Young ICSID Profiles - Part Ten – 2025 Forecasts

Young ICSID is pleased to share the latest installment of its profiles of young professionals in the field of international investment law and dispute settlement. Each issue examines practical issues related to building a career and skill set from the perspective of young professionals from around the world. In this issue, we are thrilled to feature insights from three practitioners whose expertise spans various arbitration roles and novel fields of law. We asked them to talk about lessons learned in 2024 and their unique forecasts for 2025: Sarah Grimmer (Independent Arbitrator, Twenty Essex); Lukas Montoya (Senior Associate, Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler); and Laura Yvonne Zielinski (PhD candidate, University of Cologne).

1. What is your current role and how did you enter the arbitration world? 

Sarah: My current role is full-time arbitrator at Twenty Essex based in Singapore. I love this role. I serve as presiding, co-, sole, and sometimes emergency arbitrator in international commercial and treaty cases. Every case is interesting, some more complex than others. I enjoy managing the procedural issues that arise. My years at institutions serve me well as I have been involved in many diverse cases. I also enjoy decision-making and decision-writing. I think it is important to do justice to the work of the parties and counsel by truly grappling with the issues that must be determined, in good time. 

I entered the arbitration world in 2002 when I joined the arbitration department at Shearman & Sterling in Paris. From there I worked at the ICC in Paris for 3 years (administering hundreds of cases under the ICC Rules), the PCA in The Hague for 10 years (administering cases involving States/State entities and serving as tribunal secretary), and the HKIAC in Hong Kong for 6 years (running the Centre as Secretary-General). 

Lukas: I am a Senior Associate at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler (“LKK”), a boutique arbitration firm based in Geneva. I act as arbitrator in commercial disputes, as well as tribunal secretary or assistant in both investment and commercial arbitrations.

 It was not until my first LLM after 4 years of practice in Colombia that I was exposed to international arbitration, both investment and commercial. These fields of study were only marginally relevant when I was in law school, especially the former, which I found particularly fascinating. Colombia was not the key player it is today. In short, I was hooked and determined to make a career in the field. This led me to an internship at Latham & Watkins in Paris, and then to a second LLM in Geneva, where unknowingly LKK was looking for someone with my profile. At times, happenstance is key.

Laura: I left my role as Senior Counsel at Holland & Knight in Mexico four months ago and am currently finishing my PhD thesis at the University of Cologne, in Germany, which I will hand in this February. Initially I decided to specialize in international arbitration because, although originally from Germany, I studied law in France, and wanted to focus on an area of law that would allow me to work internationally and open doors in both countries. Through Loretta Malintoppi, who taught my Investment Arbitration class at Sciences Po, I started my career at Eversheds in Paris. A few years later, I moved to Mexico for personal reasons. In Mexico, I had the opportunity to work on one of the first investment claims in the space sector. This sparked my interest in space law and eventually motivated me to write a doctoral thesis on investment protection in the space sector.

2. Name one important (arbitration) lesson you learned during 2024.  

Sarah: I learned that as long as I am an arbitrator, I should run. Running helps my brain resolve issues in my cases. It also gives me energy. Running is also like award-drafting. Not easy and occasionally painful. But one step at a time and after many of those, you are done. 

Lukas: One that I keep re-learning from previous years because it manifests itself in different ways each time: conciseness is far more demanding than verbosity. Distilling the essence of an argument always takes more time than expected and it never seems to get any easier. However, the effort is worthwhile. When done well, shorter submissions, examinations, and awards are more persuasive, while also contributing to greater cost efficiency. Within the confines of due process and a party’s right to present its case, it often proves wiser to resist the temptation to address every single point raised out of risk avoidance. 

Laura: One important lesson I learned last year in conversations with clients in different industries, was that we, in the investment arbitration community, should remind ourselves more often that most people, and indeed most lawyers, are not familiar with international investment law. I believe that if more in-house counsel knew more about the advantages of investment claims (when used responsibly), there would likely be more political support for this system of dispute settlement.

3. What are your forecasts for the investment arbitration community in 2025?

Sarah: I think that over the next few years, the use of AI will greatly accelerate across the investment arbitration community, particularly in respect of analysing the ever-increasing corpus of investor-State awards and decisions.

Lukas: I see investment arbitration developing an even closer relationship with geopolitics, shaped by the evolving global landscape in the Global North. In particular, the increased use of tariffs, especially by the United States, could give rise to investment claims. Indeed, a dispute under Annex 14-D of the USMCA is not out of the question, potentially bringing renewed attention to the intersection between trade and investment law.

Laura: I anticipate more investment claims in the space sector in the near future, most likely related to spectrum rights and orbital resources, like the Devas and Deutsche Telekom cases against India and Eutelsat’s claim against Mexico. Not directly related with investment arbitration, but interesting as a development in international law more generally, will also be the expected ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change. Climate-related issues are likely to play an ever-increasing role in investment claims. It will be interesting how the ICJ will address this important topic. 

4. What non-law related interests and talents have helped your professional development? 

Sarah: I have always played various high-impact physically aggressive sports. Sport has helped me learn that many things of value are on the other side of a pain barrier, and the only way is through. Sport is also a brilliant antidote to stress. For many years I performed improvisational comedy theatre. It helped me enjoy audiences. It also meant that I did not have to be serious all the time, and when I returned to my serious work, I was refreshed for it.

Lukas: Music. I listen to it essentially every waking minute, both to work and relax. It has always helped me get locked in and remain in the zone—unsurprisingly. Engagement with the arts enhances cognitive function, creativity, and problem-solving skills. More importantly, in part because of music I have been lucky enough to form strong friendships with my peers, to whom I owe a great deal. 

Laura: I have always been very interested in geopolitics and speak different languages. This allows me to read newspapers from different countries and provides me with a good sense of likely developments and potential disputes.  As most lawyers, I also tend to be very organized and like to be in control of things, which can sometimes lead to unhealthy levels of stress. To counter this, I started dancing salsa a few years ago. I have come to appreciate this as a great way of switching off the mind for a moment to focus instead on music, movement and the people around me, which in turn, reenergizes me for intellectual work.

5. What is your motto in life? 

Sarah: One of my favorites is “nothing done well is insignificant.” 

Lukas: I do not have one per se. I simply try to be as decent as possible in any given situation, while recognizing that decency means different things to different people—and that is okay. 

Laura: I have two: you tend to regret more what you did not do than what you did; and not all who wander are lost. I have made some unconventional decisions in life, which could have turned out either way, but in the end made me grow as a professional and as a person. My recommendation is to listen to your intuition and if you have a project that might not seem like a logical continuation of your career, go for it. You never know where it will take you.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the interviewees. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICSID, nor those of the organizations with which the interviewees are associated or employed.