Appointment of Director of Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre Mr Aleš Zalar (Sl) has been appointed as the Director of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) of the Unified Patent Court The UPC is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Aleš Zalar as Director of PMAC, following the decision of the Administrative Committee dated 17 July 2024. Mr Zalar is officially taking up his duties as of today, 9 September 2024, with his responsibilities being divided between the PMAC offices in Ljubljana and Lisbon.Mr Aleš Zalar has served as judge and president of the District Court of Ljubljana, as well as president of the Slovenian Judges Association. He served as Slovenia's Minister of Justice from 2008 to 2012, and for six months (2011-2012), he also held the position of Acting Minister of Home Affairs. Over the past 12 years, he has been the President of the European Centre for Dispute Resolution (ECDR), working as a mediator, arbitrator, and consultant in international rule of law reforms. Mr Zalar has received a number of recognitions and awards for his contribution to development of mediation.