Spanish arbitration has gained a leading position on the international stage. Patricia Saiz, an independent arbitrator based in Madrid, has been appointed co-chair of the International Bar Association (IBA) Arbitration Committee. The position will take effect on January 1, 2027, and she will share it with Dietmar Prager, a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, who has held the other co-chair position since last year. Saiz succeeds Kate Brown de Vejar, global co-head of international arbitration at DLA Piper, who is completing her two-year term.
The importance of the position is evident in the role the committee plays. Its guidelines on evidentiary practice, conflicts of interest, and party representation are not legally binding, but they are consulted daily in arbitration tribunals, courts, and law firms worldwide, to the point of functioning as a de facto regulatory framework in commercial and investment arbitration. The priorities for the next two years confirm that this role will continue to grow.
“Assuming the co-chairmanship of the IBA Arbitration Committee is an honor and an opportunity to contribute to the evolution of international arbitration practice alongside an extraordinary team. Furthermore, 2027 and 2028 will be years of intense activity in which we expect to finalize the new guidelines on privilege and professional secrecy, the revision of the guidelines on party representation, the rules on res judicata, and the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence,” explained Saiz. It is a demanding agenda. Privilege is one of the classic points of contention between common law and civil law traditions, and the regulation of AI use in proceedings is probably the area where the arbitration community is currently most eagerly awaiting a reference guide.
The appointment culminates several years of work within the committee’s structure. Saiz first served as Diversity and Inclusion Officer and then as Vice-Chair. During this time, she spearheaded the first global empirical study dedicated exclusively to ethnic diversity in international arbitration, published in May 2025. Since January of this year, she has served as Senior Vice-Chair, the natural progression to the co-chair position.
Her professional practice spans 25 years. She has acted as both arbitrator and counsel under the main arbitration rules, in matters related to energy, infrastructure and engineering, M&A and corporate transactions, finance, insurance, and technology. Chambers ranks her in Band 1 among arbitrators in Spain and highlights her dual accreditation in the United States and Spain, and her arbitration under the rules of the ICC, ICSID, and LCIA. The Lexology Index: Arbitration 2026 also recognizes her as a Thought Leader. She practices through SAIZ Arbitration, the boutique firm she founded to specialize in arbitration, and conducts proceedings in Spanish, English, and French. Her prior training adds a rare dimension to the sector: her experience in transactions and tax planning allows her to analyze investment structuring, contractual risk allocation, and damages with particular expertise.
Her relationship with the International Chamber of Commerce is long-standing. Between 2018 and 2024, she was a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, representing Spain, and during that period she reviewed dozens of awards written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Years earlier, she had been the regional representative for Spain and Portugal of the ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (2014-2016). Her experience also includes representing the Government of Hungary and assisting the Government of Canada in the negotiation of the Softwood Lumber Agreement.
In addition to her practical experience, Saiz maintains an active teaching career. She is an alumna of ESADE, where she earned her law degree and a Master’s in Business Law, and where she also teaches commercial and investment arbitration. She also teaches at the US Business Law Academy at Columbia Law School, the Arbitration Academy, and the LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS) program at CIDS in Geneva. Furthermore, she is a frequent speaker at major industry forums, such as the recent IBA Annual Conference in Copenhagen.
Her appointment as co-chair reinforces a trend already visible in recent years. An increasing number of Spanish arbitrators and lawyers are participating in cross-border proceedings and holding positions in major arbitral institutions. With this appointment, Spain will not only participate in the application of international arbitration standards, but will also contribute to drafting them over the next two years.
