Professor William Butler elected to Ukrainian arbitration court

July 2, 2013 — The Presidium of the International Commercial Arbitration Court (ICAC) attached to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has elected Penn State Law professor William E. Butler to the recommendatory panel of arbitrators maintained by the Court.

The ICAC is an independent organization that serves as an alternative to the often slow-moving judicial system. In 2012 arbitral tribunals formed within the Court resolved 306 cases with parties from 53 countries. Most disputes dealt with contracts of delivery and the international the sale of goods.

Disputing parties are required to comply with any awards rendered by ICAC tribunals. Awards are subject to enforcement under the 1958 New York Convention on the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.

Professor Butler, who is the John Edward Fowler Distinguished Professor of Law and International Affairs, is author, editor or translator of more than 120 books on Soviet, Russian, Ukrainian, and other former Soviet republic legal systems. He is currently serving his fourth term as a member of the Russian International Court of Commercial Arbitration and was elected to the Kazakhstan International Arbitrage in December 2012.

The ICAC is the latest in a series of organizations to recognize Professor Butler's expertise. In July 2012 the Supreme Court of Ukraine awarded Professor Butler its highest medal “For Fidelity to Law” in a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev. He was the first foreigner to be awarded this medal. He is also the only foreign lawyer to be elected to both Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences and its National Academy of Legal Sciences.

He teaches J.D. and LL.M. students, as well as graduate students in the School of International Affairs, and supervises S.J.D. candidates in the Law School.