Meet our Team

Meet Yael Ribco Borman

Yael Ribco Borman

Yael Ribco Borman is a Counsel at Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes.

 

How did you discover your interest in law, and arbitration in particular?

Since childhood, I had a strong sense of justice and fairness. There are no lawyers in my family, so back then, I didn’t have a clear idea of what law or being a lawyer entailed, but I always enjoyed advocating for what I thought was just and fair and challenging what I thought was unjust or unfair. People often joked, “Here comes the advocate”. While I did not truly understand what that meant, it made me feel important.
I also liked economics, so when it came the time to choose a career, I was between law and economics. Eventually, law seemed far more engaging, in particular the prospect of becoming a criminal lawyer. That changed during my law studies.
During my second year of law school, I had the opportunity of joining the team representing my country, Uruguay, at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, which took me to Washington, D.C.  I was immediately captivated by international law, and participated in the competition for three more years, as both an oralist and a coach.
I was also positively inspired by the international careers of many of the judges at the competition. As a child, I had lived in many countries with my parents, including Uruguay, Israel, Mexico and Panama (since then, I have lived in four additional countries). These experiences gave me a global perspective and the motivation to pursue an international career.
While I enjoyed public international law, and I even got to lecture public international law at the University of Montevideo, I soon realized that job opportunities in the field were rather limited – at least that was true at the time.  Arbitration became a natural pivot, as it combined international elements (including public international law) with tangible career prospects. I therefore convinced my university to participate, for the first time, in an arbitration moot competition. Our first time participating in an arbitration moot competition was in a Latin American regional competition, which we ended up winning. I later pursued an LLM in Amsterdam, focusing on arbitration, public international law, and investment law. That path eventually led me to where I am today.

Tell me about your journey to join Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes. 

Before joining the team, which at the time worked at Sherman & Sterling, I worked as a transactional lawyer at one of the leading law firms in Uruguay during and after law school. That gave me invaluable insights into business practices and operations, contract negotiation, and risk management skills that continue to serve me as an arbitration lawyer today.
While finishing my LLM in Amsterdam, I applied to various law firms, but Sherman & Sterling stood out because of the prominent lawyers leading the firm’s international arbitration practice, namely Emmanuel Gaillard and Yas Banifatemi, and the high-profile cases on which the team had worked, including the well-known Yukos arbitration (which was still pending at the time). It also had an emotional element, as Shearman & Sterling had been the sponsor of the international rounds in Washington DC during my first Jessup Moot Court. After multiple interviews, I started my first internship with the team in Paris in December 2012. I have remained part of the team since then.

What was your first impression of arbitration as a practice?

Coming from corporate law, I found the pace and nature of arbitration as a practice to be quite different. In corporate law, projects are fast-moving, with quick turnarounds. For example, an M&A deal may take a couple of months to close, then you celebrate with the client and immediately move to the next project.
Arbitration is generally a more long-term process. Unless there are elements of urgency or fast-track proceedings, cases may take one, four, six or even ten years (or sometimes even more!), so patience and persistence are key. It’s less about instant gratification and more about deep involvement over time. In arbitration, the work is continuous, with milestones like filings and hearings. Despite the less immediate gratification, the depth of engagement and the relationships you build with clients and colleagues make it deeply rewarding.  In my case, every award I have received so far has also been a reason to celebrate!

How has storytelling played a role in your arbitration work?

As an arbitration lawyer, crafting a compelling narrative is part of my job. However, a good arbitration lawyer is not just the one who tells the best story, but the one who comes up with the best strategy for each case. That requires, in addition to a good story, a deep understanding of legal principles, strong analytical skills, mastering the evidence, cultural sensitivity, creativity, intuition and attention to detail.

What was it like working with Emmanuel Gaillard?

I have the immense privilege of being one of the last generations of associates to have worked directly with Emmanuel Gaillard. He was an exceptional mentor. I had read his books and articles before joining the team, but I never imagined I would work alongside him. Despite his overly busy schedule, he was incredibly generous with his knowledge and very approachable. One memorable moment was during a break at a hearing in London, when he gave the team an impromptu masterclass on cross-examination. It’s rare to find someone of his stature so willing to share insights and guidance, especially with junior associates.

What would you say sets your team apart?

Our team genuinely values and encourages inclusion and diversity, so you will find that each member of the team has a very particular background, including on nationality, languages, studies, family situation, etc. Yas Banifatemi likes to remind us that our specificity is that we have no mold, and everyone in the team is different.

What we all share is our commitment to excellence and our rigor.

Where I think we are different is that, notwithstanding our reputation and stature, we are a team of down-to-earth and respectful people working in a very friendly atmosphere. As Yas often reminds us, we are a family. The human quality of our team is ensured through a rigorous selection process, not just for technical skills, but also for personality and how well someone would fit into the team dynamic. We prioritize collaboration, respect, and mutual support, which creates a positive and productive work environment.

What direction do you see your career taking?

Given my Latin American background, I will naturally continue focusing on the Latin American market. Seeing the potential of Latin American-related arbitration from Europe, in 2019, I co-founded the Latin American Arbitration Practitioners EU (LATAP EU), a platform for practitioners focused on international arbitration and with strong ties to, or experience in, Latin America and based in Europe to get to know each other and share or create opportunities (https://latap.eu/).
More recently, I’ve become deeply involved in climate change and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) disputes. For example, I was involved in my firm’s team advising my country of birth, Uruguay, in the proceedings to request the International Court of Justice to render an advisory opinion on State obligations related to climate change. I also worked on a pro bono project advising the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS) in the preparation and submission of a written statement before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the advisory opinion proceedings on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights. These experiences have sparked a desire to further continue exploring ESG and climate change-related arbitration and disputes. I have also joined the ESG Sub-Committee of the IBA Arbitration Committee, to help shaping the future of ESG disputes.
In addition, it is important for me to continue writing, speaking at conferences and lecturing on commercial and investment arbitration.
As you can imagine, all these projects (thanks to my very supportive husband and daughter!) keep me quite busy, but there are some things which I refuse to let go. One of them is the opportunity to act as a mentor for younger lawyers trying to build a career in international arbitration. I think mentoring is a powerful way to give back to the community and support younger lawyers, in particular coming from less privileged or conventional backgrounds. At the same time, it is a great source of gratification for me to witness the personal and professional growth of my mentees!

Interview by Valentine Faure, journalist