President, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Session: Welcome address & Close of the Convention

Ann Ryan Robertson C. Arb FCIArb is an International Partner at Locke Lord LLP in the practice areas of International Arbitration, Domestic Arbitration and Commercial Litigation. She holds a J.D. and a LL.M in International Economic Law and acts as arbitrator and advocate in international and domestic arbitrations. Ann is experienced in cross-border commercial disputes, involving a variety of oil and gas issues, franchise law, partnerships, sales contracts (including those governed by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods), and commercial contracts pertaining to manufacturing, supply, warranties and project development. She is the President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), a past member of the Board of Trustees of CIArb, and a past Chair of the North America Branch of CIArb.

Assistant Director of Policy and External Affairs, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Sessions: 

• Welcome address
• Adjudication in focus
• DAS Team Q&A

As Assistant Director for Policy and External Affairs, Lewis leads CIArb's influencing programme to promote all forms of alternative dispute resolution around the world. Working with partners and stakeholders, he and his team emphasise the transformative effect that ADR can have on outcomes for parties, and the role it plays in underwriting economic prosperity.

International Arbitrator, Greenwood Arbitration

Session: How can ADR make the zero-carbon transition possible? Disputes professionals as enablers.

Lucy Greenwood is an independent international arbitrator specializing in commercial and investment disputes. She has practised international arbitration since 1998 (working in London, Paris and Houston) and has acted as arbitrator in over 60 arbitrations since becoming a full time arbitrator in 2017. She is highly regarded for her prompt, efficient resolution of disputes and active case management of arbitrations and is particularly in demand as a chair for major energy disputes. Lucy is a Chartered Arbitrator, a Texas attorney and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. She is a Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Past Chair, International Committee, Dispute Resolution Section, American Bar Association, Past Chair, North America Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators. She is the founder of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations, an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitrations.

Head of Contract Solutions, Currie & Brown UK Ltd

Session: How can ADR make the zero-carbon transition possible? Disputes professionals as enablers.

Nasir is Head of Contract Solutions at Currie & Brown, a global consultancy where he leads procurement advisory, claims, dispute avoidance, management and resolution. Nasir is an experienced end-to-end commercial professional with added engineering, commercial, project management, business, and legal qualifications. A highly motivated leader with a proven track record of successful delivery in various industries spearheading business improvements, cost savings, project delivery, risk management, procurement, contract management and dispute resolution of large complex programmes. Nasir acts as a Mediator, Adjudicator and Arbitrator as well as Expert Witness.

Managing Director, Global Resolution Services Ltd

Session: How can ADR make the zero-carbon transition possible? Disputes professionals as enablers.

Wolf von Kumberg spent over 25 years as the International Counsel for Northrop Grumman Corporation dealing with its global disputes. In that role he came to employ arbitration, mediation and dispute boards to resolve and mitigate the effects of their disputes. He am now an independent neutral with Arbitra in London and Washington DC. In that role he is very much involved in helping to resolve energy transition and sustainable energy disputes.

Arbitrator and Mediator, Founding member of JAMS

Session: How can ADR make the zero-carbon transition possible? Disputes professionals as enablers.

Lester J. Levy, Esq. is a founding member of JAMS and has practiced as a full-time ADR professional for more than 25 years. His extensive experience, sharp intellect, and innate facility connecting with parties help him to get to the heart of matters in dispute and have yielded thousands of successful complex commercial mediations and arbitrations spanning an impressive diversity of topics and practice areas. Mr. Levy enjoys helping client find efficient, creative and lasting solutions for the most challenging disputes, from complex, multiparty, multiclaim conflicts to more common, but often no less contentious, disagreements. He is regularly sought out to handle matters that have failed to settle and is respected for his keen ability to understand sophisticated issues and guide parties to settlement through a combination of personal engagement, patience, and tenacity. 

Mr. Levy’s longstanding practice as an arbitrator, mediator, and settlement master/facilitator spans subject matters, including: Business and Commercial, Class and Mass Actions, Employment, Environmental and Toxic Tort, Finance, Insurance, Limited Partnerships, Mass Torts, Product Liability, Real Estate and Securities. He is frequently selected for his skills in handling matters with long-term implications and assisting parties with their most difficult cases.

Research and Academic Affairs Manager, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Networking Break: What is the role of dispute resolvers in delivering the transition to a zero-carbon economy?

Mercy McBrayer, FCIArb, is CIArb’s Research and Academic Affairs Manager. Mercy is a United States qualified attorney (Texas) and certified mediator with experience as party counsel in commercial business litigation and arbitration. She holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in comparative and international dispute resolution from Queen Mary University of London, a Juris Doctorate (JD) from Southern Methodist University, and a Master of Science (MSc) in environmental biology from the University of North Texas. Mercy is also a graduate of CIArb’s Post-Graduate Diploma programme in international commercial arbitration (PGDip). Mercy trained in international commercial arbitration with Al Tamimi and Co. in Dubai, UAE, and was an associate with Blume, Faulkner, and Skeen in Dallas, Texas, before joining the CIArb Executive in 2018. Mercy is CIArb’s observer delegate to UNCITRAL Working Groups II and III and curator of CIArb’s professional practice guidelines. She is an assistant editor of the CIArb Journal, a Teaching Fellow in international arbitration at Queen Mary University of London, a speaker and lecturer on issues of international arbitration and ADR, and moot coach. Mercy is a US citizen who grew up in Nairobi, Kenya and is based in London, UK.

Session: How can arbitration practitioners use technology pro-actively? An introduction to the new CIArb Technology Guideline

Paul is an effective and commercially minded disputes lawyer. His extensive experience includes full trials, appeals, injunctions, interim applications, jurisdictional battles and enforcement proceedings across several sectors and jurisdictions. Paul often helps sophisticated clients to realise business objectives through mediation and negotiation. He also helps multinationals to navigate risks arising from international treaties, international sanctions and bribery issues.

Recent representative matters include: settling consolidated $2.8 billion LCIA arbitration proceedings arising from joint venture shareholder documentation, successfully resisting enforcement of a $900 million ICSID award in the High Court and settling $1.1 billion BVI enforcement proceedings on appeal to the Privy Council.

After graduating top of his year at university, with the highest First, Paul was called to the Bar by Middle Temple. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators and an active member of several prominent dispute resolution organisations, including the LCIA, ICC, CEDR and BIICL. During 2021, Paul took a distinction from Queen Mary University of London in the LLM in International Dispute Resolution.

Paul has co-authored successive editions of “Dispute Resolution in Project Finance Transactions”, International Project Finance – Law and Practice, Oxford University Press (2015, 2019). Other recent articles include “The Inevitability of Predictive Coding in International Arbitration”, in the Young Arbitration Review and “US Sanctions and the EU Blocking Regulation: ‘Catch 22’” on Lexology.

Paul accepts appointments as arbitrator and adjudicator. He volunteers at legal clinics and as arbitrator at several moots, including the Vis Moot and the Vis Moot East.

Contact pkinninmont@candey.com

Arbitrator, Ogunseitan Arbitration

Session: How can arbitration practitioners use technology pro-actively? An introduction to the new CIArb Technology Guideline

Tunde Ogunseitan is an independent arbitrator. He has substantial practical experience from several international law firms, specialising in dispute resolution, asset tracing, maritime law, insurance, structured finance and debt capital markets. Tunde regularly consults internationally for a variety of arbitral institutions, businesses and firms. He is also a teaching fellow in alternative dispute resolution and international commercial arbitration at various universities in England and France. He is currently a trustee of ODRAfrica. He is a court member of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) and currently chairs the LCA Sub Committee on reviewing the LCA Rules. Tunde is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Professional Development Advisory Group and is part of its teaching faculty in London. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He was a founding member of the IBA 40 under 40. He led the Common Law jurisdictions as Counsel of the International Court of Arbitration including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Caribbean, Anglophone Africa, and the Indian subcontinent for over 7 years. He is admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales (n.p.) and a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. 

Session: How can arbitration practitioners use technology pro-actively? An introduction to the new CIArb Technology Guideline

An experienced as in-house counsel in general corporate, commercial and compliance roles for a wide range of businesses and investments, more recently moving into the innovation space - with both LegalTech and FinTech experience - having completed an Executive MBA focussing innovation and the adoption of technology in legal services. Currently acting as lead counsel in Nomura International's Wholesale Digital office, focussing on blockchain and digital assets.

Arbitrator and Counsel, Blanke Arbitration

Session: How can arbitration practitioners use technology pro-actively? An introduction to the new CIArb Technology Guideline

Dr. Gordon Blanke is Founding Principal of Blanke Arbitration Dubai/London/Paris. Before establishing his own firm, Dr. Blanke was a Partner of International Commercial and Investment Arbitration with DWF (Middle East) LLP in the DIFC, Dubai. Prior to joining DWF, he was Counsel and Sector Leader of International Arbitration in Baker & McKenzie.Habib Al Mulla’s Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices. Dr. Blanke has wide-ranging experience in all types of international commercial and investment arbitration in both the common and civil law legal systems, having acted as advising counsel and arbitrator under most leading institutional arbitration rules (ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, ADCCAC, GCC, JAMS, SCC, etc.) and in ad hoc (incl. GAFTA and LMAA) arbitrations seated in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia held for a variety of industry sectors, including aviation, private equity, banking and finance, construction/real estate, commodities, hospitality, travel/leisure, cosmetics, IT, telecoms, oil & gas, shipping etc. Dr. Blanke has also been appointed to the CIETAC, ADCCAC and CRCICA Panel of Arbitrators. 

Partner, Fox Williams LLP

Sessions: 

• How can arbitration practitioners use technology pro-actively? An introduction to the new CIArb Technology Guideline
• Networking Break: New Technology Guideline

Ben Giaretta is the Chair of the London Branch of the CIArb. He is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the CIArb. Ben is a commercial disputes lawyer with a broad range of experience in litigation, mediation and expert determination, and he has particular expertise in international commercial arbitration. He has advised clients on issues arising from contracts in many different industries, including oil & gas, LNG, renewables, construction, mining, technology, M&A, shipping and commodities. He has worked on disputes all over the world, including in Africa, Europe and the Gulf region. For seven years he was based in Singapore as the Head of Arbitration in Asia for an international law firm, and he worked on disputes across the Asia-Pacific, especially relating to India, South Korea, Japan, China and Australia. He has been appointed as arbitrator on many occasions and he is on the panels of arbitrators of several arbitration institutions throughout the world.

International Mediator, Author and Speaker, CIArb 2022 President

Session: Is it time for mandatory mediation? and Close of the convention

Jane Gunn is a highly sought after consultant, facilitator and speaker. She specializes in collaboration, cross-cultural communication and transforming business relationships and has helped open the eyes, hearts and minds of numerous companies to transform and secure the future of their organisation and the commitment and collaboration of their people. As a trained mediator and facilitator she brings a diverse mix of skills, experience and insight that enable her to get people and groups with different priorities, incentives and ways of doing things, to work together successfully. She has a powerful message supported by practical tools and techniques that applies to organizations of all sizes across all sectors.

Jane is Chair of the Board of Management of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and is a former director and board member of the Civil Mediation Council of England and Wales (CMC). She is a past president of the Professional Speaking Association of the UK and Ireland (PSA UKI). She is also a member of the Advisory Committee to QUADRA in Italy.

She has been invited to speak at the United Nations, the White House, the European Commission and the International Energy Agency and has fulfilled a number of other international speaking engagements. She has worked with organisations large and small including Cable & Wireless, The NHS, BAA, Bacardi-Martini, McLaren Racing, The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and many more. She is also the author of two popular books on conflict management “How to Beat Bedlam in the Boardroom and Boredom in the Bedroom” and “The Authority Guide to Conflict Resolution”.

Mediator & Arbitrator, 2 Temple Gardens

Session: Is it time for mandatory mediation?

Andrew Miller QC is a barrister with over 30 years of experience of dealing with and resolving commercial disputes both domestically and internationally. He now practices as a Mediator and Arbitrator in a wide range of commercial sectors, including in the areas of construction, energy, property damage, insurance and reinsurance and professional negligence. Andrew is the current NMA Civil & Commercial Mediator of the Year 2020/21 (Awarded September 2020).

Andrew has been involved in the mediation of disputes since 1995. He has experience of over 200 mediations across a wide range of disputes. Andrew has acted as lead mediator in commercial disputes valued from £50,000 to £100+ million. Andrew has mediated disputes with parties based in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Jersey, Lithuania, Portugal, Philippines, South Africa, Singapore, Spain, Turkey and the USA. Andrew regularly speaks about mediation in the UK and internationally.

Over the last two years he has been involved with a series of workshops and seminars in India and the judging of several of the prestigious Mediation and Negotiation competitions held in India. In January 2020 he was invited to speak at the Supreme Court of India on Mediation and its relationship with Litigation.

Andrew also sits as an arbitrator and is FCIArb and a trustee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Commercial Mediator

Session: Is it time for mandatory mediation?

Gill Mansfield is a full-time commercial mediator with particular expertise in disputes relating to commercial contracts, IT/technology, media & entertainment and intellectual property, as well as company, shareholder and director disputes. 

She was called to the Bar in 1994 and spent much of her legal career in Head of Legal and General Counsel roles working with award winning media & entertainment companies, innovative technology companies and start-ups, multi-national corporations and household name brands. As a result, she has a degree of commerciality and boardroom experience that is rare in the mediation profession.  She is recognised as “a masterful negotiator and a brilliant lawyer” and she is described by clients as a “pragmatic”, “collaborative” and “solution-oriented” mediator. She holds both UK and US mediation accreditations, has successfully mediated disputes on both sides of the Atlantic and is regularly instructed in cross-border and international cases.

Gill is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an elected committee member of the London Branch of the CIArb.  CEDR accredited in 2006, she is a member of the mediator panels at CEDR, LCAM and the CIArb in the UK, the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva and CPR’s Panel of Distinguished Neutrals in New York. She is also a board advisor to a company in the tech-for-good space. 

Assistant Director of ADR and Mediation Development, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Session: Is it time for mandatory mediation?

Isabel is a conflict specialist with a focus on mediation, dialogue, conflict systems design, training and research with extensive international experience both in the commercial and peace-building contexts. She is a CEDR accredited mediator and a German qualified ‘Peace and Conflict Specialist’.

Before joining CIArb, Isabel split her career between working full-time in post-conflict and fragile environments including Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ethiopia; consulting for UN Agencies, IGOs, Governments and commercial organisations; and working directly for CEDR both as a mediator and as a specialist in the development, design, and delivery of mediation, negotiation and conflict management training.

She was awarded her PhD in 2017 for a comparative thesis on the theory and practice of commercial and socio-political mediation; has taught at the University of Westminster Law School since 2005 and is a member of the Conflict Research Society Advisory Board and a Jury member for their prestigious ‘Book of the Year’ award.

Counsel, SWL Chambers

Session: Adjudication in focus

Robert has over 40 years’ experience of the construction industry, with particular emphasis on all forms of alternative dispute resolution, specialising in all aspects property and construction, undertaking appointments as arbitrator, adjudicator, expert determiner, mediator and dispute board member, as well as representing parties in all dispute arenas. As an arbitrator, Robert has been involved in matters concerning professional negligence, property, landlord & tenant, delay analysis, costs, variations, defects, interpretation of contracts, repudiation, and many other aspects of contract in the areas of building, civil engineering, mechanical & electrical, waste water treatment and process engineering.

Robert has received over 400 appointments to act as the adjudicator from a wide range of institutions and directly by the parties, whilst also working as an expert determiner and mediator covering a wide range of issues within the arenas of construction and engineering, professional negligence, contract, development agreements and landlord & tenant.

Robert a Barrister, Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the prestigious FIDIC President’s List of Approved Dispute Adjudicators.

Managing Director, Construction Dispute Resolution

Session: Adjudication in focus

Janey has been Managing Director of Construction Dispute Resolution since 1997. An experienced Chartered Quantity Surveyor, she is a qualified Adjudicator, Arbitrator & accredited Expert Witness; with an impressive track record. Janey has extensive experience in construction contracts, providing procurement and contract advice to employers, contractors and consultants in the construction industry. Experienced in the private and public sectors through practising as a Quantity Surveyor, lecturing and providing construction dispute consultancy services. She has been appointed to over 300 adjudications in values ranging up to £34m and covering disputes in valuation, delay, loss and expense, defects, termination and damages.

Janey has also carried out expert witness appointments in relation to liability, quantum and damages in construction contract claims for extension of time, loss and expense; contract administration and measurement matters. This has been on a variety of complex building, engineering and renewable energy sector projects. Janey particularly specialises in the roles and liabilities of the design and construction team and has given expert evidence in relation to professional negligence matters on a number of occasions. Janey lectured at Glasgow Caledonian University in Building Contracts and Construction Law for nine years (in full time and part time employment) and continues to lecture and tutor on various professional bodies courses and conferences on dispute resolution topics. Janey is a past Chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland (2007-2008). She has been a Director of the Scottish Arbitration Centre since March 2011.

Partner and Solicitor, Wright Hassall LLP

Session: Adjudication in focus

Advocate Philip is a Partner at Wright Hassall Solicitors. Philip is a commercial Arbitrator, a Mediator and an Adjudicator. As an Adjudicator, he is on five national panels and has trained Adjudicators for nominating bodies. As an Arbitrator, he is FCIArb, a Chartered Arbitrator and a Faculty Member of the CIArb. He has set exams and training for future Arbitrators. He is on various specialist panels, including the Law Society List of Arbitrators. As a Mediator, Philip was trained by CEDR, becoming CEDR accredited in 2000. He has mediated more than 100 matters with a very high success rate for settlements. Philip has lectured extensively on dispute resolution for a variety of bodies including the RIBA, RICS, IStructE, IMechE, CIArb and various Lloyds syndicates. Philip has written many articles and has contributed to two books on construction law and practice.

Contact details:

E: Philip.harris@wrighthassall.co.uk

A: Wright Hassall LLP, Olympus Avenue, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV34 6BF

DAS Case Manager, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Session: DAS Team Q&A

As DAS Case Manager, Kam is responsible for the Dispute Appointment Service (DAS). The DAS team deal with all dispute resolver appointments ensuring they are concluded in a timely manner. In addition to this, the DAS team manage the Presidential Panels of Arbitrators, Mediators and Adjudicators.