On November 20, 2025, Senior Associate Charlene Valdez Warner recently spoke on a panel for New York Arbitration Week (NYAW). NYAW, which ran from November 17–21 this year, is an annual gathering that brings together practitioners, arbitrators, academics, institutions, and in-house counsel from around the world to share insights, developments, and practice trends in arbitration.
The event is co‑hosted by the New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC) and the New York Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArbNY).
Charlene spoke on a panel presented by ArbitralWomen titled, “Power, Gatekeepers, and Representation: Who Really Shapes Arbitration?” In line with this year’s theme, “Searching for the North Star,” the discussion explored the principles that guide legitimacy, transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in arbitration.
This session explored how institutions pave the way forward for appointing more women to panels (i.e., investing efforts to appoint a variety of women, including non-partners). The speakers also tackled the challenges that women and diverse attorneys often face with regard to receiving fewer appointments and partnership opportunities compared to male counterparts. The discussion touched on related themes such as gender bias & discrimination, work-life balance, leadership gaps, and pay disparities.
Charlene Valdez Warner