CPR Announces REAL and Co-Founders Win Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR Award

New York, NY – The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), a global non-profit organization that manages conflict to enable purpose, is pleased to announce REAL – Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers and its co-founders Dr. Crina Baltag; Dr. Kabir Duggal, Esq.; and Rekha Rangachari, Esq. are the winners of the 2021 Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR award at a virtual ceremony as part of the CPR 2022 Annual Meeting.

CPR harnesses the insights and experiences of its members to prevent and resolve business disputes through its think tank, the CPR Institute. CPR Dispute Resolution provides alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services – mediation, arbitration, dispute prevention initiatives and more – through innovative and practical rules and procedures and through CPR’s Panel of Distinguished Neutrals.

REAL is a group of global lawyers practicing in international arbitration and striving to achieve racial equality for all arbitration lawyers. The group does not identify a single racial demographic for focus, instead it focuses on all unrepresented groups. The organization is a non-profit that launched in January, 2021. Membership is free and open to everyone.

REAL uses a two-pronged approach to champion underrepresented practitioners in international arbitration: advocacy and access. REAL advocates for building awareness of and spotlighting the absence of racial diversity in the field. It also works to address the lack of racial parity in arbitral appointments by community building with arbitral institutions, law firms, clients, third party funders, and others. REAL strives to address the socio-economic limitation for many entering the field of international arbitration by community building for young and mid-level practitioners, offering practical solutions and remedies to those traditionally not included in the “arbitration club” such as mentorship programs, scholarships and awards, and partnerships with networks and groups.

Dr. Crina Baltag is Associate Professor in International Arbitration at Stockholm University, an arbitrator and Vice Chair of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration’s Academic Council.

Dr. Kabir Duggal, Esq. is a Lecturer-in-Law and Managing Editor of The American Review of International Arbitration at Columbia Law School, and Senior International Arbitration Advisor at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law.

Rekha Rangachari, Esq. is Executive Director at the New York International Arbitration Center.

CPR President and CEO Allen Waxman said, “We are thrilled to recognize REAL and its co-founders for shining a light on the realities of racial disparity in international arbitration. This organization brings all of us together to ensure better opportunities to engage the full breadth of talent in arbitration. It is through the work of REAL, led by Crina, Kabir and Rehka that international arbitration can reach maximum effectiveness.”

In a group statement Baltag, Duggal and Rangachari said, “We are humbled and honored that CPR selected REAL as recipient for its prestigious 'Outstanding Contribution to Diversity Award’. At REAL, we aspire to build sustainable, meaningful change through access and advocacy, all made possible by our committed leadership at all levels of engagement — from our Steering Committee, Committee Chairs/Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs, to Ambassadors, REAL Partners, our Members and Allies, and so many more in between. This award is for them and to all those who have created REAL scholarships. We are ever stronger together. #LetsGetREAL”

Submissions for the Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR award are reviewed by a panel consisting of past winners, the co-chairs of CPR’s National Task Force on Diversity in ADR, and the CPR President & CEO.

For more information about REAL, visit letsgetrealarbitration.org.

For more information on CPR visit cpradr.org.

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About CPR

Established in 1977, CPR is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes the prevention and resolution of conflict to better enable purpose through the CPR Institute and CPR Dispute Resolution.

The CPR Institute drives and advocates for a global prevention and dispute resolution culture through the thought leadership of its diverse members – companies, leading mediators and arbitrators, law firms, individual practitioners, and academics – who share best practices and develop innovative tools for dispute management through Committees and events.

CPR Dispute Resolution is a boutique provider of leading-edge dispute management services – mediation, arbitration, custom appointing services, a panel of dispute prevention specialists, and more – that leverages resources generated by the CPR Institute. The case administrators are experienced attorneys with a combined 40 years of experience in ADR who speak five languages. The Panel of Distinguished Neutrals is a carefully curated, diverse group of prominent, experienced subject matter experts based in 35 countries. To learn more visit www.cpradr.org.

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