The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin served as Chief Justice of Canada from 2000 to mid-December 2017. She now works as an arbitrator and mediator in Canada and internationally. McLachlin brings to those forms of dispute resolution over 35 years of broad and deep experience in deciding a wide range of business law and public law disputes, in both common law and civil law, as well as her ability to work in both English and French, and her experience and skill in leading and consensus-building for many years as the head of a diverse nine- member court.

In June 2018, McLachlin was appointed to the Order of Canada as a recipient of its highest accolade, Companion of the Order of Canada. She has received over 35 honorary degrees from universities in Canada and abroad, and numerous other honours and awards.

The 2,094 Supreme Court of Canada judgments in which James participated – of which she wrote 442 – and her legal writings and speaking include a wide range of subjects in corporate, construction, financial services, taxation, contract, tort and other areas of business law, as well as arbitration and mediation. Her legal texts include, as lead co-author, the first and second editions (1987 and 1994) of The Canadian Law of Architecture and Engineering. It is generally recognized that the judgments of the Supreme Court of Canada during her tenure have affirmed Canada as a jurisdiction that is very supportive of arbitration.

McLachlin also sits as a Justice of Singapore’s International Commercial Court and the Hong Kong Final Court of Appeal