Bryan J. Branon is the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Regional Relationship Manager for the Americas. In this role, Bryan is responsible for promoting CIArb and its membership through trainings, partnerships, publications and educational programming opportunities within the CIArb Americas seven-Branch region (Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, New York and North America). He is based in Miami, Florida.

Melissa Pallett-Vasquez is a Partner in Bilzin Sumberg's Litigation Group, where she handles complex business disputes in both federal and state courts, as well as arbitration. She focuses her practice on high stakes, bet-the-company cases, in which long-standing clients appreciate her ability to interpret the legal landscape and craft astute strategies that protect their business interests today, tomorrow, and in the future. She has extensive experience particularly in federal class action defence and multi-jurisdictional cases, and is additionally often called upon to handle complex, but sensitive, high profile local state court matters. Melissa is consistently recognized by legal publications including Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and The Best Lawyers in America. 

As Bilzin Sumberg’s Hiring Partner, Melissa also leads the firm’s recruitment efforts, ensuring that the firm continues to attract and retain top legal talent while also supporting Bilzin Sumberg’s diversity and inclusivity agenda through its hiring practices. 

Outside of her thriving practice and her role as Hiring Partner, Melissa is actively involved in the American Bar Association's International Law Section, where she is currently the Revenue Officer, one of the few Executive Committee positions in the Section; having previously served as a Division Chair, Vice-Chair of the Food, Agriculture & Cannabis Committee, and Co-Chair of the Canada Committee. Melissa also serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Miami-Dade, an organization with which she has been actively involved for more than a decade. 

Don Hayden is a founding partner of Mark Migdal & Hayden, a Miami commercial litigation boutique, and the Chair of the Miami International Arbitration Society. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute. His practice is in the area of international arbitration and complex commercial disputes. He has acted as both and advocate and arbitrator in international disputes handled by most of the leading arbitral bodies.

Myrna Barakat Friedman (mbarakat@mb-cap.com, BarakatADR.com) is an independent commercial arbitrator and mediator with over 25 years’ experience advising senior executives and leading domestic and cross-border transactional matters.  She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a New York State-Certified Mediator.

Myrna brings to her ADR practice a unique mix of legal, corporate and business experience.  She has led transactions globally as a Wall Street M&A and securities lawyer, a lead in-house M&A lawyer for a Fortune 500 Company, a Corporate Development executive and the founder of a boutique strategic growth initiatives’ advisory company.  Her multifaceted career spans across industries and jurisdictions.

Myrna is trilingual- English, French and Arabic, and has a working knowledge of Spanish.  She is a graduate of McGill University’s Law School, where she earned degrees in both common law and civil law, and McGill University’s School of Management, concentrating in Economics and Finance.

Diana Bayzakova is the Director of the Tashkent International Arbitration Centre (TIAC), the arbitral institution delivering zero admin fee state-of-the-art arbitration services under the unique conflict-free operational framework. In 2020, Diana was appointed to the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators, and as a multilingual dispute resolution expert, Diana acted as a sole arbitrator, on a panel of arbitrators and as counsel in international arbitral proceedings under a variety of arbitration rules (DIAC, DIFC-LCIA, ICC, SCC, ADCCAC and others).

Cristina focuses her practice on international arbitration and complex commercial litigation. She is a native Spanish speaker and has experience representing clients in a variety of complex international arbitrations and business disputes. Cristina has served as counsel, both in Spanish and in English, before many of the most important arbitral institutions, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission (IACAC). She also coordinates and oversees work of local counsel in connection with litigation proceedings in Latin America.

Tanya Goddard is an attorney-at-law with over fifteen years in private practice in Barbados. Her practice is in the civil law arena where she engages in both contentious and non-contentious matters. She has particular interest in international commercial law, bankruptcy & insolvency, securities regulation, and international trade law. She has participated in arbitration-related ligation and in various stages of commercial arbitrations. Tanya developed a keen interest in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrator (CIArb) and is an accredited mediator. She also qualified as a Court–annexed mediator with the Supreme Court of Barbados. Tanya’s in also involved in several professional organisations which complements her interests in ADR including the Barbados Bar Association, she is the current Vice Chair Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Barbados Chapter Executive Committee, approved tutor and a member of the Barbados Boxing Association Disciplinary Committee. In 2020, Tanya was appointed Secretary General of the Arbitration and Mediation Court of the Caribbean (AMCC) The AMCC is an international commercial dispute resolution institution based in Barbados. Established in 2017 as an independent, not-for-profit organisation, the AMCC offers arbitration, mediation and wider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services to Barbadian, Caribbean and Global clients. It is in this capacity that Tanya hosts seminars and workshops to develop capacity and build awareness about ADR in the region. Tanya also supports several ADR initiatives such as the Green Pledge, Campaign for Greener Arbitration and participated in the CIArb 2022 International Women’s Day 2022 Campaign #BreakTheBias.

Mark Morril is an independent arbitrator and mediator in New York City. His experience covers a wide range of complex commercial disputes, including transactions and post-closing adjustments, insurance, distribution agreements, joint ventures and partnerships, IP, media, pharma, technology, telecom, and energy. Previously, he was General Counsel of Simon & Schuster, then the world’s largest English-language publisher, and Deputy General Counsel of the global media company ViacomCBS,  with television, motion picture and related businesses, as well as large legacy industrial operations. Mr. Morril was the senior disputes lawyer at ViacomCBS, with responsibility for the world-wide litigation and ADR docket, and managed the 275-lawyer global law department. Earlier in his career, he was a law firm litigation partner, worked in public policy, and was a judicial law clerk.   

He is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, its Task Force on ADR in Arbitration, and the ICC Commission Working Group that recently released its report Leveraging Technology for Fair, Effective and Efficient International Arbitration Proceedings. Mr. Morril speaks frequently on arbitration-related topics, including cybersecurity. He is a member of the ICCA-NYC Bar-CPR Working Group that published the Protocol on Cybersecurity in International Arbitration (2020 and 2022). He is the co-author, with Stephanie Cohen, of A Call to Cyberarms: The International Arbitrator’s Duty to Avoid Digital Intrusion by Taking Reasonable Cybersecurity Measures, published in the Fordham International Law Journal (2017) and in Transnational Dispute Management (2019), which received the CPR Institute 2017 Award for Outstanding Professional Article.

Sherman Humphrey is a Senior Global Practice Manager for JAMS, based in their Miami office. Sherman manages the promotion of JAMS cross-border services to US based practitioners and assists JAMS neutrals worldwide with building and expanding their international practices. He collaborates with the world’s leading firms, practitioners and organizations to recommend and implement a spectrum of dispute resolution options ranging from preventative work, to negotiation, mediation, international arbitration, plus bespoke and hybrid processes. He joined JAMS in June of 2012 as the Business Manager of the Miami Resolution Center. During this time, Sherman oversaw the opening of JAMS two offices in South Florida, in addition to managing operations, case administration and client service processes for JAMS in Florida.

Rengin Johnson is a graduate of North London University. Member of Hon. Lincolns Inn England and Wales since 1981 and called as Utter Barrister in 1983 and to the Bahamas Bar in 1992. She is the Sr. Partner with Ayse Rengin Dengizer Johnson Law Firm, Barristers, Attorneys at Law, Negotiator, and Notary Public. Areas of practice, Commercial, Corporate, Litigation, Labour, Family, Criminal, Probate, Appeals, Immigration, etc. Rengin has acted as Mediator and Negotiator with respect to commercial, labour, family, and juvenile matters. She is a former Deputy Chief Magistrate and Circuit Justice. Rengin, while on the bench, represented the Judicial Department of Bahamas at San Salvador IELA Academy on Public Corruption and Ethics hosted by the USA.

Rengin is a Fellow of CIArb, former CIArb Bahamas Branch Chair, and has acted in different roles as a member since 2012. In addition, she has been the editor of the CIArb Bahamas Branch Adjudicator Newsletter 3. Director of International and Western Hemisphere, Arbitration Adjudication and Mediation Centre (IWHAAM).

Rengin was appointed as a Life Member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers FIDA and acted as former Vice President of the Bahamas Chapter. She was a member of the Bahamas Bar delegation to the UN Commission on the rights of Women and Children in 2017-2018. She has created the Legal Aid Program through the "Scales of Justice" Radio Show for 15 years to promote justice in the legal system, educate the public on constitutional rights, and encourage dispute resolution through ADR principles.

Rose Rameau is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta Georgia.  She is the Founding Partner of RAMEAU INTERNATIONAL LAW, a boutique firm specializing in public and private international law and white-collar defence investigations.  Rose Rameau is a leading practitioner with over 20 years experiences in international arbitration, mediation, investor-state treaty-based dispute, cross border disputes.  She advises and represents sovereign states and companies on cross-border disputes.  She has been appointed Sole Arbitrator, Co-Arbitrator and President of Tribunal by investors and sovereign states.  Rose Rameau was a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ghana School of Law from 2014-2016 where she taught Investment law, International Commercial Arbitration, Investor-State Arbitration.

Ms. Rameau is an Advisor to the American Bar Association for the Uniform Law Commission Study Committee on the U.N. Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, also known as the Singapore Convention on Mediation. She was recently appointed ABA Representative and Observer to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.  She is licensed to practice law in Paris- France, Washington D.C, Florida, New Jersey and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana.  Ms. Rameau is an ICC Court Member and a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, representing the Republic of Haiti.   She is a Former Vice-Chair of the ABA International Law Section Africa Committee and the International Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK, Member of the International Arbitration Institute, Paris, France.  She is listed as International Arbitrator at the Shanghai Arbitration Commission (SHAC), the Shenzhen Court of Arbitration (SCIA), Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA), the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration in Egypt (CRCICA), the Common Court of Justice and Arbitration of OHADA, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (CCJA), the Chambre de Conciliation et D’Arbitrage d’Haiti (CCAH), the British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre (BVI-IAC), the American Arbitration Association-International for Dispute Resolution (AAA-ICDR) and CPR Panels of Distinguished Neutrals for cross-border, Energy, Oil.  

I have purposefully crafted a multi-disciplined and diversified professional career, giving me the experience to creatively lead companies and navigate through periods of change and transition, including new business startups, operational turnarounds, mergers and acquisition, and raising capital. As a lawyer, entrepreneur, and investment banker, I have participated in over a billion dollars’ worth of transactions in a range of industries. I have recently accepted the position as CEO at Arbitration Place. My background is perfectly suited to lead the company into its next phase of growth. I plan to forge ahead with Arbitration Place and guide its international expansion of ADR hubs in leading cities through joint ventures and acquisitions, creatively expand and enhance technologically advanced integrated service lines and push the boundary of exceptional hospitality experiences in the legal environment. I spent the last 8 years as Managing Director of Corporate Finance and M&A at Fuller Landau, where my clients benefited from my ability to form strategic partnerships, my negotiating skills as well as the logic, intuition and resiliency I employed to see transactions through to a successful close. After graduating from the joint MBA/Juris Doctor program, I began my career practicing law as an Associate in the areas of Corporate Finance, Securities and M&A with one of Canada’s leading law firms, Oslers. Prior to investment banking, I spent over 10 years as an entrepreneur—launching, operating and consulting on a host of entrepreneurial ventures in hospitality, event management, design, technology and real estate. I envisioned, created and operated a bold new lounge and restaurant concept called Lobby in 2003, which became the #1 supper club and celebrity draw in Toronto for five straight years. As CEO, I secured the equity financing, managed and led over 100 employees, exceeded revenue projections by 40% in the first year and struck lucrative deals with MGM Studios, Lionsgate Films, and DreamWorks for the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2009, I led the company to a successful exit. It is this unique experiential fusion that I bring to Arbitration Place in order to enthusiastically welcome the future challenges ahead.

Kirsten Teo is a Singaporean special legal consultant in Dechert’s Washington, D.C. office concentrating on international commercial and investment arbitration. In addition to international arbitration, she focuses her practice on public international law, international aviation and law of the sea.

Ms. Teo has been entrusted by clients and arbitrators to act as international arbitration counsel and tribunal secretary for a decade with significant experience in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. In addition to her counsel and tribunal secretary work, she is empanelled as an Arbitrator on the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and Tashkent International Arbitration Centre (TIAC) reserve panel of arbitrators and serves as the first Chair of the TIAC45 arbitration practitioners’ group. She also serves as Vice-Chair of Programs at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators North America Branch.

Ms. Teo worked with the Secretariat of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) while completing her LLM in International Commercial Arbitration at Stockholm University (2016-2017). She was the sole recipient of the Swedish Arbitration Association scholarship and awarded the Global Swede scholarship by the Swedish government. In 2011, she passed the Singapore bar exam with distinction in arbitration and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 2012.

Prior to joining Dechert, Ms. Teo was the Head of the arbitration associates’ working group in the Singapore office of another international law firm and Counsel in an arbitration boutique in Washington D.C.

Chidinma B. Thompson PhD, FCIArb. is a Partner at the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada’s Law Firm. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, domestic and international arbitration, regulatory law, environmental law and climate change. Chidinma works with a broad range of sectors including renewable energy, oil and gas, petrochemicals, electricity, construction and infrastructure, utilities, and land development. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the ICC Canada Arbitration Committee, and a member of Arbitral Women. Chidinma is the current Chair of the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board, and oversees the administration of the Alberta Public Lands Appeal Board. Chidinma has taught various law-related courses at the University of Calgary, and she frequently publishes in law journals and blogs, and is a contributor of several book chapters.

John Bassie is the Deputy President in 2022 and will be the Global President in 2023. He is called to the bar in England and in Jamaica. In addition to being a former Council Member of the General Legal Council, he was the chairman of its subcommittee with responsibility for the formation of the Compensation Fund. Mr. Bassie is the current Vice President and formerly served Treasurer of the Jamaican Bar Association and he is also Chairman of the ADR Committee. John is the Founder of the Caribbean Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2009) and the first Chairman of the Branch. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Dispute Resolution Foundation, which is the oldest ADR organization in the Caribbean region, having just celebrated 25 years of service to the industry. He is a Chartered Arbitrator, Certified Tutor of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Certified Mediator of both the Supreme Court of Jamaica and the Supreme Court of the State of Florida.

Chief Legal Officer Violeta Longino, an internationally recognized executive leader, is the Chief Legal Officer for Caban Systems, an energy infrastructure provider, offering end-to-end solutions for the largest telecom companies in the world. Violeta is a dual-licensed (Florida and Mexico) multicultural attorney, with extensive in-house and top tier law firm practice and experience in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining Caban Systems, she served as General Counsel and in-house senior counsel for several multinational public and private companies, including Accor, Hard Rock International, and Kayak. She also practiced law in the Miami offices of the renowned Greenberg Traurig, as well as Holland and Knight, major well-respected U.S. law firms. Violeta’s extensive training, unique experience and understanding of numerous international legal systems provide her with an invaluable perspective on structuring transactions. She holds the ability to strategically advise on multiple systems of law and jurisdictions. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law and a Licenciado en Derecho (J.D. equivalent), with high honours, from the Universidad La Salle, Mexico City. Violeta was granted Bar Admissions in Florida and Mexico. Violeta has received several accolades, including the prestigious U.S. Chambers Award for Female In-House Lawyer of the Year 2016 awarded by Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 GC Powerlist U.S. 2018 granted by The Legal 500. As a global business leader, Violeta frequently lectures on complex legal topics. 

Luis M. Martinez is Vice President of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, (ICDR) the international division of the American Arbitration Association, (AAA) and is an Honorary President of the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission, (IACAC). Luis M. Martinez as the Vice President of the ICDR located in New York serves as an integral part of the ICDR's international strategy team and is responsible for international arbitration and mediation business development for the East Coast of the United States (from Maine to Florida), Central and South America, the Caribbean, EU and UK. Mr. Martinez is also responsible for case administration of international cases out of the AAA-ICDR's Miami office.

The Honourable Barry Leon, independent arbitrator and mediator, is a Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and an International Mediation Institute (IMI) Certified Mediator, with experienced in corporate and commercial, contract, shareholder, business breakup, construction, natural resources, IP, and technology disputes. He was Presiding Judge, BVI Commercial Court (2015 – 2018), hearing international commercial disputes involving parties from around the world, including shareholder, corporate and contract disputes, insolvency, fraud and asset recovery proceedings, judgment and award enforcement, and arbitration assistance. From 2009 – 2015, Barry was a Partner and Head, International Arbitration Group, Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP (Ottawa), and also was an arbitrator and mediator. Until 2009 he was Partner, Torys LLP, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice (Toronto), and for many years, Practice Coordinator. A Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Barry has 35+ years’ experience as litigation, arbitration, and mediation counsel, on many complex and significant cases involving many industries including financial services, natural resources, energy, technology, intellectual property, manufacturing, and construction. He is past Chair, Arbitration Committee, ICC Canada. In 2013, Barry received the “Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR” from the CPR International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution. Barry is a non-practising member of the Ontario Bar. Degrees: LL.B. (U Toronto), MBA (Ivey School of Business, Western University), BA (political science and economics) (U Alberta).

Mr Concepcion has served as counsel in a wide range of domestic and international litigation and arbitration matters. His practice has always focused on disputes involving financial services, design and construction, and distribution and supply chain controversies involving parties from multiple jurisdictions. He has substantial experience with multilingual and multicultural teams, which provides a strategic advantage in dealing with parties and evidence from different legal systems, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mr Concepcion has worked with all the leading arbitration organizations and has conducted proceedings in Spanish and English in which the seat of the arbitration and governing laws has been in multiple countries. 

Iván focuses his practice on international commercial arbitration and ancillary federal litigation, as well as investment arbitration involving Latin American sovereigns and investors. Prior to joining Hogan Lovells, Ivan was an appellate judge in Venezuela, where he decided cases related to expropriation disputes and administrative law actions against state entities. Ivan obtained his law degree in Venezuela from the Universidad del Zulia School of Law in 2010. He earned an LL.M. from Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University in 2017 and earned his J.D. and LL.M. in International Arbitration from the University of Miami in 2019.