Welcome to LTAYA
Letters to a Young Arbitrator (“LTAYA”) is an independent podcast hosted by two young international arbitration practitioners, Tom Villalón and Pem Tshering. Tom and Pem sit down with some of the world’s most seasoned leaders in the field (both arbitrators and counsel), and discuss the practice, art, and future of international arbitration. With a particular eye towards young practitioners starting out in the field, Tom and Pem ask the guests how they started about in establishing their careers, about nightmares they encountered as young lawyers, as well as what advice they may have for the next generation of young arbitration practitioners.
“The beauty of international arbitration is that we are dealing with the best lawyers in the world”
Kevin Kim | Bae, Kim & Lee
Kevin Kim
Ep. 1
We welcome our inaugural guest, friend, and boss, Kevin (Kap-you) Kim, the co-founder and head of the International Arbitration and Litigation Practice Group at Bae, Kim & Lee.
Largely regarded as the leading arbitration practitioner in Korea, and one of the leading pioneers in arbitration in Asia, Kevin sat down with us to discuss his very unique experience in starting Korea’s first dedicated arbitration practice.
“Never underestimate luck in your career development — to be in the right place at the right time is terribly important. ”
Neil KaplaN CBE QC SBS | Arbitration Chambers, Hong Kong
Neil Kaplan CBE QC SBS
Ep. 2
We are delighted to catch up with Mr. Neil Kaplan CBE QC SBS in our studios. Mr. Kaplan, one of the most prominent voices in the field, discusses all-things Hong Kong, and outlines steps that young practitioners can take to enhance their careers.
“Asia is—and will become—even more significant to the world economy than it is today. ”
Christopher Lau SC | 3VB, Singapore
Christopher Lau SC
Ep. 3
Fortunately, we were able to sit down with Mr. Christoper Lau SC—one of the pioneering voices in arbitration in Singapore, and Asia generally. Mr. Lau discusses how he launched his career, and shares practical advice for the coming generation of international arbitration practitioners.
Maximize your talents, maximize your opportunities. Don’t permit the status quo to stagnate you.
Les Schiefelbein | Schiefelbein Global Dispute Resolution
“Les” Schiefelbein
Ep. 4
We are delighted to catch up with Les Schiefelbein, CEO and Founder of Schiefelbein Global Dispute Resolution, and Vice-Chairman of the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (SVAMC)
Tom Villalón
Co-FOUNDER
Tom is the co-founder and co-host of Letters to a Young Arbitrator. Born in Delaware, USA and raised in Chile as a child, Tom has lived and worked for most of his professional life in the Asia-Pacific region.
Pem Tshering
Co-FOUNDER
Pem is the co-founder and co-host of Letters to a Young Arbitrator. As its first member from the Kingdom of Bhutan, Pem was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2014 by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, and is currently an associate at Sidley Austin.
Legal Disclamer
The views described in this podcast do not constitute legal advice, the opinions of the hosts and the guests are their own, and are not reflective or attributable to any organization, company law firm, institution or group. No representation or warrant express or implied is made or given by any of the speakers of this podcast, and any liability as a result of this recording is expressly disclaimed.