Michael Morkin, Partner, Baker & McKenzie joined WBC’s Andrea Zopp and Ogechi Harry in leading a quarterly meeting of WBC’s Legal Advisory Board in late July.

Among the highlights shared included WBC’s work on Economy 2030, Invest SouthWest, Chicago’s six memorandums of understandings with international partners, the Opportunity Zone Program (designed to encourage investments in low income communities), ChicagoNext’s innovation inclusive programs, ChiBizHub’s support for small businesses, and our 29 sister city relationships.

In addition to an update of the City’s economic recovery work around economic devastation of the Coronavirus pandemic and longstanding racial and social inequities, Ogechi discussed upcoming LAB opportunities, which includes projects, such as, the Chicago International Dispute Resolution Center (Chicago IDRC).

The Chicago IDRC is led by a steering committee chaired by Javier Rubinstein, working with WBC, the Mayor’s Office, distinguished international arbitration counsel, arbitrators, professors and senior in-house counsel of leading multi-national corporations throughout the Midwest. The Chicago IDRC, will help to establish Chicago globally as a leading seat of international arbitration, leveraging all of Chicago’s competitive advantages compared to other commonly selected seats, including New York, London, Paris, Geneva, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Chicago IDRC will focus its initial efforts on providing all of the necessary support for conducting international arbitration hearings on a virtual basis during the pandemic (and even thereafter). After the pandemic, the Chicago IDRC will establish and provide world-class on-premise hearing facilities for international arbitration.

For more information or to get involved with WBC’s Legal Advisory Board, reach out to Ogechi Harry.