field of international arbitration, and Scholarship, or the analytical rigor of the article and its contribution to existing scholarship. No weight is given as to where the article is published, the general popularity or acceptance of the article by others, or to the author’s reputation or standing.