Sydney, 11 August 2014: Clayton Utz partner and respected international arbitrator Professor Doug Jones AO RFD was honoured with the Michael Kirby Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Lawyers Weekly Law Awards in Sydney last Friday evening.
The Award recognises legal leaders that have made a substantial contribution to the Australian legal profession as well as overall leadership and influence on the Australian legal sector.
Lawyers Weekly editor Justin Whealing said Doug's many professional achievements made him a standout choice for the award. "Doug has left a lasting legacy not just on the Australian legal profession, but the international legal community,” said Justin. "No-one in the Australian legal sector has done more to promote Australia as a viable destination to hear international commercial arbitration matters than Doug. His tireless energy and devotion in promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution here and abroad has ensured Australia has a credible international voice in major discussions and developments on the global commercial dispute resolution scene."
Among his many professional achievements in the field of international dispute resolution, Doug was the first Australian president of the London-based global Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2011) and a long-serving President of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (2008-2014). Doug was also a key figure in the establishment of the Australian International Disputes Centre in Sydney in 2010.
Doug said he was deeply honoured and humbled to have joined the eminent Australians who have received the Lifetime Achievement Award. "I have been fortunate in my legal career to enjoy the support of wonderful colleagues in pursuing my passion of promoting Australia in international commercial dispute resolution. It is truly exciting to see how far we have come and what we can still achieve in providing leadership in this area. My thanks to Lawyers Weekly and the award sponsor Nexus Law Group for this honour. While it is a Lifetime Achievement award, I am delighted to have received it as I look forward to the stimulating challenges of the coming years of my career as an international arbitrator."
Clayton Utz chief executive partner Rob Cutler said Doug was a very worthy recipient of the Award. "Doug has made an enormous contribution to the legal profession, not just through his major projects infrastructure and arbitration practice at Clayton Utz but on the global stage as a passionate advocate for Australia as an international commercial dispute resolution centre. Doug can be justifiably proud of his achievements."
This is the latest in a string of professional and personal honours Doug has received in recognition of his reputation and leadership in the law. In the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honour's List, Doug was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the law as a leader in the areas of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, to policy reform, and to national and international professional organisations.
As well as being an internationally recognised arbitrator, Doug has carved out a reputation over his 40-year legal career as one of Australia's leading infrastructure lawyers, having led major road rail, power and defence projects in Australia and the region. In the Australia Day 1999 Honours List, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to the law, particularly in the field of construction law, as well as to the development of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution methods ̶ recognising 30 years' contribution in these areas.
You can read more about Doug's professional achievements here: http://www.dougjones.info/.