ICC Bulletin

The life of Serge Lazareff has a legendary quality about it. Paved with a succession of distinctions, it tells the story of a man who trod fearlessly through existence, impelled by his combative spirit, intellectual curiosity and strength of conviction.

The many honours which Serge Lazareff reaped during his life began in his student days when, after brilliant legal studies in Paris, he became the first French law student to graduate from Harvard in 1949. Called up by the army, he was appointed as General Eisenhower's personal interpreter at the central command of NATO military forces in Europe, from where he went on to become legal adviser to the commander-in-chief of NATO forces in Central Europe between 1952 and 1967. His career took a new direction in 1967, when he joined the French industrial group, Pechiney, where he was in charge of international contracts and distinguished himself as vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region, at the forefront of the group's expansion in South Korea, which country awarded him its Order of Diplomatic Service Merit.

In 1983, Serge Lazareff moved into private practice and began what was to become an illustrious career as an independent lawyer and international arbitrator. It was as an arbitrator that he was particularly known within the ICC. Not only did he act in countless ICC arbitrations, as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and presiding arbitrator, but contributed to the study and development of arbitration as Chairman of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, Chairman of the Arbitration Commission of ICC France, member of the Bureau of the ICC Commission on Arbitration, member of the ICC's Steering Board on Dispute Resolution Services, and member of the Editorial Board of the Bulletin. His intimate knowledge of ICC arbitration procedure led to his appointment as chairman of a working group of the ICC Commission on Arbitration that in the early 1990s produced a practical guide to the cornerstone of ICC arbitration procedure-Terms of Reference. He returned to the subject twice in the Bulletin, always from the perspective of a practitioner. During his 15 years as Chairman of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, Serge Lazareff oversaw several initiatives to encourage a greater understanding of arbitration, notably through seminars and publications, including the annual Dossiers of the Institute. He knew how important it was to act on several fronts, serving not only students and novices but also seasoned practitioners. Through his own writings and speeches, as well as through the activities he inspired and supported, he leaves a legacy that raises the quality of international arbitration.

Not one to mince his words, Serge Lazareff had a noble vision of arbitration-an art borne of experience and wisdom, which he defended with vigour and commitment. His rich and varied life gave him a unique understanding of public and private business needs in the international arena, which he put to great effect not only in his practice as arbitrator, but also-and more lastingly-in the inspiring contribution he made to arbitration as an institution both in his native France, where he was decorated as a Commander of the Legion of Honour, and abroad.