Henri Alvarez is an internationally recognized Canadian arbitrator who practices as an independent neutral at Vancouver Arbitration Chambers (VAC). Before establishing an independent arbitration practice (effective 1 December 2016), Henri was an associate and partner of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP for 32 years.

Henri has over 35 years of experience as arbitrator and counsel in the field of international commercial arbitration and dispute resolution. From 1985 until 2012, Henri taught a course in this field at the Faculty of Law at The University of British Columbia. He has served as an arbitrator in a wide variety of international and domestic commercial arbitrations involving investments, trade, franchising, licensing, distributorship, construction, forestry, oil and gas, energy, banking, corporate and general commercial disputes. He has served as a sole arbitrator, party-appointed arbitrator and presiding arbitrator in both ad hoc and institutional arbitrations in many international commercial disputes and investment disputes.

• Counsel to Metalclad in United Mexican States v. Metalclad Corp.– Judicial Review in the B.C. Supreme Court of the NAFTA Chapter 11 Award
• Counsel to the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre before the B.C. Supreme Court in applications relating to its jurisdiction and rules
• Adjunct Professor in International Commercial Arbitration, Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia (1985 to 2012)
• Arbitrator in a broad range of international disputes including institutional (ICC, AAA, ICDR, ICSID, JCAA, LCIA, NIA, VIAC, and BCICAC) and ad hoc arbitrations, including under the UNCITRAL Rules.
• Chairman of three-person arbitral tribunals in several international sales, construction, joint venture, intellectual property, energy and merger and acquisition disputes
• Counsel and mediator in mediations dealing with a variety of disputes
• Counsel in applications dealing with recourse against arbitral awards and recognizing and enforcing international and foreign arbitral awards in Canadian courts
• Counsel in international commercial arbitrations dealing with distributorship and construction, long term supply and commercial agreements and arbitrations pursuant to the NAFTA and bilateral investment treaties
• Design and drafting of arbitration and mediation clauses and dispute resolution systems
• Mediator in an international construction dispute involving a large hydroelectric project in Latin America
• Member of the ad hoc Panel of Arbitrators at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010
• Member of the Court Arbitration for Sports and member of several CAS panels in anti-doping, discipline and eligibility cases
• One of three jointly-selected arbitrators in large international licensing, intellectual property and merger and acquisition disputes
• Party-appointed arbitrator in several ad hoc investment arbitrations
• Party-appointed arbitrator in various investment disputes conducted under the auspices of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
• President of two ICSID Tribunals

• Former member, London Court of International Arbitration
• Former Alternate Member (Canada), ICC International Court of Arbitration
• Former Co-Chair, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Committee of the International Bar Association
• Former Council Member of the International Bar Association’s Legal Practice Division and Co-Chair of the LPD’s North American Forum
• Former member Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre Council
• Former member Singapore International Arbitration Centre Users Council
• Former Chapter 19 Panelist, North American Free Trade Agreement
• Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Western Canada Commercial Arbitration Society (WCCAS)

• Doctoral Studies, Geneva, Switzerland, Graduate Institute of International Studies (1981-1984)
• Special Workshop on State Contracts and International Commercial Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law (1987)
• LLB, 1980, University of Ottawa
• BA, 1976, University of British Columbia.
  Year of Call/Admission British Columbia, 1981

Appointed Queen’s Counsel, 2008

Ranking and Awards

• Global Arbitration Review 2014, GAR Awards, Best Prepared/Most Responsive Arbitrator
• Who’s Who Legal 2014-2023 Most Highly Regarded Individuals for Arbitration
• Canadian Legal Expert and Lexpert® Directory 2012-2023 for International Commercial Arbitration
• Who’s Who Thought Leaders – Arbitration- 2018-2023
• Chambers Global 2009-2023 for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International): Most In Demand Arbitrators (Global-wide); Arbitration (Star Individuals) Canada: Latin America