Julio was described by one of his fellow Appellate Body Members as "the ideal diplomat". He was able to deal with a huge range of complex issues, distilling and focusing on the few essential points, and digging his heels in only for those battles that really mattered. He had a knack for bringing groups to consensus. Sometimes he achieved this by getting the individuals concerned to agree. At other times he would listen to and guide the discussion for what he felt to be a reasonable amount of time, whereupon he would announce "as I see no objections, I conclude that all delegations agree to adopt the text. It is so decided." The WTO dispute settlement system as we know it could not have been achieved without his strong leadership and commitment to the multilateral trading system.

After having chaired the Uruguay Round negotiations on dispute settlement and successfully gavelled down the text of the Dispute Settlement Understanding, Julio was appointed in 1995 by the newly constituted Dispute Settlement Body as one of the original seven Appellate Body Members. He remains the only Appellate Body Member to have been nominated by a WTO Member of which he was not a citizen (nominated by Canada). At the time, Julio's vast experience in the field of international trade law and policy led his fellow Appellate Body Members to regard him as a living GATT legend, and he was the obvious and unanimous choice to become the Appellate Body's first chairman. His colleagues frequently mined his rich knowledge and experience of the GATT and the WTO, and appreciated that he was always able to provide acute insight into not only the legal, but also the practical and systemic implications of the Appellate Body's rulings and interpretations. Without doubt his chairmanship of the Appellate Body during its first two years of the institution was instrumental in shaping this institution in its formative years, and contributed significantly to the standing the Appellate Body now enjoys within the WTO. 

Despite his myriad accomplishments, Julio was unfailingly humble, personable, and open-minded. All those who knew Julio also knew well his devotion to the sport of tennis, both as a participant and as a spectator. He continued playing well into his 90's, and for many years was a regular attendee at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Julio will be missed, but his legacy will endure. Rest in peace.