GAR Analysis

• No. of pending cases: 12
• Value of all claims: US$5.2billion
• No. of appearances in Who's Who: 3
• No. of treaty cases: 3
• No. of arbitration appointments (No. as chair or sole): 28(23)

A report GAR produced on Canada described Ogilvy Renault as the arbitration practice "others need to catch".

That was in part because of senior partner Yves Fortier QC, "the king of Canadian arbitration" and someone who has "had stardust on him from the very first". GAR's profile went on to describe how, after a career in the diplomatic service as a negotiator, judge, advocate, counsel to Royal Commissions, and even UN council chairman, Fortier spent "a day testing the waters in London to see if he could become an arbitrator". He had an appointment by the end of the day. The rest, as they say, is history. Fortier has since emerged as one of the key figures of the current generation of senior arbitrators. He is a former president of the LCIA's court (in recognition of his services, he has been appointed an honorary vice president). An American legal magazine suggested he was "the world's top arbitrator", based on number of appearances on cases over a certain financial size.

In addition, Ogilvy Renault has Pierre Bienvenu and Stephen Drymer, two partners in the younger generation who have developed a name in the field as advocates independently of Fortier. Bienvenu is "undeniably the best arbitration counsel in Canada", according to one source. He and Martin Valasek were part of a Canadian team of counsel that obtained a US$80 million award on behalf of an airport operator from Hungary; the company is now a referee for the practice. GAR picked Drymer for the '45 Under 45' survey. Valasek, 38, who was promoted to partner recently, is another name to watch. He was a founder of the Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners group and is its serving president.