Who gets the first call when an arbitrator needs to be appointed and why?

This question sparked a lively discussion at the Young Arbitrators Forum during the Baltic Arbitration Days & White Nights in Riga. KNOETZL Counsel Sergii Melnyk moderated a panel with Hjordis Birna Hjartardottir, Anna Forstel-Cherng, Nino Sievi, and Dr. Arno Riethmuller.

While expertise and experience are essential, the discussion showed that arbitrator appointments are not exclusively based on credentials. Availability, efficiency, reputation, and individual experience all play a role, and balancing these factors is often easier said than done.
The discussion also involved the challenge of the first appointment: not only how to become visible, but to move from being visible to being considered for appointments.

Many thanks to the panelists for sharing their individual and institutional perspectives. Also thanks to ASA below 40, DIS40, ICC YAAF Qatar – ICC Young Arbitration & ADR Forum (YAAF), YAAP – Young Austrian Arbitration Practitioners, and Klauberg BALTICS Attorneys-at-Law Riga | Tallinn | Vilnius for bringing together such an engaged audience.