The British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre Adds 10 New Members to its Panel of Arbitrators

February 17, 2021

PRESS RELEASE: BVI International Arbitration Centre Expands Global Representation with Addition of 10 New Arbitrators
BVI IAC reaffirms commitment to diverse representation of the international business community

TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (Feb. 18, 2021) – The British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre (BVI IAC), an independent not-for-profit institution serving the demands for dispute resolution in the international business community, today announced the addition of 10 members to its arbitration panel.

The 10 new arbitrators represent nine countries, further expanding the skillset and diversity of the BVI International Arbitration Centre Panel. Now composed of more than 200 international arbitrators, the panel represents common law and civil law jurisdictions, and the arbitrators speak a broad range of languages, including Cantonese, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

“The British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre is pleased to welcome these four outstanding women and six distinguished men to our panel of arbitrators,” said François Lassalle, the Centre’s Chief Executive Officer. “Their backgrounds span the practice of law from art law to sports law and blockchain to energy resources, and include an arbitrator from Norway for the first time. Together, they confirm the International Arbitration Centre’s focus on providing professionals whose legal, business and industry experiences meet the needs for diversity in both the cultural and linguistic arenas of the global community.”

The 10 newest members of the BVI International Arbitration Centre Panel and their principal locations are:

• Maria Athanasiou -Switzerland                
• Christina Beharry - United States             
• Guido Carducci - France, Italy, United Kingdom            
• Andrew Chin - Hong Kong, Mainland China                 
• Erlend Haaskjold - Norway                       
• Jennifer Haywood - United Kingdom            
• Tim Yimin Liu - Mainland China             
• John Maalouf  - United States, United Arab Emirates               
• Carol Roberts - Canada          
• John H. Rooney, Jr. - United States

Biographies are included in the backgrounder that follows.

The BVI IAC is renowned for offering a quality legal framework and a stable political environment as a British Overseas Territory. Many business executives in emerging industries benefit from resolving disputes in the BVI, because of the flexible rules that govern the region and its openness to trying new ideas and procedures.

About the British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre

The BVI IAC was established to meet the rapidly evolving dispute resolution needs of arbitration users worldwide. The Centre meets the demands of the international business community for a neutral, impartial, efficient and reliable dispute resolution institution in the Caribbean, Latin America and at the cross-roads of the Americas. The BVI offers a quality legal framework and a stable political environment as a British Overseas Territory Party to the New York Convention. Users of the BVI IAC arbitration clause benefit from arbitration-friendly legislations that improve ease of business and support. The BVI IAC Panel includes arbitrators from over 40 countries, speaking more than 20 languages, and is one of the most gender-diverse panels in the world. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the flexibility to meet the unique requirements of any virtual arbitration, BVI IAC offers world-class facilities for conducting arbitral hearings. For more information, please visit www.bviiac.org.

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British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre

Brief Biographies of New Panel Members

Maria Athanasiou

Maria Athanasiou is Counsel at the Arbitration Office of Professor Pierre Tercier in Fribourg, Switzerland, where she works primarily on cases conducted under the rules of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration and International Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she was an associate in two international arbitration groups in Brussels and London. Ms. Athanasiou is a member of panels of arbitrators at the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration and the Business Arbitration Scheme of the chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the reserve panel at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. She speaks English, French and Greek.

Christina Beharry

Christina Beharry is Counsel in international litigation and arbitration at Foley Hoag in Washington, D.C. Her practice focuses on public international law, investor-state and commercial arbitration, and trade and investment policy. Ms. Beharry previously served as Counsel in the Trade Law Bureau of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, where she represented the Government of Canada in investor-state disputes under NAFTA Chapter 11. Ms. Beharry has served in international arbitration proceedings administered by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Chamber of Commerce, and ad hoc tribunals under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. She speaks English, French and Spanish.

Guido Carducci

Guido Carducci is a law professor in Paris where he teaches commercial law, international private, business and arbitration law. He was a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Paris II, Miami, Hong Kong, Rome, Thessaloniki. He is also an attorney in private practice, member of the Rome Bar (admitted also before Supreme Courts) and an arbitrator in London with 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square. Previously, he served as Chief, International Standards Section at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, in charge of treaty-making for 192 Member States, and of the conventions on cultural property. Prof. Carducci is a Chartered Arbitrator, Fellow and Faculty of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the ICC Commissions on Arbitration and ADR, Competition Law, Commercial Law and Practice, and Former Vice-Chair of the International Arbitration and Litigation Committees of the American Bar Association. He has served as an arbitrator under the Rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, UNCITRAL, European Court of Arbitration, Milan Chamber of Commerce and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He works in English, French, Italian, Spanish and German. He holds a Ph.D. in International Law from University Paris II, in Comparative Contract Law from University Rome I, and the Diploma from The Hague Academy of International Law.  He published two monographs and 45 articles.

Andrew Chin

Andrew Chin is Counsel in the litigation and insolvency team at Harneys in Hong Kong. He focuses on commercial and shareholder disputes in multi-jurisdictional matters. Previously, he worked with international law firms in Hong Kong and as a tribunal secretary and assistant to Michael Hwang SC in Singapore. Mr. Chin has served as counsel in disputes at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Singapore International Arbitration Centre, International Chamber of Commerce and the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Centre. He is also one of fewer than 100 solicitor advocates to have been granted higher rights of audience by the Higher Rights Assessment Board of Hong Kong. He speaks Cantonese, English and Mandarin.

Erlend Haaskjold

Erlend Haaskjold is a partner in the dispute resolution and construction department at Arntzen de Besche in Oslo; he heads the international arbitration practice group. His practice focuses on contract law and private international law. He also lectures on commercial law at the Law Faculty of the University of Oslo. Previously, he was in private practice in Oslo and was the Attorney General (Civil Affairs). Mr. Haaskjold has served as counsel and mediator ad hoc in civil and commercial disputes and is a Permanent Mediator at the Norwegian Court of Appeal and the Oslo City Court. He also is the Chair of the National Mediation Board for Intellectual Property Disputes. He speaks English, French, German, Norwegian and Spanish.

Jennifer Haywood

Jennifer Haywood is a barrister at Serle Court Chambers in London, with a traditional and commercial chancery practice focused on litigation and breach of fiduciary duty, company, partnership, trusts and probate and fraud. Ms. Haywood is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration and has received accreditation as a mediator by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution. Her arbitrations have largely involved partnership/LLP disputes. She speaks English.

Tim Yimin Liu

Tim Yimin Liu is an attorney at Global Law Office in Shanghai, where his practice focuses on cross-border legal practices, including litigation, international commercial arbitration and mediation. Previously, he was a partner at the Beijing DHH Law Firm. Mr. Liu is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Prime Dispute; Arbitrators’ & Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand; The Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators and the Kovise Foundation Conflict Resolution International and the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators. He is an Arbitrator and Mediator at the Saudi Center of Commercial Arbitration and also a Commercial Negotiator at Prime Dispute. He speaks English and Mandarin.

John Maalouf

Dr. John Maalouf is the senior partner at Maalouf Ashford & Talbot in New York and Dubai. His practice is focused on international trade and finance law, International arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution in the areas of corporate reorganization and restructuring and corporate bankruptcy. His experience includes business litigation, corporate, banking, mergers and acquisitions, energy, oil and gas, and intellectual property. Prior to establishing his own firm, he served at several law firms. Dr. Maalouf has served as arbitrator at 15 institutions in Australia, Bahrain, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. He speaks English and Arabic.

Carol Roberts

Carol Roberts is an attorney in private practice in Vancouver, with a focus on administrative and constitutional law and human rights, as well as property assessment, employment, personal injury, forestry, sports and workers compensation. She received her Chartered Arbitrator designation from the ADR Institute of Canada. Ms. Roberts has served as an arbitrator and mediator for the Sport Dispute Resolution Center of Canada, International Court of Arbitration for Sport, Vancouver International Arbitration Centre, United Kingdom Sport Resolution and the World Triathlon Corporation Anti-Doping Panel. She is a panelist and member at several other mediation and arbitration centres. She speaks English.

John H. Rooney, Jr.

John H. Rooney, Jr. is an attorney in private practice in Miami, representing clients in international business and insurance matters, including international arbitration. Previously, he was a partner in the international litigation and arbitration practice of a firm in Miami. Mr. Rooney is an Adjunct Professor at University of Miami School of Law where he teaches international commercial arbitration and international business transactions. As an arbitrator, Mr. Rooney has resolved disputes under the rules of Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission, International Centre for Dispute Resolution, International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, International Chamber of Commerce and London Court of International Arbitration. He speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish.

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