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BVI International Arbitration Centre Expands Global Representation, Welcomes Dr. John J. Maalouf to Arbitration Panel

BVI IAC reaffirms commitment to diverse representation of the international business community

 

NEW YORK, NY - (NewMediaWire) - February 22, 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 that Dr. John J. Maalouf has joined its arbitration panel. Dr. Maaloufis one of 10 arbitrators welcomed by the BVI IAC through its latest empanelment process.  

 

Dr. Maalouf is Senior Partner of the international law firm Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP. His practice is focused on international trade and finance law, international arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, litigation, corporate, banking, mergers and acquisitions, energy, oil and gas, and intellectual property. Dr. Maalouf has served as an arbitrator on over 70 cases around the globe, and is a distinguished arbitrator with 15 Courts of International Arbitration and Arbitration Centers worldwide including: The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Dubai International Financial Center/LCIA Court of International Arbitration (DIFC/LCIA), Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), Abu Dhabi Global Markets Arbitration Centre (ADGM), Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC), New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC - Member), Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA - The Hague, The Netherlands), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA - United States), Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre (BCICAC), GCC Arbitration Centre (Bahrain), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) and most recently the BVI International Arbitration Centre.  

 

Under Dr. Maalouf’s leadership, Maalouf Ashford & Talbot has been honored as "Law Firm of the Year" in the United States, Dubai, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, China, Lebanon, Bahrain, Brazil and the United Kingdom for 2020 in 92 different categories. In addition, Dr. Maalouf has been ranked as one of the Top 10 International Trade & Finance Lawyers in the United States for the past 15 consecutive years by the United States Lawyer Rankings 2006 – 2020 Editions.  Dr. Maalouf splits his time between the Firm’s New York City and Dubai offices.

 

“The British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre is pleased to welcome Dr. Maaloufand the other newest members to our distinguished panel of arbitrators,” said François Lassalle, the Centre’s Chief Executive Officer. “Their backgrounds span the practice of law from international trade & finance law, to art law 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 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.  In addition to Dr. Maalouf, the 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                                    

·       Carol Roberts                 Canada

·       John H. Rooney, Jr.        United States               

 

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 IslandsInternational 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 visitwww.bviiac.org.

About Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP 

 

Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP, is one of the world's leading international law firms with offices throughout the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia.  Their firm represents Fortune 500 Companies in connection with matters involving international trade & finance law, arbitration & litigation, real estate, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, oil & gas law, corporate law, banking law, compliance and regulatory issues, technology, tax law, mergers & acquisitions, Islamic finance law, intellectual property law, and media & telecommunications law.  The Firm’s commitment to excellence and client service has led to Maalouf Ashford & Talbot being named “Law Firm of the Year” for 2020 in 13 different countries and in 92 categories. For more information, please visit: www.maaloufashford.com

 

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 hoctribunals under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. She speaks English, French and Spanish.

 

Guido Carducci

 

Guido Carducci is visiting professor of commercial law, international business law and art and cultural property law at Universite Paris II Panthéon-Assas IHEI. He is also an attorney in private practice in Rome and an arbitrator in London. Previously, he served as Chief, International Standards Section at UNESCO-Paris. Mr. Carducci is a Chartered Arbitrator, Fellow and Faculty of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the ICC Commissions on Arbitration and ADR. 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 speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish.

 

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 hocin 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.

 

 

Dr. John Maalouf 

 

Dr. Maalouf is Senior Partner of the international law firm Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP. His practice is focused on international trade and finance law, International arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, litigation, corporate, banking, mergers and acquisitions, energy, oil and gas, and intellectual property. Dr. Maalouf has served as an arbitrator on over 70 cases around the globe, and is a distinguished arbitrator with 15 arbitration centers worldwide including: the United Arab Emirates, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Bahrain, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. Under Dr. Maalouf’s leadership, Maalouf Ashford & Talbot has been honored as "Law Firm of the Year" in the United States, Dubai, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, China, Lebanon, Bahrain, Brazil and the United Kingdom for 2020 in 92 different categories. In addition, Dr. Maalouf has been ranked as one of the Top 10 International Trade & Finance Lawyers in the United States for the past 16 consecutive years by the United States Lawyer Rankings 2005 – 2020 Editions.  Dr. Maaloufsplits his time between the Firm’s in New York City and Dubai offices.

 

 

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.

 

Contact: Jennifer Simpson Carr

Furia Rubel Communications

+ 1 215 340 0480 

jennifer@furiarubel.com