Prof. Piero Bernardini (1938 - 2020)
ICCA is deeply saddened to mark the passing of ICCA Advisory Board Member Prof. Piero Bernardini (1938 – 2020) at the age of 83 on 2 August 2020. Prof. Bernardini will be remembered warmly by the international arbitration community for his steadfast dedication to promoting the practice of international arbitration, his leading role in the governance of numerous arbitral institutions, and his publications.
Prof. Bernardini served as a member of the ICCA Governing and Advisory Boards and as a member of the ICCA Election Committee. Prof. Bernardini was also a prolific contributor to ICCA’s publications; from 2000 to 2015, he was the national reporter for Italy for the ICCA International Handbook on Commercial Arbitration. Over the years, Prof. Bernardini also contributed to the Yearbook Commercial Arbitration and presented papers at numerous ICCA Congresses.
Lucy Reed, President of ICCA, says: “Professor Bernardini was an integral part of the ICCA community. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that he was part of the very fabric of ICCA. It is hard to imagine a Congress or leadership meeting without him being there with us.”
“Piero Bernandini was one of the most sophisticated international arbitrators in our time, a role model for many,” says fellow ICCA Advisory Board Member Prof. Albert Jan van den Berg. “It was a fabulous experience to work with him.”
Beyond ICCA, Prof. Bernardini’s remarkable career path saw him evolve from his prominent role as in-house counsel at Agip SpA and general counsel of Eni to becoming an arbitrator in countless commercial and treaty cases and highly-influential professor of arbitration law. He was an active participant in a number of international arbitral institutions, serving as Vice-President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and as Italy’s appointee to the ICSID panel of arbitrators. As President of the Associazione Italiana dell’Arbitrato (AIA) and member of the Consiglio Arbitrale of Arbitration Chambers of Milan and Rome, Prof. Bernardini championed the practice of international arbitration in Italy. Meanwhile, his academic career at Luiss-Guido Carli University in Rome allowed him to share his passion, expertise and knowledge with the next generation of Italian arbitrators.
We know that you join ICCA and the Bernardini family in celebrating Prof. Piero Bernardini’s remarkable life and accomplishments.