18 April 1930 - 3 December 2009

Robert Briner led ICC arbitration into the 21st century. He took up his position as Chairman of the ICC International Court of Arbitration in January 1997, on the eve of a major revision of the ICC Rules of Arbitration. During three successive terms of office, he presided over the implementation of the new Rules in the daily practice of the Court, acting with skill and authority in often challenging and delicate situations.

A practitioner, Robert Briner combined an extraordinary sense of judgment with great incisiveness. These were qualities he displayed throughout his career, from his début as a lawyer in private practice, through his activities as an international arbitrator and counsel with the law firm Lenz & Staehelin, to the presidencies of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal and the ICC Court. At all levels and in all areas he had a talent for finding the right course of action.

Robert Briner's tenure as Chairman of the Court coincided with a period of unprecedented expansion for ICC. During those years, some thirty new national committees were created, including a new regional office in Asia, to which Robert Briner was strongly committed. At the same time, the Court's caseload became increasingly diversified and widespread with the number of countries represented in ICC proceedings rising to over 100 and the number of ongoing cases to over 1,000. This growth was unquestionably helped by the untiring energy with which Robert Briner traveled the world as ambassador for the Court.

Robert Briner's loyalty to ICC was unswerving. He was a fervent advocate of international business and arbitration, always eager to point out ICC's historic contribution to their mutual importance. The Liber Amicorum published in his honour in the year of his 75th birthday and entitled Global Reflections on International Law, Commerce and Dispute Resolution reflects the extraordinary breadth-both geographical and intellectual-of his professional interests and activities as well as the esteem in which he was held. That esteem was invariably accompanied by a great affection earned through his unfailing kindness, open-mindedness and profound humanity.

Robert Briner leaves his wife, Frances, and their family, who gave him constant support and whose bereavement is shared by their many friends.