Portrait of Professor Janet Walker_Atkin Chambers

Professor Janet Walker CM


Chartered Arbitrator

“She is hailed by sources as ‘an excellent arbitrator’ and offers deep knowledge of commercial dispute resolution relating to clients in the construction, finance and environmental industries”.


Chambers & Partners

Professor Janet Walker CM is a leading international commercial arbitrator based in London, Toronto, and Sydney.

In 2021, Janet was appointed to the Order of Canada for her expert legal authority in commercial arbitration and conflict of laws, and for advancing legal procedural standards in Canada. She was also the recipient of the CIArb Canada Award for Distinguished Service to Arbitration in 2018, and has been recognised regularly in the legal directories for her skill as an arbitrator since 2010, including in Who’s Who Legal and Chambers & Partners.

She is founding co-chair of CanArbWeek and she was a member of the ICCA2018 Sydney executive organising committee. She is chair of the ICC Canada Arbitration Committee, and a member of the boards of CIArb Canada and the International Construction Law Association. Janet is a founding editor of the Canadian Journal of Commercial Arbitration and she authors the main private international law text in Canada, the most cited private law work in the Canadian courts. For more than 20 years, she served as consulting and testifying expert on questions of judicial jurisdiction, the enforcement of judgments and applicable law in cross-border litigation.

Janet is also a distinguished research professor of law and past associate dean of Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto. She has a good working knowledge of Spanish and French.

ARBITRATION

Janet has served as sole, presiding and co-arbitrator in ICC, HKIAC, ICDR, DIAC, SIAC, KCAB, PCA and ad hoc arbitrations in a variety of seats. Her matters cover a range of industries including construction, heavy equipment, M&A, shareholder disputes, distribution, intellectual property, environmental, finance and employment.

Examples of Janet’s most recent appointments include:

CONSTRUCTION AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT

  • Sole Arbitrator, ICC Rules, New York Seat, heavy equipment servicing, banking industry
  • Co-Arbitrator, ICC Rules, Ottawa Seat, agricultural processing plant
  • Co-Arbitrator, DIAC Rules, Dubai Seat, communications installation
  • Co-arbitrator, Ad hoc, PCA, Paris Seat, multi-purpose dam project in Central America involving electricity generation
  • Sole Arbitrator, ICC Rules, Philadelphia seat, heavy equipment supply in respect of a rail project in India

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

  • Chair, SIAC Rules, Singapore Seat, solar power project
  • Sole Arbitrator, SIAC Rules, Singapore Seat, energy trading
  • Sole Arbitrator, ICC Rules, New York Seat, desulphurisation project
  • Chair, ICC Rules, New York Seat, environmental, oil processing

COMMERCIAL

Including mergers & acquisitions, shareholder disputes, intellectual property, finance and employment:

  • Sole Arbitrator, SIAC Rules, Singapore Seat, shareholder dispute
  • Sole Arbitrator, ICC Rules, Singapore Seat, shareholder dispute
  • Sole Arbitrator, HKIAC Rules, Hong Kong Seat, professional sports licensing
  • Sole Arbitrator, Ad Hoc, UNCITRAL Rules, London Seat, executive employment in financial services
  • Sole Arbitrator, ICDR Rules, Toronto Seat, brokerage agreement
  • Sole Arbitrator, ICDR Rules, New York Seat, multi-level retail franchising
  • Chair, ICC Rules, New York Seat, Post-M&A, waste disposal
  • Chair, ICC Rules, Kingston, Jamaica Seat, franchising, travel industry
  • Sole Arbitrator, ICC Rules, New York, information technology development
  • Emergency Arbitrator, ICC Rules, New York Seat, pharmaceuticals, patent licensing
  • Chair, ICDR Rules, Toronto Seat, Joint venture, new regulated health product development
  • Co-arbitrator, KCAB International Rules, Seoul Seat, consultancy, electronics industry
  • Emergency Arbitrator, ICDR Rules, New York Seat, litigation financing in intellectual property dispute

GOVERNING LAW

The applicable laws in the cases above have included the laws of Canada (Alberta, Ontario), Hong Kong, India, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States (California, New York, Philadelphia) and investment treaties.

ARBITRAL PANELS

ADGM Arbitration Centre’s Panel of Arbitrators

American Arbitration Association – ICDR Panel of International Neutrals

Asian International Arbitration Centre (formerly KLRCA) Panel of Arbitrators

Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) Fellow and Panel Member

British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre (BVI IAC) Panel of Arbitrators

Canadian Transport Agency Arbitrator

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Presidential Panel

China Int’l Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) Panel of Arbitrators

Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Panel Member

Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA) Panel Member

Korean Commercial Arbitration Board International (KCAB) Panel Member

London Chamber of Arbitration and Mediation – Panel of Arbitrators

London Court of International Arbitration

Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (SHIAC) Panel of Arbitrators

Shenzhen Commission on International Arbitration (SCIA) Panel of Arbitrators

Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Panel of Arbitrators

Ukrainian Chamber International Commercial Arbitration Court – Recommended Arbitrator

PUBLICATIONS

Janet is a regular presenter and contributor to events and journals around the world. Major publications to note are:

  • Canadian Conflict of Laws (LexisNexis, 5th edition 2001+, 6th edition 2005+)
  • Halsbury’s Laws of Canada, Conflict of Laws (LexisNexis, 2006-)
  • Co-Author, Civil Litigation (Irwin, 2010)
  • Editor, The Civil Litigation Process (Emond, 6th – 9th editions 2005-)
  • Editor, Class Actions in Canada (Emond, 1st -2nd editions, 2013-)
  • Editor, The Vis Book (Juris, 2007)
  • Co-editor, Private International Law in Common Law Canada (Emond, 3rd – 4th editions 2010-)
  • Co-editor Common Law, Civil Law, and the Future of Categories (LexisNexis, 2010)

CURRENT POSITIONS

  • ICC Canada Arbitration Committee Chair ICC Commission Member
  • CanArbWeek Co-Chair
  • Osgoode Hall Law School Distinguished Research Professor
  • International Association of Procedural Law Hon Secretary General
  • CIArb Canada Executive Board Member
  • Max Planck Institute Luxembourg Scientific Advisory Board Member
  • International Construction Law Association Board Member

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

  • Arbitralwomen
  • Asociación Latinoamericano Arbitraje
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • International Bar Association
  • International Construction Law Association
  • ICC Commission
  • Juris Roster
  • Society of Construction Law North America
  • The Advocates’ Society
  • Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society (formerly Arb Roundtable of Toronto)
  • Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Arbitrator (former coach)
  • Worshipful Company of Arbitrators, Freeman of the City of London

PREVIOUSLY HELD POSITIONS

2006-15      Common Law Advisor, Federal Courts Rules Committee

2014-15      Academic Advisor, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

2001-14      Foreign Research Professor, Faculté des sciences juridiques de Tunis, Masters in Common Law

2010-14      International Lawyers for Africa, Tunisian National Committee Member

2012-13      ULCC Working Group on Arbitration Legislation Advisory Board

2006-12      CIArb, Founding Chair, Toronto Chapter

2009-11      ILA Canadian Branch President

2007-10      ABA Litigation Section Working Group on Protocols for Parallel Class Actions 2010 University College, Oxford, Leverhulme Visiting Professor,

2009           IAPL Conference Co-Chair, “Common Law-Civil Law: The Future of Categories”

2008           Law Commission of Ontario, Scholar-in-Residence

2008           NYU/NUS Joint Program Hauser Global Law Professor 2007   NYU School of Law Hauser Global Law Professor

2007-08      IBA Task Force on International Procedures and Protocols for Collective Redress

2006-08      ILA Committee: International Litigation and the Interests of the Public: Group Actions

2006           ILA Conference 72nd Biennial Conference Co-Chair

2004-06      Uniform Law Commission of Canada: National Class Action Reform Project

1998-04      ALI/Unidroit Transnational Rules & Principles of Civil Procedure Project International Adviser

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS

2017         CIArb Chartered Arbitrator

2015         Legal Consultant, New York State Bar

2002         DPhil, Oxford University (Law) (MA, 2010)

1998         Bar of Ontario, Law Society of Upper Canada

1993         JD, Osgoode Hall Law School

1982         MA, York University

1979         BA (Hons), York University

NATIONALITY AND LANGUAGES

Nationality       Canadian, British

Languages      English (native), Spanish and French (oral and written comprehension)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Janet has been recognised regularly in legal directories for her skill as an arbitrator including in Who’s Who Legal Canada, Who’s Who Arbitration Global Leader and Chambers & Partners, Dispute Resolution: Most in Demand Arbitrators – Nationwide – Canada

“She is hailed by sources as ‘an excellent arbitrator’ and offers deep knowledge of commercial dispute resolution relating to clients in the construction, finance and environmental industries”.

Chambers & Partners, Canada, 2020

“Janet Walker is hailed ‘a very strong arbitrator’ who ranks highly among peers thanks to her impressive experience as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and chair.”

Who’s Who Legal, Global Arbitration Leader 2020

“I know well the talents that mark a first-rate arbitrator. Professor Walker possesses them all.” Who’s Who Legal, 2019

“A force to be reckoned with and a very bright arbitrator.”

Chambers & Partners, Global, 2019

“Janet is held in very high regard by the International Arbitration Community as a pre-eminent arbitration practitioner and scholar.”

Who’s Who Legal, 2019

“Professor Walker was responsive to the parties’ queries and submissions at all times, diligently conducted the proceedings through carefully crafted procedural decisions and spearheaded the issuance of an award which ultimately led to an efficient resolution of the parties’ dispute”

Who’s Who Legal, 2019