Julie Bédard

A competent international arbitration attorney, but communication was inconsistent.

We engaged Julie Bédard at Skadden to handle a complex contractual dispute with our former joint-venture partner in Brazil. Her profile and recognition, including the Lawyer of the Year awards in São Paulo, were impressive and gave us confidence. On the substantive legal work, she was undeniably sharp. Her deep understanding of both Brazilian and international arbitration procedures was evident, and she crafted a technically sound strategy for our case. However, the experience fell short in client management. While her final work product was excellent, there were often significant delays in receiving updates. We’d sometimes wait a week or more for responses to non-urgent emails, which created anxiety. Her focus seemed entirely on the legal battlefield, with less attention to managing our expectations on timelines and process. For a firm of Skadden’s caliber and her level of recognition, we anticipated a more seamless communication flow. She is clearly a talented lawyer in the arbitration field, but the overall service felt more transactional than collaborative.