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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.
  • 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.

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 22 new appointments to its leadership team. Over the 2023-2025 term, Young ITA increased its membership to a total of 4020 members and organized over 40 events across the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. For the 2025-2027 term, we have expanded our previous leadership positions to strengthen our Mentorship Program and our presence in more regions across the globe. We would like to say a big thank you to our outgoing board members for their fantastic services over the past year and congratulations to our new (and returning) chairs and vice chairs. We look forward to another successful year working with the ITA and continuing to expand on educational and leadership opportunities for young arbitration practitioners.

Ciara Ros
Chair
Freeths
London, UK

Young ITA Chair - Ciara Ros read Jurisprudence as an undergraduate at Oriel College, University of Oxford and is a Legal Director at Freeths, in London She focuses on resolving commercial and contentious issues for clients across a wide range of industries, including energy, construction, infrastructure, mining, wreck salvage, banking and financial services, and telecoms. She has been recognized in GAR 30, as a Key Lawyer for International Arbitration by the Legal 500 since 2022, is recommended as a Future Leader (Non-Partner) for Arbitration in the Lexology Index and was included in the INvolve - The Inclusion People list of Top 100 Women Future Leaders Role Model 2022. She worked in Dubai for three years after qualification, advising clients on project finance, and mergers and acquisitions within the energy, aviation, infrastructure and telecoms sectors, giving her a unique cross-practice view with significant transactional and disputes experience. Ciara returned to London in 2018 to focus on energy and infrastructure, mining, construction disputes, and international commercial arbitration (including investor state disputes). She is admitted to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales. Ciara is a WEconnect UK co-founder and sits on the board of the International Centre of Dispute Resolution (Y&I).

Mevelyn Ong
Vice-Chair
Sidley Austin
Hong Kong SAR, China

Vice-Chair - Mevelyn Ong is a Counsel at Sidley Austin. She specializes in international arbitration, and U.S. sanctions and other U.S. regulatory investigations. She has lived and worked in the U.S., East Asia and Australia.

Mevelyn has represented clients from around the world and from diverse industry sectors (especially conglomerate manufacturing, financial services/private equity, technology, and mining/energy) in international commercial and investor-state arbitrations and mediations. Mevelyn has also defended multinational companies and financial institutions against multi-jurisdictional regulatory investigations brought by U.S., UK, and other governmental authorities alleging violations of U.S. sanctions, money laundering, bribery, terrorism financing, and other U.S. government regulations. Having spent the majority of her legal career in the US, Mevelyn has particular experience advising on matters with a US nexus. She also has particular interest and experience managing international crises that implicate issues of political risk, corruption/transnational criminality, ESG/BHR considerations, and international law.

Santiago Peña
Vice-Chair
Bomchil
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Vice-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.

Malcolm Robach
External Communications Co-Chair
Mannheimer Swartling
Stockholm, Sweden

External Communications Co-Chair - Malcolm Robach is a senior associate in Mannheimer Swartling’s Dispute Resolution Group, based in Stockholm. He advises and represents companies and state-owned enterprises in complex international disputes and arbitrations under various arbitral rules, including the ICC, SCC, UNCITRAL, and ICSID, across sectors such as joint ventures, energy and natural resources, telecommunications, infrastructure and healthcare. Before joining Mannheimer Swartling, Malcolm worked at a leading international disputes firm based in Paris.

Alexa Romanelli
External Communications Co-Chair
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP
London, United Kingdom

External Communications Co-Chair - Alexa Romanelli is a Senior Associate in the London office of Gibson Dunn, where she represents clients in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations under the major institutional rules, as well as in global arbitral award enforcement campaigns, particularly those involving sovereign states. She also advises and represents corporate clients in public international law and business and human rights matters, including proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights and UN treaty bodies, with experience spanning emerging ESG regulation and climate-related litigation risk. Alexa has been recognised by The Legal 500 for both International Arbitration and Public International Law and maintains an active pro bono practice focused on human rights issues. She holds a BA in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford and a joint honours BA in International Development and Middle East Studies from McGill University.

Kayla Auza
Innovation and Content Co-Chair
BakerHostetler LLP
Houston, Texas

Innovation and Content Co-Chair - Kayla Auza is an Associate in the International Disputes group at BakerHostetler LLP in Houston, where her practice focuses on cross-border disputes, with an emphasis on international commercial and investment arbitration. She has contributed to thought leadership in the field, including work on an “Intra-EU” Objection Compendium and an article titled “The Bear in the Room: Addressing the Challenges that Sanctions Impose on Russian Parties in International Arbitration.” Kayla developed an international perspective through her work with the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations prior to becoming an attorney. She earned her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and holds a degree in American Studies with a minor in Russian from Fordham University.

Abigail Harris
Innovation and Content Co-Chair
Secretariat
London, United Kingdom

Innovation and Content Co-Chair - Abigail (Abi) Harris is a testifying expert at Secretariat, specialising in valuation, accounting, and the quantification of damages. She regularly advises on complex shareholder, post-transaction, and contractual disputes across various sectors, including oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, and financial services. Abigail has experience with matters before the UK High Court and in arbitrations brought under ICSID, ICC, and LCIA rules, spanning regions such as the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. She is a Chartered Accountant and is recommended as an expert by Lexology for commercial litigation and arbitration.

Lucy Preston
Innovation and Content Co-Chair
DWF
London, United Kingdom

Innovation and Content Co-Chair - Lucy Preston is a Director at DWF in London. Her practice focuses on international construction, energy and infrastructure disputes, primarily arbitration, but she often acts in an advisory capacity as project counsel on live projects. Lucy has been recognised in the Legal 500, and Lexology's Future Leaders in Arbitration (Non-Partners). She has represented clients in disputes under most of the major institutional arbitration rules, including ICC, LCIA and SIAC. Within her domestic practice, Lucy often represents energy and construction companies in litigation and adjudication. Lucy graduated from the University of Warwick with a Bachelor's (Hons) Degree in English Literature, and is also has her Higher Rights of Audience (Civil) for proceedings in the English Courts.

Demilade Elemo
Internal Communications Co-Chair
University of Dundee
Dundee, Scottland

Internal Communications Co-Chair - Demilade (Demi) Isioma Elemo is an academic and solicitor qualified in Nigeria and Scotland. She is a Lecturer in Law at Dundee Business School, Abertay University, and is completing a PhD in international investment law, with a focus on renewable energy disputes, at the University of Dundee.

Demi has taught and supported research at the Universities of Abertay, Dundee, and Durham. She has also served as Arbitral Tribunal Registrar in commercial disputes across the oil and gas, telecommunications, and finance sectors, and previously worked with AELEX, Folashade Alli & Associates, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Nigeria. She currently serves on the Admissions Committee of the Law Society of Scotland and is a former Regional Chair for Africa at Young ITA.

She holds an LL.M in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary University of London and an LL.B from the University of Lagos.

Emily Sherkey
Internal Communications Co-Chair
Torys LLP
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Internal Communications Co-Chair - Emily Sherkey is a Senior Associate at Torys LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2025, Emily was recognized by Chambers as one of three “Associates to Watch” in Canada in arbitration. Emily has extensive experience in both domestic and international commercial arbitrations, in investor-state disputes conducted under various bilateral and multilateral treaties and in set-aside and enforcement proceedings related to arbitral awards.

Emily is the Co-Chair for the ICC Canada Arbitration Committee’s annual conference in October 2025. From 2021-2024, Emily was on the Board of the Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners (YCAP) and from 2023-2024, she was on the Executive of YCAP as the VP Communications. She was also one of four Canadian representatives for the North American chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitrators Forum (ICC YAF) for its 2021-2024 mandate.

Prior to her call to the bar, Emily graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Law as the gold medallist.

Juan Camilo Fandiño Bravo
Mentorship Co-Chair
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
New York, New York

Mentorship Co-Chair - Juan Fandiño is a senior associate in the International Dispute Resolution Group at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York. His practice focuses on international arbitration and complex cross-border disputes. Juan is dual qualified in New York and Colombia and has represented clients in commercial and investment arbitrations under the rules of major arbitral institutions. He is a founding member of Colombian Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (COLVYAP) and previously served as a mentor in the Young ITA Mentorship Program.

Rüdiger Morbach
Mentorship Co-Chair
King & Spalding
Frankfurt, Germany

Mentorship 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.

Julio Olortegui
Mentorship Co-Chair
Clifford Chance US LLP
Washington D.C., USA

Mentorship Co-Chair - Julio is part of the arbitration team at Clifford Chance in Washington, D.C., where he advises clients in commercial and investment arbitrations. Recognized as a leading associate by Legal500 (2024, 2025 - Arbitration, Peru), Julio has experience in ICC, ICDR, AAA, and ICSID arbitrations across sectors such as energy, mining, infrastructure, and post-M&A disputes. He previously worked as an associate in the arbitration team at Rodrigo, Elías & Medrano Abogados in Lima.

Julio holds a law degree from Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, where he graduated second in his class. He currently serves as Secretary of the Publications Subcommittee of ALARB’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Julio frequently lectures on international arbitration, legal skills, and civil law.

Camille Ramos-Klee
Mentorship Co-Chair
Independent tribunal secretary and arbitrator
New York, USA

Mentorship Co-Chair - Camille Ramos-Klee is an independent tribunal secretary, arbitrator, and a New York qualified attorney based in New York who focuses her practice on international commercial and investor-state arbitration. She works closely with several arbitrators and has sat as a tribunal secretary on both administered and ad hoc arbitrations conducted under most major international rules, including UNCITRAL, ICDR, AAA Construction Rules, LCIA, SCC, ICSID, and ICC. A fluent heritage speaker of Spanish, Camille has worked on disputes in both English and Spanish involving parties based in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

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

Programs 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.

Alina Sartogo
Programs Co-Chair
Akin Gump
London, United Kingdom

Programs Co-Chair - Alina Sartogo is a counsel in Akin’s international arbitration practice. She advises corporates, states and state-owned entities on the resolution of complex, high-value international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations. A dual-qualified lawyer (France and England & Wales), who speaks four languages (English, Spanish, Italian and French), Alina has represented clients in both civil-law and common-law jurisdictions, across Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Asia Pacific, under all major arbitration rules. Her most recent experience includes a number of highly technical construction disputes relating to large energy and infrastructure projects, construction and conversions of FPSO units, joint operating agreement and JV disputes, many involving amounts in excess of $1 billion USD.

Aayushi Singh
Programs Co-Chair
Three Crowns
Paris, France

Programs Co-Chair - Aayushi Singh is a Juriste at Three Crowns, Paris. Aayushi previously worked as a Visiting Foreign Lawyer at WilmerHale, London. 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 presently serves as the Young OGEMID Rapporteur for Asia and is a Steering Committee Member of the Indian Women in International Arbitration. She frequently writes on different themes under arbitration in India and Singapore.

Patricia Snell
Thought Leadership Co-Chair
Covington & Burling LLP
London, United Kingdom

Thought Leadership 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.

Mark Konstantinidis
Thought Leadership Co-Chair
University of Luxembourg
Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Thought Leadership Co-Chair - Dr Mark Konstantinidis is a Postdoctoral Researcher (Senior Researcher) at the Luxembourg Centre for European Law, University of Luxembourg. He is also a Visiting Lecturer in Law at King's College London.

His work spans European law and international arbitration, often lying in the interface between these fields. He obtained his PhD at King's College London, funded by a full scholarship, focusing on the tension between European Union law and investor-State arbitration. He previously also was a Researcher for the National University of Singapore and a Teaching Fellow at University College London. His articles have been published in prestigious journals, such as the International and Comparative Law Quarterly, and on leading legal blogs.

Mark is a qualified lawyer in Greece and the EU, as a member of the Athens Bar. He has completed his LLB with First Class Honours at King’s College London with scholarship, and his LLM with Distinction at University College London.

Bababode Adesoji
Africa Co-Chair
Chris Ogunbanjo LP
Lagos, Nigeria

Africa Co-Chair - Bababode Adesoji is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution Department of Chris Ogunbanjo LP in Nigeria. He focuses on commercial litigation, arbitration, mediation, and complex cross-sector disputes spanning energy, maritime, finance, technology, real estate, and intellectual property. He is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University and the Nigerian Law School, where he graduated with First Class Honours. He holds multiple certifications in the field of arbitration, and is also a contributor to the Nigerian Chapter of the Legal 500 Trademark Disputes Guide.

Joy Mgbado
Africa Co-Chair
Aluko & Oyebode
Lagos, Nigeria

Africa Co-Chair - Joy Mgbado is a Senior Associate at Aluko & Oyebode, Nigeria, and a key member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She specializes in energy and infrastructure disputes and has represented large corporate entities and multinationals, both as counsel and in advisory roles, on several complex and high-value claims in the energy and construction sectors. She has also provided support on disputes arising from a wide range of issues, including aviation, telecommunications, taxation, lending and finance, intra-corporate disputes, and general contracts and commercial law transactions.

As counsel, Joy has worked on institutional arbitrations under the ICC and LCIA Rules, and on ad-hoc arbitrations, including a PCA-administered ad-hoc arbitration. She also regularly acts as counsel in arbitration-related court proceedings, such as those for interim protective measures and the annulment/enforcement of awards, and on domestic litigations across all levels of courts in Nigeria.

Joy gained valuable international arbitration experience working in the London office of WilmerHale and has acquired relevant oil and gas industry experience working from a leading international oil company.
In 2024, Joy was recognized among the 40 under 40 Nigerian Rising Stars by the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards. She also received the Africa Arbitration Academy Award Prize for excellence in legal writing in 2024 and was peer-recognized as one of 30 Exceptional Female Lawyers making a difference in Africa (LegallyYes, March 2025).

Sarah Lee
Asia Co-Chair
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
New York, New York

Asia Co-Chair - Sarah Lee is a Registered Foreign Lawyer (New York) at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, based in Hong Kong. She joined the firm’s New York office in 2016, before transferring to the Hong Kong office in 2025. Sarah focuses on investor-state and international commercial arbitration. She has advised and represented sovereign and corporate clients in a range of sectors (including the energy, mining, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, and financial industries), in cases under major arbitral rules, such as ICSID, UNCITRAL, HKIAC, and ICC. She is a native Korean and French speaker, with basic knowledge of Spanish and Mandarin. She obtained a BA from Columbia University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Joshua Phang Shih Ern
Asia Co-Chair
TSMP Law Corporation
Singapore, Singapore

Asia Co-Chair - Joshua Phang Shih Ern is a Director at TSMP Law Corporation, where he practises litigation and arbitration. He acts for states, state-owned entities, and investors in complex disputes, including investment treaty arbitrations, multi-billion dollar claims, and cross-border regulatory and defamation matters. Joshua has served as lead counsel in arbitration and Singapore High Court proceedings, and was appointed as an arbitrator at the age of 31.

Joshua serves on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Transnational Arbitration and the Public and International Law Committee of the Law Society of Singapore. He has co-authored the leading text on the law of economic torts in Singapore and has published on arbitration procedure, natural justice, and regulatory frameworks. He is also committed to pro bono work, including with the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.

Igor Georg Bechtlufft
Brazil Co-Chair
Machado Meyer Advogados
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil Co-Chair - Igor is a lawyer enrolled with the Brazilian bar association, acting as associate in the Rio de Janeiro branch of Machado Meyer Advogados. He specializes in dispute resolution, appearing before state courts, regulatory agencies, and arbitral tribunals. His practice involves both local and foreign parties from a variety of industries, including oil & gas, banking, pharmaceutical, construction, energy, and technology. Fascinated by alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and international law since his early college years, Igor is actively engaged with the academic community, having collaborated as researcher for the 2nd edition of Global Sales and Contract Law, as well as the CISG online platform. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

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

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.

Joanna Du
China Co-Chair
King & Wood
Beijing, China

Brazil Co-Chair - Ms. Zhuonan Du (Joanna) is an International Partner in King & Wood’s international arbitration team. She specialises in international arbitration, cross-border litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Joanna has extensive experience in handling complicated and multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes. She excels particularly in handling disputes in various fields such as cross-border M&A and investment, international sales of goods, traditional and renewable energy, construction and infrastructure, manufacturing, distribution, and intellectual property. Joanna is qualified to practice law in the PRC and England and Wales.

Joanna has represented clients in international arbitrations before the HKIAC, SIAC, ICC, CIETAC, LCIA, SCC, ASEAC and under the UNCITRAL rules. She has also represented clients in cross-border litigations before the English and Hong Kong SAR courts. Joanna is recommended by Legal 500 as “next generation partner” for the year 2024 and 2025. She is also ranked as “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation. She received accolades who “lead a strong team with an excellent team working ethic. They work well with other outside lawyers (external counsel) as well as their clients. They are ultra-efficient and a real pleasure to work with.”

Sam Wong
China Co-Chair
Han Kun Law Offices LLP
Hong Kong SAR, PRC

China Co-Chair - Mr. Wong has a broad practice in complex civil and commercial disputes, including court litigation and international arbitration proceedings.

Mr. Wong has extensive experience acting in arbitrations under major institutional rules, including HKIAC, ICC, SIAC and UNCITRAL Rules, involving various jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, PRC China, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States. He has also represented listed companies, multinational corporations, PRC state-owned enterprises, shareholders and individuals in cases involving shareholders disputes, cross-border and complex commercial disputes, as well as insolvency proceedings. Mr. Wong is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Mr. Wong obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree with First Class Honours from the University of Hong Kong and ranked second in class. He also holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Cambridge with distinction in corporate insolvency law. He is dual-qualified in both Hong Kong and England & Wales.

Prior to joining Han Kun Law Offices LLP, Mr. Wong trained at a top tier US firm and worked in another top tier US firm focusing on dispute resolution.

Dragana Nikolic
Central and Eastern Europe Co-Chair
Independent attorney-at-law in cooperation with Queritius
Belgrade, Serbia

Central and Eastern Europe Co-Chair - Dragana Nikoli? is an independent attorney-at-law admitted to the bar in Serbia. She is currently a Counsel at the international law firm Queritius. Dragana focuses her practice on international commercial and investor-state arbitrations, public international law, as well as domestic commercial disputes and litigation with international elements. She has handled complex cross-border cases before tribunals under the auspices of all leading arbitration institutions. Dragana’s experience includes advising and representing clients in cases spanning various industries, including energy, banking, construction, manufacturing, real estate, telecommunication, food industry, and transportation. Dragana practiced arbitration with leading international law firms from Paris, London, and Vienna. She holds master’s degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Belgrade. She has been recently acknowledged as a Leading Associate for Dispute Resolution in Serbia by The Legal 500.

Stanislava Sosnina
Central and Eastern Europe Co-Chair
European Energy Company
Moscow, Russia

Central and Eastern Europe Co-Chair - Stanislava Sosnina is Senior Legal Counsel at a European energy company. She holds an LL.B. and an LL.M. from Lomonosov Moscow State University. Stanislava is a highly accomplished international dispute resolution lawyer who has built and executed strategies for some of the world’s most geopolitically sensitive and complex disputes. Her practice focuses exclusively on high-stakes international arbitration (commercial and investment), sanctions compliance, and cross-border advisory, with deep sector expertise in energy, infrastructure and construction. Stanislava has managed dispute portfolios covering some of the largest EPC projects in the world and has overseen multi-jurisdictional disputes.

Shravan Yammanur
India Co-Chair
Dentons Link Legal
New Delhi, India

India Co-Chair - Shravan Yammanur is a Partner at Dentons Link Legal in New Delhi and an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India. His practice focuses on international arbitration, investment treaty disputes, international trade, public international law, and commercial litigation. He has represented both corporates and sovereign States in high-value disputes across sectors including energy, mining, and infrastructure. Shravan has previously served as an advisor on treaty negotiations and investment policy to the Government of India and is actively engaged in mentoring and training students and young professionals in investment treaty arbitration. He regularly appears before the Supreme Court of India and High Court of Delhi in complex commercial matters.

Ayan Kumar De
India Co-Chair
AKS Partners
Dehli, India

India Co-Chair - Ayan K. De is a Partner and Head of International Arbitration, Disputes & Investigations at AKS Partners. A specialist in international commercial and investor–state arbitration, his practice spans cross-border disputes, commercial litigation, and public international law. An alumnus of King’s College London, he has advised sovereign states, multinational corporations, and investors across sectors including energy, infrastructure, telecom, construction, and oil & gas, with experience before leading arbitral institutions such as ICSID, SIAC, ICC, LCIA, and UNCITRAL. He has previously worked with Fox & Mandal, Volterra Fietta and WilmerHale in London.

Beyond practice, he is an active contributor to the global arbitration community through teaching, writing, and speaking engagements on international arbitration, investment law, and dispute resolution. He serves as the regional contributor for England and Wales to Young ITA, is a member of ASIL, Young ICCA, Young LCIA, IBA, TIAC45 Steering Committee and Young ITA, and currently serves a visiting professor at National Law University Delhi, where he leads a course on ‘investment law and investor–state arbitration: A practitioners perspective’. 

Mohamed Gomaa
Middle East & North Africa Co-Chair
Ministry of Justice (Egypt)
Cairo, Egypt

Middle East & North Africa Co-Chair - Dr. Mohamed Gomaa is an experienced arbitrator and judge specializing in investment, infrastructure, and state contract disputes within the Middle East and globally. His extensive leadership in the international arbitration community includes roles as a Board Member of the KIAC Panel of Arbitrators, the AIAC YPG Council, and the CIArb YMG Global Steering Committee. He is a registered arbitrator with the Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre , and is the Founder of the Energy Related Arbitration Practitioners (ENERAP) Chapter in Egypt. He holds a PhD from Hamburg University, focusing on PPP contract and its disputes settlement, his extensive multilingual publications focus heavily on administrative contracts, third-party joinders, investment and infrastructure disputes, judicial assistant and enforcement policies in Middle Eastern and international commercial arbitration.

Louise Willneff
Middle East & North Africa Co-Chair
Squire Patton Boggs
Dubai, UAE

Middle East & North Africa 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 Chevalier
Mexico & Central America Co-Chair
Britton & Iglesias (BRIG)
Panama City, Panama

Mexico & Central America Co-Chair -Alejandro Chevalier is a dual-qualified attorney admitted in Panama and New York, and an associate at Britton & Iglesias (BRIG) in Panama City, where his practice focuses on international arbitration, complex commercial litigation, and cross-border disputes involving Latin America. He represents Panamanian and international private and State entities in commercial and investment-related disputes across sectors including construction, infrastructure, energy, mining, ports, shipping, telecommunications, and financial services. Before starting his practice in Panama, Alejandro gained experience with the international arbitration and cross-border disputes teams of Akerman LLP in Miami and Hogan Lovells, bringing a perspective that bridges U.S. and Latin American arbitration practice. He holds LL.M. degrees from NYU School of Law and the University of Miami School of Law, an Advanced Professional Certificate in Law and Business from NYU Stern School of Business, and an Executive MBA from INCAE Business School. Alejandro is active in Panama’s arbitration community and is committed to strengthening the participation and visibility of young arbitration practitioners across Mexico and Central America. 

Rodrigo Macín
Mexico & Central America Co-Chair
Bufete Asali
Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico & Central America Co-Chair -Rodrigo is a Senior Associate at Bufete Asali in Mexico City. He has more than 13 years of experience in dispute resolution. His practice focuses on commercial arbitration, investor-state, and public works arbitration. Although he has considerable experience in court litigation mainly related to arbitration proceedings.

He has ample experience advising leading multinational clients, both foreign and Mexican in complex, international high-profile matters. Rodrigo has participated in over 50 top-level and highly regarded international arbitrations in various sectors and jurisdictions. He has participated in arbitrations under various rules, including ICC, LCIA, CAM, ICDR, AAA, ICSID and PCA. Rodrigo also has significant experience assisting arbitral tribunals in their duties. Prior to joining Asali, Rodrigo worked for a GAR100 firm based in Mexico City and as a foreign associate at Freshfields, D.C., where he focused his practice on representing foreign investors in investment arbitration against Latin American countries.

Rodrigo graduated top of his class from the Escuela Libre de Derecho and received an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, where he attended on a full scholarship granted by the Mexican Government to study dispute resolution in the energy sector and served as the Vice President of the Harvard International Arbitration Law Students Association.

Rodrigo also holds an M.A. in legal philosophy from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Rodrigo is a professor of Legal Philosophy and Contemporary Theory of Justice at the Escuela Libre de Derecho. 

Aksel Kolstad
Nordic Co-Chair
Wikborg Rein
Oslo, Norway

Nordic Co-Chair - Aksel is an Associate in Wikborg Rein's International Arbitration Group in Oslo, where he specialises in international arbitration. He represents clients in domestic and international arbitration proceedings, as well as in related court proceedings in Norway and other cross-border matters. Aksel has particular experience in ICC, SCC and ad hoc proceedings, with a focus on energy and commodities disputes. He has also been involved in disputes under other Nordic arbitral frameworks. He holds a Master of Laws from the University of Oslo and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School.

Candace Barfield
North America Co-Chair
FTI Consulting
New York, USA

North America Co-Chair - Candace Barfield, a Senior Director at FTI Consulting, specializes in the resolution of claims and disputes on construction projects, including analysis of schedule delays, change orders, productivity and labor, and the quantification of the effects of delays, disruptions and cost overruns. Ms. Barfield has extensive experience advising contractors and stakeholders on the execution and contract management of projects, including analyzing change orders and providing cost control, risk and project management services. Her industry experience includes commercial high rises, heavy civil/infrastructure, mass transit, mining, power generation, and other large industrial projects.

Ms. Barfield works with contractors, owners and other stakeholders to resolve disputes in mediation, arbitration and trial venues. Ms. Barfield gained first-hand experience with construction projects through her past roles, including at a residential home builder, a general contractor and a Fortune 500 commercial real estate firm. Ms. Barfield holds a B.S. in Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a Certified Construction Auditor (CCA) and a member of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering.

Ms. Barfield is active in the Women Builders Council, and was recognized as a 2024 Next Generation Women Leader. In 2025 she was recognized as an Engineering News Record (ENR) East Top Young Professional.

María José Monroy Valencia
North America Co-Chair
Adell & Merizalde
Boston, Massachusetts

North America Co-Chair - María José Monroy is an associate attorney at Adell & Merizalde, where her practice focuses on international commercial and investment arbitration, as well as public international law. She has experience acting as counsel and tribunal secretary in complex cross-border disputes under the principal arbitral rules and institutions, with a particular focus on valuation and quantum issues.

Prior to joining the firm, she worked at ICSID and Colombia’s National Agency for the Legal Defense of the State (ANDJE). She also held research positions at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI). Her publications on Latin American arbitration practices have appeared in peer-reviewed journals.

María José holds an LL.B. and two master’s degrees in International Law and Analytics and Financial Management from Universidad de los Andes. She has also taught Investment Arbitration and Public International Law at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at Universidad de los Andes and Universidad del Rosario.

Beginning in August 2026, she will pursue an LL.M. degree at Harvard Law School.

Joshua Wong
Oceania Chair
Holman Fenwick Willan
Melbourne, Australia

Oceania Co-Chair - Joshua is an Associate at Holman Fenwick Willan in Melbourne, Australia. His practice focuses on representing parties in litigation, adjudication and international arbitration, particularly in the construction, energy and natural resources sectors. Prior to joining Holman Fenwick Willan, Joshua was an associate (judicial clerk) at the Supreme Court of Victoria, and a solicitor at a leading national firm. Joshua is also an Assistant Editor at the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Fabio Núñez del Prado
South America Co-Chair
Rebaza, Alcázar & De las Casas
Lima, Peru

South America Co-Chair - Fabio Núñez del Prado graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (valedictorian). He did an LL.M. at Yale Law School. He is admitted to practice in Peru, New York, and has passed all exams to become an English Solicitor. Currently, he is a partner and co-head of the arbitration practice at Rebaza, Alcázar & De las Casas, and tenured professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.

Martín Rosati
South America Co-Chair
Ferrere
Montevideo, Uruguay

South America Co-Chair - Martín Rosati is partner at Ferrere and he is based in the Montevideo office. He specializes in domestic and international arbitration, representing clients in commercial and investment disputes administered by the ICC, the CIIAM, the ICSID, the PCA, and the Arbitration Center of the Uruguay Chamber of Commerce, across industries including construction, mining, oil & gas, hospitality and software. Between 2016-2018 he worked in the International Arbitration team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in New York, where he represented foreign investors in major ICSID and PCA arbitrations throughout South America. He earned his law degree from Universidad de Montevideo in 2013 and completed an LL.M. at Columbia Law School in 2016.

Matteo Angelini
UK Co-Chair
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP
London, UK

UK Co-Chair - Matteo Angelini is an English barrister who specializes in international arbitration and commercial litigation at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP. Matteo has represented clients in arbitrations under a variety of institutional rules involving both common law and civil law disputes. He has particular experience in commodities, technology, oil & gas energy, M&A, and joint venture disputes. He also regularly advises government and private sector clients on international law issues and has experience of being led in high-value commercial litigation at all levels, including before the English Commercial Court, the Court of Appeal and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He has taught International Commercial Law at Queen Mary University of London and has a particular interest in the field of climate change and is co-editor of the GAR Guide to Climate Change and Related Disputes.

Olivia Kaye
UK Co-Chair
Outer Temple Chambers
London, United Kingdom

UK Co-Chair - Olivia Kaye is a barrister (and previously solicitor advocate) specialising in investment treaty arbitration. Olivia's extensive experience spans across a number of sectors and regions in proceedings brought under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, SCC, DIFC, and NAI Rules. Olivia has represented both States and claimant investors including the Russian Federation in the complex Crimean arbitrations. She is currently representing several sanctioned Russian investors in a series of investment arbitrations against European States relating to their imposition of sanctions.

Sebastián Green
Western Europe Co-Chair
Uría Menendez
Madrid, Spain

Western Europe Co-Chair - Sebastián Green Martínez serves as a Managing Associate at Uría Menendez SLP in Madrid, where he has specialised in international and investment arbitration since September 2018. Previously, during 2017-2018, he assisted the Honourable Charles Brower in investment arbitration cases, and from 2013 to 2017, he worked as Counsel at the Directorate of International Affairs and Disputes of Argentina's Treasury Attorney's Office, participating in numerous ICSID and UNCITRAL investment arbitration proceedings.

He teaches public international law at IE University's School of Law (Madrid) and international arbitration at Universidad Francisco Marroquín (Madrid Campus). His coaching experience includes leading the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court teams representing Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2024) and Universidad de Buenos Aires (2016). His academic credentials extend to previous faculty positions at the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Universidad Carlos III and UNIR (Spain). His scholarly work includes co-authoring the forthcoming publication "Jurisdictional Objections in ICSID Arbitration", alongside numerous peer-reviewed articles and presentations at various forums. He also serves as an arbitrator across multiple jurisdictions.