Coming Full Circle: A Tribute to Gabrielle Marceau

In life, we often wonder how we found our way onto certain paths. Sometimes the way is hazy, shaped by chance encounters or choices made in passing. But when I reflect on my own journey in International Trade Law, there is no uncertainty. I have often joked—but with a deep grain of truth—that Gabrielle Marceau “discovered” me. And looking back, I believe now that our paths crossed over twenty years ago for a reason. It feels, in many ways, as though we were destined to come full circle. While I have veered and wandered across different paths in the sea of international trade, Gabrielle has remained a faithful “bride” of World Trade Organisation (WTO) Law—steadfast, loyal, and unwavering in her commitment to the field she helped build. That first meeting between us, as it turned out, was more than a passing moment; it was a pearl in an oyster (fittingly, she loves pearls!) I first met Gabrielle in 2002, in Washington, D.C., standing nervously before a podium during a makeshift moot court organized by the Organization of American States. At the time, I was a young intern at the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, freshly graduated from Cambridge University—strong in theory but entirely unschooled in the real-world application of law. I was called upon to defend a simulated WTO law case before a panel where Gabrielle sat, keenly interrogating every answer. I stumbled through my arguments, certain I had failed miserably. And so it came as an utter shock when, just a few weeks later, Gabrielle asked me to come to Geneva to be her intern. At the time, I did not understand how extraordinary an offer this was. The WTO Legal Affairs Division’s internship program, formally run by Maria Pererya, was highly selective and often reserved for more seasoned candidates. I was barely 22—young, inexperienced, and, in many ways, unformed. But somehow, a few months later, I found myself at the heart of the WTO, working alongside brilliant legal minds, under Gabrielle’s mentorship and on her team, on the US Steel Safeguards dispute—the biggest case of its time. I often marvel at how I landed such an opportunity. Gabrielle insists, even now, that I was “very good.” But I have always suspected that someone up there smiled on me—or perhaps it was Gabrielle’s unique ability to see potential where others might have seen risk. From those early days, Gabrielle captivated me—not only through her extraordinary command of Trade Law but also through her style of engagement. Her approach was never dry or purely clinical. It was organic, human, alive. She cared deeply about the development and nuances of law, but equally about justice, coherence, its practical application, and the larger story the law was telling. She led not by commanding authority but by inviting ideas, encouraging debate, fostering growth among her peers, as well as the young people she encountered. She’d often remark how “clever” this or that person was once they mastered an area, or convinced her of an argument. In the halls of the WTO, Gabrielle was already a legend in the making: a fount of knowledge whom others instinctively sought out to test their ideas, validate their instincts, sharpen their arguments. That natural gravitas found even greater expression as she moved beyond legal advising to take on leadership roles in the Secretariat, including during the Lamy administration. From shaping the technical dimensions of law to influencing the strategic direction of the institution, Gabrielle was—and remains—integral to the WTO’s evolving story. As my own career unfolded—from lawyer in the Appellate Body, to private practice, to returning to the …