Originally from The Law and Practice of International Arbitration: Essays in Honor of John Fellas – Preview Page

1. TRIBUTE TO JOHN FELLAS 

Few lawyers leave as indelible a mark on their profession—and on an entire region—as John Fellas. From the outset of his career, John’s intellect, strategic acuity, and disarming warmth set him apart. Graduating from Harvard, he quickly emerged as an eminent advocate in international arbitration and cross-border litigation. Whether before a federal court in Manhattan or an arbitral tribunal seated in Paris, John has been renowned for the elegance of his written submissions, the precision of his oral advocacy, and, above all, his unwavering integrity. 

Yet it is John’s relationship with Latin America that best reveals the breadth of his professional vision and the depth of his personal commitment. It didn’t take long for John to realize that Latin America is not merely a market but a community whose legal and commercial aspirations deserve respect, partnership, and first-rate representation.  

In conference halls from Bogotá to São Paulo, John’s presentations at arbitration conferences became touchstones for a generation of practitioners, spending unhurried hours demystifying the New York Convention or tracing the evolution of bilateral investment treaties. We can testify that many of today’s leading Brazilian arbitrators and counsels readily credit John for inspiring their careers, not only through his mastery of law but through the contagious enthusiasm with which he approached each new challenge. 

Reflecting on John Fellas’s career, one is struck by the harmony between his professional excellence and his human qualities. He proved that rigorous advocacy and authentic empathy are not mutually exclusive but reinforcing. For many Brazilian arbitration practitioners, like ourselves, he became more than a legal strategist; he became an ally, a teacher, and a friend.