Young ITA

Young ITA promotes the involvement of young professionals (under 40) in the international arbitration community through programs, publications and other activities, including:

• Young Lawyers Roundtables presented annually during the Annual Workshop, the ITA-IEL-ICC Joint Conference on International Energy Arbitration in Houston and the ITA Americas Workshop in Latin America.
• #YOUNGITATALKS programs and events for young practitioners in other cities in North America, South America (Spanish-speaking jurisdictions), Brazil, Mexico and Central America, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Africa and Asia.
• The annual Young ITA Writing Competition and Award.
• The annual Young ITA Mentorship Program teaming students and early career professionals with eminent mentors for a year of collegiality and insight. The program is available to both English, Spanish, and French speaking participants. Submit your application to become a mentor, facilitator, or mentee here. 
• The Young ITA Newsletter designed to keep us in touch, help keep you abreast of the latest developments in arbitration, and make you aware of the opportunities Young ITA has to offer.

Membership in Young ITA is free and open to all young arbitration practitioners, law students, and other professionals under 40 years old with an interest in international arbitration.

• Join Young ITA
• View Young ITA membership benefits
• View upcoming Young ITA events
• Join the Young ITA Group on LinkedIn
  (the official member page and discussion forum for Young ITA Members)
• View the current Young ITA Newsletter
• Follow the Young ITA public page on LinkedIn

For more information about Young ITA, contact Young ITA chair Karima Sauma (Chair) and Ciara Ros (Vice Chair).

Young ITA Leadership

Young ITA is delighted to announce 35 new and returning appointments to its leadership team. Young ITA has had a packed two years of events (both in person and virtual) and seen an increase in membership to over 3000 individuals across over 100 countries. Young ITA has also seen the introduction of our annual Global Forum and a revamp of the newsletter. Young ITA has created a number of new roles to ensure we can continue to provide our members with the most useful and interesting events, articles and workshops, across the widest range of regions. We are excited to announce that our previous leadership positions have been expanded to include co-chairs for all of our regional leadership positions, as well as introducing new roles for External Communications Chair, Internal Communications Chair and Programming Chair. We would like to say a big thank you to our outgoing leadership team for their fantastic services for the past two years and congratulations to our new (and returning) chairs, we look forward to another successful two years working with the ITA and continuing to expand on educational and leadership opportunities for young arbitrators.

Karima Sauma
Chair
Counsel
DJ Arbitraje
San Jose, Costa Rica

Young ITA Chair - Karima Sauma is part of the arbitration team at DJ Arbitraje. She is an adjunct professor at ULACIT University and LEAD University in San José, and regularly acts as arbitrator, tribunal secretary, counsel and legal expert in various types of cases.

Previously, she was the Executive Director of the International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration of the Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce. Before joining CICA, she worked as an Advisor with the Dispute Settlement Team of the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Trade, where she was part of Costa Rica’s defense team in claims filed under various treaties and free trade agreements. She was also a member of the negotiating team for treaties involving investment and dispute settlement provisions. Prior to joining the Ministry of Foreign Trade, she worked with the arbitration group at a well-known international firm in Washington, DC. Karima received her J.D. with honors from the University of Costa Rica. She also holds an LL.M from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She is admitted to practice law in Costa Rica and the State of New York.

Ciara Ros
Vice Chair
Vinson & Elkins LLP
London, UK

Young ITA Vice Chair - Ciara Ros is a senior associate in the International Dispute Resolution practice group of Vinson & Elkins RLLP in London. She was recognized as a Key Lawyer for International Arbitration by the Legal 500 in 2022 and was included in the INvolve – The Inclusion People list of Top 100 Women Future Leaders Role Model 2022. Ciara spent six months in the V&E Houston office and worked in the Dubai office for three years after qualification. She represents clients across a wide range of industries, including energy, construction, infrastructure, mining, wreck salvage, banking and financial services, and telecoms. Her focus is on energy and infrastructure, mining, construction disputes, and international commercial arbitration. Ciara also advised clients on project finance, and mergers and acquisitions within the energy, aviation, infrastructure and telecoms sectors during her tenure as an associate in the Dubai office, giving her a unique cross-practice view with significant transactional and disputes experience. She is admitted to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales. Ciara read Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford and sits on the board of the International Centre of Dispute Resolution (Y&I).

Santiago Peña
Programs Co-Chair
Bomchil
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Programs Co-Chair - Santiago is a partner in the International Arbitration department at Bomchil. He graduated with honours from Universidad de Buenos Aires, and completed a Diploma in Arbitration as well as a Masters’ Degree in Corporate Law from Universidad Austral, achieving the gold medal for best graduate and the award for the best final thesis.

Since his graduation, Santiago has acted in several international commercial arbitrations, as counsel and as administrative secretary, under different rules (ICC, ICDR, UNCITRAL, etc.).

He is member of the International Bar Association (IBA); member of the Latin American Arbitration Association (ALArb) and its Next Generation Group; Secretary of the Permanent Observatory on the State of Arbitration in Latin America; board member of the Young Singapore International Arbitration Centre (YSIAC) for the Americas; and former member of the ICDR Young & International Global Advisory Board. He is also a regular professor of Civil and Commercial Contracts at Universidad de Buenos Aires and assistant professor of Contracts and Arbitration and Mediation at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

Julianne Jaquith
Programs Co-Chair
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Houston, TX

Programs Co-Chair - Julianne Jaquith is a partner in Quinn Emanuel’s Houston and Washington, D.C. offices. Highly proficient in Spanish, Julianne’s practice focuses on international arbitration proceedings, including advising foreign corporations and sovereign governments in investor state disputes, international commercial arbitration matters, and cross border litigation. While her practice focuses on disputes involving Latin America, she has also handled disputes in various countries throughout the world. She has significant experience across a number of industries, including energy, oil and gas, mining, telecommunications, and post-merger and acquisition disputes. Julianne has also been recognized by Legal 500 for international arbitration and international litigation.

Meredith Craven
External Communications Co-Chair
White & Case LLP
Houston, Texas

External Communications Co-Chair - Meredith Craven is an international arbitration and disputes attorney at White & Case LLP in the Houston office, where she represents public and private companies in commercial and investment disputes and advises on dispute and investment risks in contemplated actions and transactions. She also represents clients in enforcement, set-aside, and related litigations in state and federal courts. Meredith obtained her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is qualified in New York and Texas.

Angélica María Perdomo Luna
External Communications Co-Chair
Zuleta Legal
Bogotá, Colombia

External Communications Co-Chair - Angélica is an associate attorney at Zuleta Legal Beyond Borders, where she acts as secretary to international commercial and investment arbitration tribunals. She has experience in CCB, ICC and UNCITRAL arbitrations in sectors such as energy, mining, infrastructure and telecommunications, as well as in M&A disputes. She served as Senior Lawyer of the International Arbitration Department of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Center. Previously, she was an associate lawyer in the litigation and arbitration department of Garrigues Colombia.

Angélica holds a law degree from the Universidad del Rosario and a postgraduate degree in International Business Law from the Universidad de los Andes. She has worked as a Professor in the LLM in Arbitration at the Universidad del Rosario and as an Assistant Professor of Public International Law at the same institution.

Harriet Foster
Internal Communications Co-Chair
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
London, United Kingdom

Internal Communications Co-Chair - Harriet Foster is a Senior Associate and Solicitor-Advocate in the International Arbitration team at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in London. She advises on a wide range of commercial and investment treaty arbitrations across the energy, infrastructure and technology sectors, including under the ICC, LCIA, ICSID and UNCITRAL rules. Harriet has also represented clients on specialist public international law matters, such as on the law of the sea. She received her Bachelor of Laws from King’s College London, is admitted to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales and has rights of audience for civil proceedings before the English courts.

Derya Gürzumar
Internal Communications Co-Chair
Ankara, Turkey

Internal Communications Co-Chair - Mrs. Derya Durlu Gürzumar is an attorney-at-law registered to the Istanbul Bar Association.

She holds LLB and LLM degrees from Bilkent University Faculty of Law, in Ankara, Turkey, and a diploma in advanced studies in international arbitration, from the University of Lucerne and University of Neuchâtel. She also holds a number of international arbitration certificates, awarded by various academic and professional institutions, including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), University of Düsseldorf, University of Cologne, and Humboldt University of Berlin.

Mrs. Durlu Gürzumar is a PhD candidate at the University of Neuchâtel, in Switzerland, and is the current chair of the Artificial Intelligence Working Group of International Bar Association’s (IBA) Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee. She is concurrently the advisory board member of this committee. Mrs. Durlu Gürzumar also heads the editorial team of Vindobona Journal, a peer-reviewed journal on international commercial law and arbitration, as the senior editor-in-chief.

Being an ardent “Vis-mootie” since 2007, Mrs. Durlu Gürzumar has been one of the few law students to receive two successive Honorable Mentions in the Martin Domke Best Oralist Award, in the 16th and 17th Willem C. Vis Moot competitions. She coached her alma mater’s moot team in 2021, which became the first Turkish university to reach the top 16 university teams during the oral rounds in the 28th Vis Moot and reach the semi-finals during in the 18th Vis East. She has been arbitrating the written and oral phases of various international and domestic arbitration competitions since 2010, including the Vis Moot and the Vis East Moot, Jessup, ICC Moot, FDI Moot, and ISTAC Moot.
Mrs. Durlu Gürzumar’s practice and research interests have focused on dispute resolution/arbitration, AI/LegalTech, competition law, internet/IT law, and white-collar irregularities.

She has co-authored a book on "Fundamental Concepts of Anglo-American Law", and has been publishing extensively in the foregoing fields.

Rob Bradshaw
Young ITA Thought Leadership Co-Chair
LALIVE
London, United Kingdom

Young ITA Thought Leadership Co-Chair - Robert Bradshaw is counsel in the international arbitration practice of LALIVE in London. Recognized as a key individual in Legal 500 (2023), Robert is an English-qualified solicitor advocate specializing in international commercial and investment arbitration, including acting as counsel in arbitrations under diverse procedural rules (ICC, LCIA, LMAA, ICSID and UNCITRAL) and advising on annulment, enforcement and anti-suit proceedings. His experience includes cases in the energy, mining, information technology, media, hospitality and pharmaceutical sectors.

Previously, Robert practiced in the Paris and London offices of an international law firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Law with German from the University of Birmingham, where he spent a year studying abroad at the Free University of Berlin, and an LLM degree from BPP Law School, London. Robert speaks and writes regularly on topical issues in international arbitration in publications such as the Journal of International Arbitration, Arbitration International and the ASA Bulletin.

Mevelyn Ong
Young ITA Thought Leadership Co-Chair
Sullivan & Cromwell
New York, USA

Young ITA Thought Leadership Co-Chair - Mevelyn Ong is a senior associate at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, where she focuses primarily on international arbitration, with a secondary practice in managing cross-border anti-corruption/sanctions investigations. She previously worked in Australia and East Asia, including as Deputy Counsel to the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. She has a particular interest in the intersections between political risk, business and human rights, and international investment law. She is dual-qualified to practice in both New York and Australia, and holds Bachelors of Laws/Arts (LL.B/BA) with First Class Honours from the University of Melbourne (Australia), a Certificate in Global Arbitration Law and Practice from Queen Mary, University of London (U.K.) and a Masters of Law (LL.M) from Columbia University (U.S.A).

Ruxandra Esanu
Young ITA Mentorship Co-Chair
Dechert
Paris, France

Young ITA Mentorship Co-Chair - Ruxandra Irina Esanu is an associate at Dechert's Paris office. She centers her practice on international arbitration matters, working on both investment treaty and commercial matters. She has acted in over 20 international arbitrations arising out of the oil & gas, mining, telecommunications, real estate and construction sectors. Ms. Esanu has experience in arbitrations governed by a range of procedural rules, including the ICSID, ICC, UNCITRAL and GAFTA rules, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. Ms. Esanu has also acted in annulment proceedings under the ICSID Rules. Ms. Esanu is a French-qualified lawyer, and a graduate of the Sciences Po Paris Law School.

Patricia Snell
Young ITA Mentorship Co-Chair
Covington & Burling LLP
London, United Kingdom

Young ITA Mentorship Co-Chair - Patricia Snell is a senior associate and solicitor-advocate in Covington’s International Arbitration Group, admitted in England and Wales, New York, and Ontario. Patricia's practice covers a broad range of contentious matters, including international commercial arbitration and investor-state disputes. She has advised and acted for clients in complex international disputes under many of the major institutional rules including ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, ICSID, and ad hoc proceedings under the UNCITRAL Rules across a variety of seats. She has significant international experience having previously worked in international arbitration in the Paris and Dubai offices of another international law firm.

Ibrahim Ati
Young ITA Middle East Co-Chair
Brussels, Belgium

Young ITA Middle East Co-Chair - Ibrahim Ati is dual-educated legal professional with training in both civil and common law systems, having passed the New York Bar and graduated with an LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Southern California. Part of Young California Arbitration' steering committee, he is also one of the youngest members on the NY City Bar Association's Arbitration and Professional Discipline Committee. In addition to serving as Vice-Chair in the American Bar Association, Ibrahim Ati aspires to be among the new generation of leading international arbitrators, aiming to infuse the field with fresh perspectives and innovative approaches. 

Louise Willneff
Young ITA Middle East Co-Chair
Squire Patton Boggs
Dubai, UAE

Young ITA Middle East Co-Chair - Louise is a highly skilled lawyer, qualified in England and Wales, with extensive experience in advising clients on complex international disputes. She specialises in international commercial arbitration, energy and construction disputes and has represented parties under ICC, ICSID, LCIA, DIAC and SCCA rules. With a keen eye for detail and an in-depth understanding of infrastructure, energy, and construction projects, Louise has been instrumental as an associate in helping clients navigate complex legal challenges. She trained and worked at Vinson & Elkins LLP in London and Dubai, gained additional experience at Ghaffari Partners, an arbitration specialist boutique law firm, and is currently working at Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP. 

Alejandro Martinez de Hoz
Young ITA North America Co-Chair
Paul Hastings LLP
Washington, D.C.

Young ITA North America Co-Chair - Alejandro Martinez de Hoz is Of Counsel in the International Arbitration practice of global law firm Paul Hastings, based in Washington, DC. Alejandro has 15 years of experience including over a decade solving complex international disputes across industries. He represents clients in investment treaty arbitrations, international commercial arbitrations, mediations, and related disputes and negotiations. He has recently advised on a bet-the-asset legal battle recognized as the dispute of the year in Latin America. With over a decade based in the United States, he is a native of Argentina who was recognized as an “under 40 leader in Argentina” and served as President of the Buenos Aires Bar Young Division. He has also received an award for outstanding contribution for pro bono work in Latin America.

Nazly Duarte
Young ITA North America Co-Chair
Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce
Bogota, Colombia

Young ITA North America Co-Chair - Nazly Duarte is currently a Senior Counsel at the Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce. She is an attorney admitted to practice law in Colombia and the State of New York. She received her J.D. with honors from Externado de Colombia University and she holds an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center where she was a merit scholar. Nazly has experience representing clients before national courts as well as in national and international arbitration proceedings. Nazly has worked as an Associate for the best dispute resolution law firms in Latin America focusing on the infrastructure, energy, and technology sectors. She also has experience working as a Legal Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank, Legal Extern at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the World Bank, and as a Legal Fellow at New Markets Lab, a non-profit organization dedicated to legal and regulatory reform in developing markets.

Fernando Ayala
Young ITA South America Co-Chair
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Young ITA South America Co-Chair - Fernando Ayala is an Argentine lawyer who graduated from the University of Buenos Aires. During his undergraduate career, he participated in international commercial and investment arbitration moot courts, for which he was distinguished as "Outstanding Student". Additionally, he was an assistant professor of Private International Law, and coach of international commercial arbitration and sports arbitration moots.

He holds an LL.M. from Georgetown University with an International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution Certificate. Additionally, he has taken postgraduate studies in arbitration and international business at the University of Mendoza and jointly at the University of Buenos Aires and the University of Geneva. He has also participated in the summer course given by the Hague Academy of International Law and in the Comparative Law Course given by the Academy of Comparative Law.

He usually participates and manages commercial arbitrations administered by the ICC, HKIAC, SIAC, and CIETAC. He also acts as an assistant to Arbitral Tribunal in commercial and investment cases.

Juan Pomes
Young ITA South America Co-Chair
Washington, D.C.

Young ITA South America Co-Chair - Juan’s practice focuses on investment-state and commercial arbitrations in Latin America. He has advised clients in multiple arbitration proceedings under ICC, ICSID, ICSID Additional Facility and UNCITRAL rules concerning disputes across a wide variety of sectors including oil and gas, electricity, infrastructure and mining. He has also acted as secretary of international arbitration tribunals in ICC and ICDR cases concerning disputes in the infrastructure and the pharmaceutical sectors. Juan is currently representing clients in major mining, oil & gas and electricity-related disputes in Latin America. He holds a law degree from the University of Buenos Aires and an LLM from the University of Illinois. He is admitted to practice in New York, the District of Columbia (as a Special Legal Consultant), and Buenos Aires.

Eduardo Lobatón
Young ITA Central America Co-Chair
Hogan Lovells
Ciudad de México, México

Young ITA Central America Co-Chair - Eduardo Lobatón Guzman focuses his practice on international commercial and investment arbitration. He has advised clients in the financial, insurance, food, construction, energy, automotive, and IT industries, among others. Since joining Hogan Lovells, Eduardo has represented and advised clients in ICSID, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, CANACO and Arbitration Center of Mexico (CAM) arbitrations. He is the former Head Coordinator of the Young Arbitrators Forum of CAM/CANACO. Eduardo graduated top of his class and summa cum laude from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). He received an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, where he graduated as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and was a recipient of the Parker School Certificate for Achievement in International and Comparative Law. He holds a certificate in transnational legal studies from the Georgetown Center for Transnational Legal Studies.

Edgar Eduardo Mendez Zamora
Young ITA Central America Co-Chair
Aguilar Castillo Love
San José, Costa Rica

Young ITA Central America Co-Chair - Eduardo Méndez is an Associate in the Dispute Resolution team at Aguilar Castillo Love, based in San José, Costa Rica. He represents clients in international and domestic arbitration proceedings, as well as complex litigations. Eduardo is also co-editor-in-chief of the Costa Rican Journal of International Law. Prior to joining Aguilar Castillo Love, he worked for Chaffetz Lindsey LLP in New York, and has also been part of the teams at Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, UNIDROIT in Rome, and BLP in San José, Costa Rica.

Eduardo received his Licentiate degree (J.D. Equivalent) with highest honors from the University of Costa Rica. He also holds a Specialization degree from De La Salle University and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. He is admitted to practice law in Costa Rica and the State of New York. Eduardo is fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and possesses an intermediate proficiency in German.

Santiago Lucas Pena
Young ITA South America Co-Chair
Bomchil
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Young ITA South America Co-Chair - Santiago Lucas Pena is a senior associate in the international arbitration department at Bomchil, Buenos Aires. His practice focuses on complex litigations and arbitrations. He has acted in several arbitrations under the main international rules (ICC, ICDR and UNCITRAL, among others) and participated as attorney and secretary of arbitral tribunals. He graduated with honours from Universidad de Buenos Aires, and obtained a postgraduate diploma in arbitration as well as a master’s degree in corporate law from Universidad Austral. He is an assistant professor on civil and commercial contracts at Universidad de Buenos Aires and at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

Tiago Beckert Isfer
Young ITA Brazil Co-Chair
Guandalini, Isfer e Oliveira Franco Advogados
Curitiba, Brazil

Young ITA Brazil Co-Chair - Tiago Beckert Isfer is a founding partner at Guandalini, Isfer e Oliveira Franco Advogados in Curitiba, Brazil, where he represents clients in the construction, transportation, technology, banking, education, and health sectors, as well as public procurement and administrative contracts. He is and has been head counsel in many complex litigations, up to 9 figures, with experience in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Curitiba. He is a listed arbitrator at ARBITAC, having also contributed as a member of its Administrative Council. He has led the legal management and restructuring of an important state-owned company (METRÔ-DF), presided the Administrative Law Committee at the Federal District Bar Association (OAB/DF), been invited by the Federal Justice Council to participate as a specialist at the I Administrative Law Conference, and taught Private International Law and Administrative Law at University of Brasília – UNB. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Private International Law and International Commerce at Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris 2, with honorable mention.

Iuri Reis
Young ITA Brazil Co-Chair
Machado Meyer Advocados
São Paulo, Brazil

Young ITA Brazil Co-Chair - Iuri Reis is a Brazilian qualified lawyer with experience, in Brazil and abroad, in International Arbitration and Commercial Litigation. His practice is focused on complex high-profile cross-border arbitration, judicial lawsuits, negotiations, and mediation in different fields of business law (e.g., contracts, tort, corporate law, competition and consumer law) and various economic sectors – construction, energy, industrial activities, sales of goods and M&A. Iuri has also coordinated the complex negotiations front in one of the largest crisis management projects for payment of damages related to industrial activities in the world. Iuri currently works as a Senior Associate at Machado Meyer Advogados and has obtained relevant international experience at WilmerHale and Enyo Law LLP, both in London. He combines his professional work with academic activities, the most outstanding achievements being an LLM in Comparative International Disputes Resolution at Queen Mary University of London and a master's degree in civil law from PUC-SP. He has postgraduate degrees in business law and civil procedural law from FGV-SP and is constantly involved with academic activities as an arbitrator, speaker, writer and auditor

Thomas Lane
Young ITA UK Co-Chair
Latham & Watkins
London, UK

Young ITA UK Co-Chair - Thomas Lane is an associate at Latham & Watkins, where he is a solicitor-advocate in its London office. He has particular experience in Investor-State arbitrations, having worked both with investors and states to secure major successes (including a USD 6 billion victory for Ukraine). Thomas has also worked on numerous commercial arbitrations and high-value matters before the English courts. He also operates a busy advisory practice focused on sanctions and export controls. Before entering the law, Thomas was a broadcast journalist at the BBC’s United Nations Bureau in New York.

Ana Martínez Valls
Young ITA UK Co-Chair
Baker Botts LLP
London, UK

Young ITA UK Co-Chair - Ana Martinez Valls is an associate in the International Disputes practice group of Baker Botts. Ana’s practice focuses on investment and commercial arbitrations in Latin America and Spain. She has represented clients in multiple arbitration proceedings conducted under the ICSID, ICC, SCC, and UNCITRAL rules in a broad range of industries, including oil and gas, energy, construction, M&A transactions, and mining.

Prior to joining Baker Botts, Ana worked in leading international arbitration firms in London, New York, and Spain. Ana has dual training in civil and common law and has experience in finance and investment banking. She is qualified to practice in New York and Spain and holds an LL.B. and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from IE Law School and IE University (Spain) (first class honours), and an LL.M. from Columbia Law School (James Kent Scholar and Fulbright Scholar). Most recently, Ana was recognized in the Nova 111 List Spain as one of the 10 professionals under 35 with the highest potential, in the Legal Services category.

Alexis Foucard
Young ITA Western Europe Co-Chair
Clifford Chance LLP
Paris, France

Young ITA Western Europe Co-Chair - Alexis Foucard is counsel at Clifford Chance LLP where he serves as the Africa Practice Leader for Mining & Metals.

He has acted as counsel or arbitrator (both as arbitrator and presiding arbitrator) in more than 50 cases, with a focus on the aircraft, mining, energy, and construction industries, handling both commercial claims and claims against States.

Alexis is also particularly recognized for his dispute resolution expertise in Africa, having worked on cases relating to more than 15 distinct African jurisdictions, to date.

Best Lawyers identifies him among the "Ones to Watch" for arbitration and mediation. Who’s Who Legal, for its part, reports that: "Alexis is a rising star" who "has a fantastic ability to grasp new information very quickly". It adds that "Alexis takes responsibility and ownership of a case and has a thorough knowledge of technical concepts which he regularly calls upon”, and that "Alexis has become a very prominent figure in Paris".

Alexis studied law at the universities of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, Sciences Po, and Columbia Law School (LL.M.). He is a member of the New York State Bar and the Paris Bar.

Ruediger Morback
Young ITA Western Europe Co-Chair
King & Spalding
Frankfurt, Germany

Young ITA Western Europe Co-Chair - Dr. Rüdiger Morbach is an associate in King & Spalding's Frankfurt office and a member of the firm’s Trial and Global Disputes Group. He represents clients in domestic and international arbitration proceedings and before German courts, in particular in complex cross-border proceedings with a connection to Germany. Rüdiger studied law at the University of Tübingen (Germany) and at the Université Aix-Marseille (France), where he obtained the maîtrise en droit. He holds a binational Ph.D. degree of the University of Würzburg and the Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas. His doctoral thesis on Public Competition Policy in International Arbitration was awarded with the 2022 “Prix des Affaires” of the Franco-German University (DFH-UFA) and a 2023 “Prix de thèse" of the Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas. During this Ph. D. studies, Rüdiger was a visiting researcher at the Centre de recherche sur la justice et le règlement des conflits (Paris) and at UNIDROIT (Rome), as well as a research assistant and Vis Moot coach at the Chair of Global Business Law, International Arbitration Law and Private Law (Würzburg). Rüdiger regularly publishes on topics related to international arbitration and is particularly interested in the aviation sector. He speaks English, French and German.

Tímea Csajági
Young ITA Eastern Europe Co-Chair
Wolf Theiss
Budapest, Hungary

Young ITA Eastern Europe Co-Chair - Tímea Csajági is a member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution team of Wolf Theiss Hungary in Budapest. With a wealth of experience spanning numerous years, Tímea has cultivated a profound expertise in the intricate realms of litigation and arbitration. Her practice encompasses adept representation of clients across a spectrum of legal proceedings, including civil litigations, high-stakes tax litigations, administrative litigations, and both domestic and international arbitration proceedings. Notably, she has also navigated the complexities of representing a client before the European Court of Justice in a preliminary ruling procedure.

Before joining Wolf Theiss, Tímea honed her skills through invaluable experiences gained at other distinguished international law firms and within the realm of international banking. Her professional journey includes involvement in the preparatory phases of the codification of Hungary's new Civil Procedural Code and Arbitration Act, serving as a legal advisor to the Ministry of Justice.

Tímea's expansive professional journey has endowed her with a comprehensive understanding of litigation and arbitration, encompassing legislative, judicial, advocacy, and academic dimensions.

Zeljko Loci
Young ITA Eastern Europe Co-Chair
Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in Cooperation With Schoenherr
Belgrade, Serbia

Young ITA Eastern Europe Co-Chair - Zeljko Loci is an Associate at Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in Cooperation With Schoenherr in Belgrade mainly focused on Corporate/M&A and Dispute Resolution department. He holds LLB degree from University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law and pursues LLM degree in International Business Law within the same university. In 2021/2022, Zeljko participated at 29th Willem C. Vis Moot Competition on behalf of University of Belgrade which, apart from numerous pre-moot awards, won Pieter Sanders Award – First Runner-Up, having the 2nd best Memoranda for Claimant. He is a repeated holder of State Scholarship and Dositeja Scholarship. He has knowledge of both theoretical and practical commercial and investment arbitration, having actively wrote articles addressing latest rules of ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, LCIA, CIETAC and ICSID and partaking in filings for arbitration.

Dhouha Oueslati
Young ITA Africa Co-Chair
AD-FIDAL
Tunis, Tunisia

Young ITA Africa Chair - Dhouha Oueslati is a Tunisian lawyer at AD-FIDAL Tunisia who holds a master's degree in private law from the University of Law and Political Sciences of Tunis. She is currently pursuing a second master's degree in sports law. She was selected as an Africa Arbitration Academy Fellow, being the first Tunisian accepted into this program. Additionally, she has served as an arbitrator at the Arabic Moot Competition organized by the Saudi Center of Commercial Arbitration.

Edith Twinamatsiko
Young ITA Africa Co-Chair
JOJOMA Advocates
Kampala, Uganda

Young ITA Africa Chair - Edith is a partner with the Kampala, Uganda-based firm JOJOMA Advocates. She is the founder of the Women in Arbitration Initiative, which aims to encourage diversity in Alternative dispute Resolution and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK. Edith is a duo-qualified advocate of the High Courts of Uganda and Kenya and Courts Subordinate thereto, with 7 years of experience in legal practice. She holds both a Law bachelor's degree and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice. Edith is a member of Uganda Law Society, the Law Society of Kenya, and the East Africa Law Society. She is also a member of the East African Law Society committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Association of Young Arbitrators.

Shreya Jain
Young ITA India Co-Chair
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Mumbai, India

Young ITA India Co-Chair - Shreya is a principal associate in the international arbitration practice at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Mumbai. Shreya’s experience includes commercial and investor-state arbitration under nearly all major international arbitration rules and seated in a variety of jurisdictions, such as Mumbai, Singapore, London, New York, Washington D.C, Kigali, Abu Dhabi and Stockholm. A graduate of National Law School of India University, Bangalore and Harvard Law School, Shreya is qualified to practice in India and New York. She won the world championship of the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition in 2013 and later worked at Cooley LLP, New York, before returning to India. Shreya currently serves as Assistant Editor (South Asia) at the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Rapporteur at Young OGEMID and Secretary of the Harvard Club of Mumbai. She is also a member of the mentorship program at Young ICCA and previously co-founded the India chapters of VYAP and ENERAP. Shreya regularly speaks and writes on contemporary issues in international arbitration, dispute resolution and diversity.

Aayushi Singh
Young ITA India Co-Chair
Khaitan and Co.
New Delhi, India

Young ITA India Co-Chair - Aayushi Singh is an Associate at Khaitan and Co., New Delhi. Aayushi's experience includes commercial arbitration under SIAC, ICC and DIAC Rules seated in London, Singapore, Zurich, and New Delhi. She pursued the NUS-MIDS Double Degree Programme between the National University of Singapore, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and University of Geneva. She is a recipient of a full scholarship for her postgraduate studies by the Aga Khan Development Network. She also received a full scholarship to pursue the Austrian Arbitration Academy offered by the Sommerhochschule, University of Vienna. She frequently writes on different themes under arbitration in India and Singapore.

Angelia Thng
Young ITA Asia Co-Chair
Braddell Brothers LLP
Singapore

Young ITA Asia Co-Chair - Angelia Thng is a Partner at Braddell Brothers LLP, Singapore’s second-oldest independent law practice. Angelia graduated from the National University of Singapore and is called to the Singapore Bar. She specializes in commercial litigation and international arbitration across a broad range of disputes in the Asia-Pacific region, regularly appearing at all levels of the Singapore courts and major arbitral institutes. Angelia also heads the Employment & Labor practice in the firm, offering full-service capabilities with a risk-management perspective to both employers and employees.

Alice Wang
Young ITA Asia Co-Chair
Pinsent Masons
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Young ITA Asia Co-Chair - Alice is a senior associate in Pinsent Masons’ global international arbitration practice group.

Alice worked in Australia and Hong Kong with top tier international law firms, as well as with the in-house legal teams of multinational companies. Her practice area focuses on the contentious aspects of projects, acting for main contractors, sub-contractors and employers in arbitration and court proceedings on oil and gas, building and other civil engineering projects. Alice advises large infrastructure and energy projects located in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and South America. In particular, she represents clients in international arbitrations conducted in HKIAC, ICC, SIAC, LCIA, and other major arbitral institutions.

Alexandra Einfeld
Young ITA Oceania Co-Chair
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Sydney, Australia

Young ITA Oceania Co-Chair - Alexandra Einfeld is a Senior Associate at Corrs Chambers Westgarth in Sydney, whose practice focuses on commercial and construction arbitration. Alexandra’s practice also includes representing parties in litigation and adjudication proceedings, primarily in the energy sector. Previously, Alexandra was based in Dubai specializing in Middle East-based commercial and construction disputes.