Senior Arbitration Board
Alexander G. Fessas is the Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. Prior to joining the ICC Court, he practised as counsel out of Athens where he established a sole practice in 2008. He was previously an associate at an Athens-based law firm. During the same period, he was also the editor-in-chief of the Revue hellénique de droit international.
Americo B. Zampetti is minister counsellor at the European Union Delegation to the UN in Geneva. Between 2010 and 2015, he was Head of the Economic Section at the European Union Delegation to the United Nations in New York. His professional experience also includes the Italian Trade Commission, the OECD, the European Commission, UNCTAD and the UN secretariat in New York.
Bridget McCormack is President and CEO of the American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution. She is also a Strategic Advisor to the Future of the Profession Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Until the end of 2022, She was Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme
Court.
Carolyn Lamm is a partner at White & Case LLP and co-chair of International Arbitration of the Americas. She has been lead counsel in international arbitrations in ICSID, ICC and other fora as well as related litigation in U.S. Courts for foreign states, foreign state-owned companies, and foreign corporate entities. She is an arbitrator on the ICSID List, first nominated by the United States and by Uzbekistan.
Chiann Bao practices as a full-time independent arbitrator in Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and London. She serves as a Co-Chair of the IBA’s International Arbitration Committee and is a Vice President of the ICC Court of Arbitration. From 2010 to 2018, she served as the Secretary General and then as Council Member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre.
Claudia Salomon is the President of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Court), the first woman in this role in its 100–year history. Prior to that she was a partner in the New York office of Latham & Watkins and Global Co-Chair of the firm’s International Arbitration Practice. She is also an independent arbitrator, specializing in international, investor–state and complex commercial disputes.
Daniel Schimmel leads the International Litigation & Arbitration practice of Foley Hoag’s New York office. He is a Board member and the Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, NY Branch, a Board member of NYIAC, and a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. He was the first law clerk to the Hon. Jed S. Rakoff in the Southern District of New York.
Dorothy Udeme Ufot is a Visiting Professor of International Arbitration at Baze University Abuja, Nigeria and the Founder and Managing Partner of Dorothy Ufot & Co, a leading Law Firm in Nigeria since 1994. She is a former member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration (2006-2018) and a former Vice-chair of the Arbitration Committee of the IBA.
Guled Yusuf is a Partner in A&O Shearman’s International Arbitration Group, and has extensive expertise in international commercial and investment treaty arbitration as well as public international law. In addition to his experience in private practice, Guled previously represented an African State at the UN General Assembly and served as a legal adviser to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Ian A. Laird is co-chair of Crowell & Moring LLP’s International Dispute Resolution Group. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center teaching on topics related to public international and international investment arbitration. He has worked extensively with clients involving issues in the energy and natural resources sector — such as power generation, oil and gas, and mining.
Jackie van Haersolte-van Hof has been the Director General of the LCIA since 1 July 2014. She regularly sits as arbitrator and has handled cases under the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL Rules, as well as those of the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) and UNUM. She is a professor of civil law, in particular arbitration law, at Leiden University and a member of GAR’s editorial board.
Jaroslav Kudrna is the Head of the International Arbitration and Investment Protection Independent Unit at the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic. He defends the Republic in investment arbitrations, negotiates BITs on its behalf and represents it in international forums, including UNCITRAL (WG III).
Luke Sobota is a founding partner of Three Crowns. He is a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law. He is co-author of the second edition of International Arbitration: Three Salient Problems (Cambridge University Press) General Principles of Law and International Due Process (Oxford University Press in 2017).
Mark Wu is the Henry L. Stimson Professor at Harvard Law School. His research focuses on international trade law, including issues concerning emerging economies, digital trade, intellectual property, trade remedies, environment, and investment. At Harvard, Wu is a Faculty Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.
Mélida Hodgson is a partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and is a Chambers ranked recognized investor-state and commercial arbitration practitioner and arbitrator. She is president of the American Society of International Law and a founding member of the Washington Women in International Arbitration.
Miriam Harwood is a partner and chair of Katten’s International Arbitration practice. She is a recognized leader in the space with decades of experience handling high-profile, high-stakes disputes in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, as well as litigation in US courts.
Patricia Saiz is a faculty member at ESADE Law School, where she teaches investment and commercial arbitration. She is also a professor at the MIDS and a lecturer at Columbia Law School’s U.S. Business Law Academy. She is also a member of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC.
Peter Sherwin is a partner and head of the international arbitration practice at Proskauer Rose LLP. He is the U.S. member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and the Chair of the USCIB/ICC U.S.A. Arbitration Committee. He is a graduate of Columbia University School of Law.
Samaa A. Haridi is a Partner at King & Spalding LLP, based in New York. She is common and civil law trained, and is currently serving as an officer in a number of arbitral organizations, including as Vice-President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and Member of ICCA’s Governing Board. She is a Past Co-Chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee.
Samira Sulejmanovic is a Head of the Department for Bilateral Trade Relations in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has published a number of professional articles related to the most recent developments in investment and trade policies in the world, reflecting the position of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sherina Petit is a partner, Head of International Arbitration and Head of India Practice at Stewarts. She is also on the managing committee of the firm. Sherina is on the board of the LCIA and the European Federation of Investment Law and Arbitration (EFILA).
Tai-heng Cheng is global co-head of international arbitration and trade at Sidley. Tai has served as vice president of the American Society of International Law and is an elected fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators, the American Law Institute, and the Foreign Policy Association.
Timothy G. Nelson is a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Admitted in both New York and England, he is a Council Member of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration as well as a member of the International Institute of Space Law. He is the co-editor of “Take the Witness: Cross Examination in International Arbitration.”
Advisory Board
Amal Bouchenaki is a partner in the New York office of Herbert Smith Freehills. In addition to appearing before international arbitral tribunals, she litigates international arbitration matters before national courts, and manages complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. She sits on the Executive Committee of the New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC) and is Co-Chair of NYIAC’s Advisory Board.
Amanda Lee is an international arbitrator and consultant at Costigan King in London. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has sat as sole and party-appointed arbitrator in domestic and international arbitrations. She is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Law, UK and the founder of Careers in Arbitration and ARBalance.
Camilla Gambarini is a special counsel in the arbitration and public international law team of Withers in London. She represents clients in international arbitrations in different regions of the world, particularly the MENA region, CIS countries and Latin America. She obtained an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, a Master in International Law from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and a Master of Laws from Catholic University in Milan.
Christine (Yi) Kang is Co-Chair of the China Practice of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, and leads the China Arbitration Practice. Christine has significant experience in resolving cross-border disputes and enjoys a high reputation in international arbitration. She also has extensive and successful experiences in Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) sanction matters.
Dana McGrath is a leading independent arbitrator with over two decades of experience in international arbitration disputes and on the roster of multiple arbitral institutions. She is the immediate past President of ArbitralWomen and on the Steering Committee of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge, Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers (R.E.A.L.), and the Equal Representation of Expert Witnesses (ERE). She serves as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School teaching international arbitration.
Dietmar W. Prager is a litigation partner in Debevoise & Plimpton’s New York office who focuses his practice on international arbitration and litigation. He co-leads the firm’s Latin America Practice Group. Dr. Prager is a Vice Chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee, a member of the KCAB International Arbitration Committee and a member of the Board of the Vienna International Arbitration Centre (VIAC).
Elliot Friedman is Elliot is a partner in Freshfields’ international arbitration group in New York, heads the firm’s international arbitration practice in the Americas, and is the global leader of Freshfields’ Energy, Resources and Infrastructure sector group. He was part of the team that successfully represented BG Group in a landmark international arbitration case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Fahira Brodlija is the Rule of Law Advisor for a regional GIZ legal reform project focusing on the reform of the legal framework for investment protection and investor-state dispute settlement in the Western Balkans. She is an adjunct lecturer at the International University of Sarajevo, where she initiated the Annual IUS Summer School in international arbitration.
Hugh Carlson is the Chief Executive Officer of Three Crowns, in which capacity he is responsible for the firm’s global operations. He also serves as General Counsel to the firm. He teaches international arbitration at Harvard Law School and is a co-founder of its International Arbitration Workshop.
Mansi Karol is the Director of ADR Services, Commercial Division at American Arbitration Association – International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA-ICDR) in New York. She has an LL.M. in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary University of London, as well as an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy from Cardozo Law School.
Marek Krasula is Director of Arbitration and ADR for North America at the International Chamber of Commerce (SICANA Inc.) in New York. He promotes ICC dispute prevention and resolution services throughout the United States and Canada. Prior to his role as Director, Marek led the North American case management team at the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
Martins Paparinskis is Professor of Public International Law at University College London. He is a member of the United Nations International Law Commission and was the Chairperson of its Drafting Committee in 2023. He is also a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the ICSID Panels of Arbitrators and of Conciliators, and has appeared before the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Meriam Al-Rashid is a partner of Eversheds Sutherland and Global Co-Chair of International Arbitration and Co-Head of Latin America Arbitration Practice Group. She has served as counsel in disputes and transactions involving parties from across the globe, including the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Meriam has been appointed as a committee member of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice.
Michele Potestà is a partner at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler, where he practices international commercial and investment arbitration, as well as public international law. He is also part of the faculty at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and the Geneva LLM in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS), for which he teaches investment law and arbitration.
Natalí Sequeira is a Senior Legal Counsel at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). She leads one of the ICSID case management teams focusing on the resolution of disputes pursuant to international treaties, multilateral agreements, and contracts. Prior to joining ICSID, Natalí worked as a senior consultant with Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Previously, she served as Public Defender for the Costa Rican Judiciary.
Nicole Duclos is is a partner in the international arbitration practice of Covington & Burling LLP in New York. She also serves as the Head of the firm’s Latin America Initiative. She focuses her practice on international commercial and investment arbitration, as well as transnational litigation, with emphasis in Latin America. Currently, she sits on the Board of the Centro Español e Iberoamericano de Arbitraje (CEIA), CAM Santiago, and the North American Chilean Chamber of Commerce.
Petr Polášek is a partner with the international arbitration group of White & Case LLP based in Washington, DC, focusing on international arbitration and public international law. He has represented clients in complex international disputes across a broad range of business sectors, including mining and mineral processing, electricity generation, supply and distribution, renewable energy, to mention a few. He was educated in the Czech Republic (Charles University, Faculty of Law) and the United States (George Washington University Law School).
Preeti Bhagnani is a partner in White & Case’s International Arbitration Group, based in New York. With nearly two decades of experience in international arbitration, her practice is divided between commercial arbitration (domestic and international) and investor-state arbitration. She also maintains an active international pro bono practice, most recently leading arbitration capacity building projects in Africa.
Rahim Moloo is a partner at Gibson Dunn where he is Global Co-Chair of the International Arbitration Group. His practices focuses on representing his clients in their most significant and complex disputes, and was awarded the Swiss Arbitration Association’s 2024 global prize for advocacy. He has published a number of books and articles on international arbitration and international law, including “Procedural Issues in International Investment Arbitration” (OUP). He has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia Law School since 2014.
Yasmine Lahlou is a partner at Chaffetz Lindsey. Initially trained in Paris and admitted in New York, she has over 20 years of experience in international arbitration and litigation. She is a co-editor-in-chief of the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Bulletin Editorial Board. Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, member of the Advisory Council of Africa Arbitration, and retiring member of the board of directors of ArbitralWomen.
Alumni Advisors
Gustavo Favero Vaughn is a partner at Cesar Asfor Rocha Advogados, in São Paulo, Brazil. Gustavo has master’s degrees from Columbia Law School and the University of São Paulo School of Law. An Alumni Advisor at ARIA, Gustavo is one of the editors of “Pro-Arbitration Revisited: A Tribute to Professor George Bermann from His Students Over the Years”.
Rana Sajjad is a Columbia Law School alum (LL.M. 2002), and is the Managing Partner at Triage Law, a Lahore-based commercial and arbitration law firm as well as the Founder & President of the Center for International Investment and Commercial Arbitration (CIICA), Pakistan’s first international arbitration center.
Wendy Cai is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She received her J.D. in 2018 from Columbia Law School, where she was the student Editor-in-Chief of the American Review of International Arbitration. She argued on behalf of the Columbia team in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, ultimately placing 3rd internationally. She is the co-author of “Principles of Evidence in Public International Law as Applied by Investor-State Tribunals: Burden and Standard of Proof”, Brill Publications (January 2019).