Paul E Mason

Curriculum in Detail                       [Click for Portuguese]

International Counsel,  Independent Arbitrator and Mediator, Miami and Rio de Janeiro, specializing in advising and helping foreign companies coming to Brazil, negotiating international information technology and other contracts (sales, service, M&A, etc.) worldwide, and resolving related business disputes through negotiation, mediation and arbitration.  Largest value case heard as sole arbitrator: USD $24 million (international aviation cargo).  Largest value case as arbitral tribunal member: USD $90+ million (internet facility).

Of counsel, Veirano Advogados (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Porto Alegre), one of Brazil's leading law firms with strong international clientele, infrastructure and energy practice, 2011 - 2013.  Drafted and reviewed arbitration clauses for complex business deals, trained transactional lawyers in firm on features and benefits of arbitration and arbitration clauses.

International Counsel, Arbitrator and Mediator, Bastos-Tigre, Coelho da Rocha e Lopes Advogados (Brazil) and Diaz Reus (Miami), 2004 - 2011.  Lead counsel in several arbitrations including LCIA arbitration between Brazilian and Norwegian partners over offshore oil drilling.

International Counsel, Arbitrator and Mediator in private practice, Miami and Brazil, 2001 - 2004

In-House Director, Latin America Legal and Government Affairs  3Com/Palm (Latin America and Canada), Oracle Latin America, and Digital Equipment Corp. (Latin America/Caribbean and Russia) - Miami, Boston and Silicon Valley, 1988 – 2001.  Negotiated complex high-value sales, service and licensing agreements with enterprise and public sector customers and channels,  M & A, litigation and compliance management.

U.S. Legal Counsel for Módulo S.A., a leading Brazilian IT security firm – Florida, 1997 – 98,  a top Brazilian firm responsible for IT security for Brazilian banks, companies, and national elections.

President, Commercial Dispute Resolution Center of the Americas - Miami, 1996 – 98.  Developed the first dispute resolution center in the U.S. dedicated to Latin America/Caribbean.

Legal Advisor, International Group, Bank of Boston - Boston, 1986 – 87.  Counseled on licensing and other legal aspects of specialized software platforms for international trading entities.

LANGUAGES: Portuguese (fluent), Spanish (business proficient), Russian (intermediate), French.

BAR ADMISSIONS:  Massachusetts and Maine state and federal bars, U.S.  OAB-RJ Foreign Legal Consultant 2013 - 2016, Brazil.

AREAS OF CONCENTRATION

International contracts and transactions (see List of Representative Clients below): Aviation arbitration and mediation: Aircraft leasing, cargo, charter, sales, parts distribution, airworthiness, maintenance, military aircraft contracts, pilot training; Energy/oil & gas/biofuels; Information technology (hardware, software, networks, IT services); Intellectual property (software, trade and service marks, patent licensing, domain names, technology transfer); Art & cultural property; Licensing; Leasing, M  & A, Purchase & Sales; Manufacturing projects; Product distribution.  With multinational in-house counsel experience and perspective, I coordinate and manage client matters with law firms in Latin America.

First Arbitration:  Arbitrated first international case in 1986 as panelist for the AAA in product distribution case between Spanish and U.S. companies, on Panel chaired by Prof. Willem Vis.

First Mediation: Helped parties settle complex case in 1983, a $50+ million dispute over responsibility for pollution of groundwater between eight multinational oil companies and local community represented by state attorney general.

Unique mediation perspective gained with experience from all sides - as a mediator, as counsel and as a party in mediation.  Mediate large complex commercial cases often with value over U.S.$ 1 million, bilingually in Portuguese and Spanish as well as English, some also with Russian parties and documents, yielding high percentage of settlements.

Arranged and acted as counsel for the Brazilian side in first international commercial mediation using videoconferencing in an ICDR case resolved successfully between Brazilian and U.S. multinational parties.

Lead counsel in one of the first international arbitrations (LCIA, UNCITRAL Rules) involving Petrobrás.

Arbitrator, Mediator and Advocate for cases at:

American Arbitration Association (AAA) and its International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR)

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)

Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC)

World Intellectual Property Organization/Geneva

Canadian International Internet Dispute Resolution Centre (CIIDRC)/Vancouver

Delos/Paris

Court of Arbitration for Art (CAfA)/Netherlands Art Institute

Florence International Mediation Chamber (FIMC) 

Beijing Arbitration Commission (BIAC)

Guangzhou Arbitration Commission (GZAC)

Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Panel of Arbitrators and Specialized Panel of Arbitrators for Intellectual Property Disputes

Mainland China - Hong Kong Joint Mediation Center

International Dispute Resolution & Risk Management Institute (IDRRMI - for Belt & Road Project disputes)

Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA)

Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)

Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI)

India Mediation & Conciliation Network (MCN).

Brazilian arbitration chambers:  the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (CAM-CCBC/São Paulo),  Brazilian Center for Mediation and Arbitration (CBMA/Rio de Janeiro), CAMARB (Belo Horizonte/São Paulo/Rio de Janeiro), Mediation and Arbitration Chamber of the European Chambers of Commerce (CAE/São Paulo), Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI), WIPO - INPI Brazil Panel of Neutrals for Intellectual Property Disputes (CEDPI), CAMFIEP/Curitiba (Chamber of Arbitration & Mediation/Paraná state Federation of Industries), CAMEDIARB (State of Santa Catarina), and ARBITAC (Curitiba). 

Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) International

Baoshan Pan Asia International Commercial Mediation Center of Shanghai

Specializing in Disputes involving Technology and Intellectual Property

• ITC: hardware, software, cloud services, outsourcing, internet, telecom & data communications, e-commerce  
• Aviation  
• Medical technology   
• IP: technology and patent licensing, trade and service marks, domain names
• Member, Tech List, Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (www.SVAMC.org) exclusive, highly vetted List of World's Leading Technology Neutrals consisting of only 50+ worldwide (2017 - present). 
• SVAMC Director-General and Board member; Former Chair, Membership Committee; Founder & Co-Lead, SVAMC Latin America group.
• Panel of Intellectual Property Arbitrators, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC); 
• Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators, WIPO/Geneva since 2001;  
• Member, CPR Technology Panel (2017-19)

INVESTOR-STATE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

- Invited as Arbitrator in ISDS case between Balkan investor and Central European host state (2023).

- Invited by host government that is a major player in ISDS to consult on features and possible use of investor - state mediation (2017).

- Arbitrator for Elimination Round, Global FDI Moot Competition, University of Miami, 2019.

- Deal Conciliator for World Bank financed Latin America long-term energy contract (2014).

Conducted several arbitrations and mediations under Brazilian law and/or with Brazilian parties:

As Arbitrator:

- Shipping of large quantity of fuel oil products - ICDR/New York (Chinese vs. Brazilian party, New York law);

- Investment in U.S. real estate by Brazilian entity - ICDR/Miami (Brazilian vs. U.S. party, U.S. federal and Florida state law);

- Import-export of construction products - ICC/Miami (Brazilian parties in Brazil and the U.S., U.S. federal law, CISG); 

- M & A in petrochemical industry, Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce/São Paulo (conducted in Portuguese, Brazilian vs. American party, Brazilian and U.S. law); 

- Investment banking - ICDR/Miami (Brazilian vs. Swiss party).

As Mediator:

- M & A in oil & gas industry - ICDR/Rio de Janeiro (U.S. vs. Brazilian party); 

- Agribusiness product distribution case between Brazilian multinational and Central American producers group - ICDR/Miami.

As Counsel:

Offshore oil drilling - LCIA/New York & Miami (Norwegian vs. Brazilian party, UNCITRAL Rules with Brazilian law, including the Civil Procedure Code.  Acted as Lead Counsel in one of the first international arbitrations in the Brazilian oil & gas sector; 

Energy Project finance - ICDR/São Paulo/New York/Washington (Brazilian vs. U.S. multinational party)

Arbitrations (including expedited arbitrations) and mediations in these sectors: Aerospace & aviation, oil & gas, energy, environmental, shipping/maritime, project finance, equipment leasing, medical technology, financial markets & investments, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, reinsurance, construction, product sales, marketing, representation, distribution and import-export (steel, wood, agricultural products, personal care, etc.), telecommunications, information technology, internet, IT networks, intellectual property, e-commerce, outsourcing, executive compensation, travel, sports.

Extensive experience arbitrating and mediating cases involving air and maritime transportation of perishable cargo to & from Latin America, the U.S., Europe, Russia and Ukraine. 

Largest case as sole arbitrator: USD $24 million involving air cargo shipments to Latin America (2023)

Parties from Argentina, Australia, Brazil (several cases), Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Honduras, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Russian Federation, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela.

REPRESENTATIVE ARBITRATION CASES

Please click on "Representative Cases" tab on home page

REPRESENTATIVE MEDIATION CASES

REPRESENTATIVE TRANSACTIONAL CLIENTS

Oil & gas - ARCO, BW Offshore, Estaleiro Atlântico Sul (contracts for ships collecting and processing Brazilian offshore oil)

Bioenergy - GA Expertise for Brazilian partnership

IT/Communications - Flextronics, IDT/telecom, Varian Medical Systems, Indústria de Filmes Brasileiras/IBF, Shotspotter Inc.

Entertainment - HBO Latin America, Rovi Corporation

Agribusiness - Brazilian Instituto de Fosfatos Biológicos (IFB)

Import-Export - W3 (Brazilian import-export company), Royce Trading

Manufacturing - Sealaska (for Brazil)                                                          

Transactional experience in biofuels area, representing Brazilian patent holder of efficient process for breaking down sugar cane into biodiesel (2011 - 2012) in negotiations for use in India; Belgian company specializing in project design & engineering for processing facilities for palm oil into biodiesel, negotiating joint venture in Brazil (2011 - 2012) for construction of a palm oil-biodiesel plant (2014); and German company seeking Brazilian palm oil (dendê) sources for conversion into biodiesel (2007).                                  

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (www.SVAMC.org): On Tech List of 50+ specialized technology arbitrators and mediators worldwide;  SVAMC Director-General and Member, Board of Directors; Latin America/Caribbean Group Founder/Co-Lead; Immediate past Chair, Membership Committee.

Member, 2016 ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the ICC's rule-making body and think tank for new ideas and publications to improve arbitration practice worldwide.

Member, ICC Brasil 2016, the ICC's Brazilian National organization.

Co-Founder, Miami International Arbitration Society (MIAS), host organization for the 2014 ICCA Congress in Miami.  Member, 2014 ICCA Congress Steering Committee.

Co-Founder and former Vice-President of the International Litigation and Arbitration Committee, International Law Section of the Florida Bar (since 2002, with over 100 members).

International Mediation Institute, The Hague (www.IMImediation.org).  First Mediator certified in Brazil by the IMI.  Official delegate to the Singapore Convention Signing Events, in Singapore, August 2019. Member, IMI International Standards Commission Appraisal Committee 2015-2019, evaluating Mediator Certification Programs (QAPs) in India, Israel, Italy, Russia, and the U.S.A.; Founder and former Co-Coordinator, IMI - Brasil group (40+ members).  Testified on proposed Brazilian Mediation Law at Brazilian Senate Commission hearings.

Member, Mediation Commission, Brazil - Canada Chamber of Commerce.  The Commission set mediation policy and standards for the CCBC.

Former Chair, Arbitration Committee, Inter-American Bar Association; U.N Activities Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of International Law & Practice (75 attorneys). The Committee prepared a proposal for U.N.mediation of regional conflicts, which proposal was presented at the Harvard Program on Negotiation and published in the SAIS Review foreign policy journal (Washington, D.C.) and is now being implemented by the UN.

Member, Russia/CIS International Arbitration Network (London).

Former company representative on Brazil – U.S. Business Council, Council of the Americas, Brazil and Mexico ad hoc Groups for IP Law Reform.

Admitted to practice, Massachusetts and Maine state and federal bars; Brazilian Bar/Rio de Janeiro as Foreign Legal Consultant (2013-16).

RECENT PUBLICATIONS and WORKS - SINCE 2015

Creator and General Editor of the book International Commercial Arbitration Practice: 21st Century Perspectives, in its 12th year of publication, 55+ chapters, with Horacio Grigera-Naón, Co-Editor, Lexis-Nexis/Matthew Bender books, New York, 2010 - 2022 with annual update releases and two-volume 2021 edition. Co-author, chapter 8 on ICA in Latin America/Caribbean and author, chapter 53 on Videoconferencing for ICA.

"The Potential of the Singapore Convention for Art and Cultural Property Disputes", co-author with Prof. Attila M. Tanzi, Chair, International Law Faculty, University of Bologna - Italy, in the Journal of International Dispute Settlement (JIDS), Oxford University Press (December 2021), see https://academic.oup.com/jids/article/12/4/669/6432060?guestAccessKey=9a3981fc-2ca8-407a-968b-a13a03942529.  Republished in The Art Law Review, 3d Edition, Court of Arbitration for Art/The Hague, January 2023.

"The Singapore Convention: A New Avenue for Corporate Counsel", LAW.COM|Corporate Counsel, July 28, 2020, at

https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2020/07/28/the-singapore-convention-a-new-avenue-for-corporate-counsel/

"Med-Arb, Arb-Med and Related Processes in Brazil and Beyond – Some Observations and Suggestions”, chapter in Temas de Mediação e Arbitragem, vol. 4, pp. 327-357 (LexEditora S/A, São Paulo, July 2020).

"Videoconferencing in International Arbitration and Mediation Proceedings", https://SVAMC.org/articles   May 2020.

"The Singapore Convention and its Benefits for Brazil", www.IMImediation.org   February 2020.           Portuguese version published in December 2020 in the Revista Brasileira de ADR (Brazilian ADR Journal, Rio de Janeiro.

With Carla Araújo Demchuk and Nazareth Serpa, translation of Singapore Convention on Mediation into Portuguese (August 2019), available on International Mediation Institute website www.IMImediation.org 

"Development of Business Mediation in Brazil" (co-author), chapter on Brazil for worldwide publication of the Academy of International Dispute Resolution and Professional Negotiation (Hong Kong), expected 2019.

"Corporate Culture and Business Mediation", Kluwer Mediation Blog online, September 4, 2018, http://mediationblog.kluwerarbitration.com/2018/09/04/corporate-culture-business-mediation/ 

"Key Changes to the Brazilian Arbitration Law: A Foreign Practitioner's Perspective", chapter in the book Métodos Extrajudiciais de Resolução de Conflitos Empresariais (Extrajudicial Methods for Resolution of Business Disputes), IOB/São Paulo, October 2017.

"The Brazilian Mediation Wave - Will it Rise?", Kluwer Mediation Blog online, October 21, 2016, at http://kluwermediationblog.com/2016/10/21/the-brazilian-mediation-wave-will-it-rise/

"Proposed UNCITRAL [Singapore] Convention on Mediated Settlements of International Commercial Disputes", co-authored with IMI Chair Deborah Masucci, published in September 2016 at IBA Mediation Committee internal publications link http://www.ibanet.org/LPD/Dispute_Resolution_Section/Mediation/Publications.aspx

"Brazil's New Mediation Law and the Impact on International Business Disputes", co-authored with Brazilian lawyer and mediator Alexandre Simões, AAA Dispute Resolution Journal, Vol. 70, no. 4 (December 2015), pp. 13 - 19.

"The Law, Exposed", a translation and brief commentary on the new Brazilian Mediation Law, co-authored with Brazilian lawyer and mediator Alexandre Simões, part of Building a Mediation Structure in Brazil in the International ADR section of CPR's Alternatives journal, Vol. 33, No. 11, December 2015, pp. 163 - 170.

"Arbitration and Mediation of Brazilian M & A Disputes", Beijing Arbitration Commission column in the Disputes Digest section of the China Business Law Journal, Beijing, Vol. 6, issue 8, September 2015.

"Brazil: Changes Enacted to Arbitration Law" at website www.ChinaGoAbroad.com (for Chinese entities interested in markets abroad), May 2015.  Article published in English and Chinese.

"Multi-dimensional Mediation", chapter in the book Contemporary Tendencies in Mediation, Humberto Dalla and Juliana Loss de Andrade, Co-Editors, Editorial Dykinson, Madrid, 2015.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

Webinar Panelist or Moderator:

Moderator, "Arbitragem Comercial no Setor de Aviação com Partes Brasileiras" ("Commercial Arbitration in the Aviation Sector with Brazilian Parties", in Portuguese, Canal Arbitagem/YouTube, October 2024 with Panelists Érica Franzetti/King & Spalding, Jaime Garcia-Nieto/Airbus - Latin America, and Renato Grion/Pinheiro Neto Advogados.

Moderator, Aviation Panel for event on "Aviation and Aerospace Disputes", Miami Arbitration Week, November 2023, with Panelists Jaime Garcia-Nieto/Airbus - Latin America, Johannes Willheim/Jones Day, and Donald Gray/Holland & Knight.

"Perícia Técnica em Arbitragens Internacionais nos Sistemas de Direito Civil x Direito Comúm" (Technical Experts in International Arbitration: Civil and Common Law Approaches" (in Portuguese), for the Arbitration Channel/Brazil, YouTube, February 2023).

"A Convenção de Cingapura - Ferramenta que Augmenta a Segurança Jurídica no Comércio Internacional" ("The Singapore Convention - a Tool which Increases Legal Security for International Commerce"), Panel Presentation in Portuguese for the Brazilian Association of International Commerce (AEB), November 13, 2022. See repost on my LinkedIn page for details.

"Mediation of Art Disputes at the Court of Arbitration for Art", Panelist with Bill Marsh and Christopher To, CAfA/Netherlands, July 6, 2021 (recorded).

"Midnight Clauses: a Toolkit for Drafting Dispute Resolution Clauses for Technology and Other Contracts" - Moderator, with speakers Alexandre DuSartel (General Counsel, SICPA/Geneva) and Teresa Garcia-Reyes (Senior Litigation Counsel, Baker Hughes/Houston), SVAMC - Debevoise Corporate Counsel Clinic series Program no. 1, February 25, 2021.

"Cross-Border Dispute Resolution - Does Arbitration still Wear the Crown?", presentation on the Singapore Convention, 5th Annual CARTAL Conference by the Indian Journal of International Arbitration (IJAL), Jodhpur - India, October 11, 2020.

- "Med - Arb and Arb - Med in Brazil and Beyond" (in Portuguese), webinar inaugurating the Brazilian Southeast Region CAMARB Mediation Competition, October 8, 2020.

- "The Singapore Convention Compared with the NY Convention" and other Singapore Convention topics, ADR Centre RGNUL University - India webinar celebrating day of entry into force of the Singapore Convention, September 12, 2020.

- "The Singapore Convention and its Benefits for Brazil", on webcast "The Future of Mediation", Brazil Bar Association - State of Rio Grande do Sul (OAB-RS) webcast, August 19, 2020 (in Portuguese), available at                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w107NN78q0Q 

- "Mediação Empresarial -Visões do Brasil, Portugal e os EUA" (Business Mediation - Visions from Brazil, Portugal and the USA" (in Portuguese), University of São Paulo Center for Conflict Resolution (USP-GLIP-CRC) webcast, July 15, 2020, available on USP-GLIP-CRC YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HNSsh1cwuq

- "The Singapore Convention and Brazil", with co-panelists from the Singapore Ministry of Law and leading institutions, Brazilian Center for Mediation and Arbitration (CBMA) webcast, June 17, 2020, on CBMA YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTp3CUYE7Vs&t=558s

- Co-organizer and Moderator, "Arbitrating Technology and Intellectual Property Cases: Latin American and European Approaches", sponsored by the SVAMC, FIU Law School, CCBC-Brazil, ICDR, Dutch Arbitration Association, and Orrick, Miami, November 2019.

- Speaker on the Singapore Convention for International Commercial Mediation, AAA/ICDR Mediators Roundtable, Miami, October 2019.

- Comments on benefits of the Singapore Convention for cultural property disputes, FIMC Conference on Resolution of Cultural Property Disputes, Camera di Commercio, Florence, Italy, October 2019.

- Commentator on Tech Transfer and related questions, Panel on "Lessons from the Tech Giant Battles: New Trends in Resolving Technology Disputes in the PRC", Summit on Commercial Dispute Resolution in China" - Beijing Arbitration Commission - Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center - JAMS, San Francisco, June 2019.

- Panel speaker on Mediation at the Principal International ADR Centers and Coordinator for Interactive Workshop on Commercial Mediation Techniques,  International Mediation Congress, Bar Association of Rio Grande do Sul state, Porto Alegre, June 2018 - in Portuguese.   

- Panel speaker at ICC's PANARB-2018 Conference in Panama, representing the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center, on "Videoconferencing for International Arbitration and Mediation" as part of panel on Technology in International Arbitration.

- Panel speaker on "Use of Videoconferencing for ADR Proceedings", CIArb's Dispute Appointment Service Convention, London, November 2017 (via videoconference).

- Co-leader of Interactive Workshop on Commercial Mediation for Negotiation & Mediation Competition event, Antonio Meneghetti Law School, Recanto Maestre - RS, Brazil, June 2017 - in Portuguese.

- Panel speaker on Mediation in Brazil and the U.S., CPR Commercial Mediation & Negotiation Competition, FIESP/São Paulo, May 2017.

- Panel speaker at IX IBA Real Estate Investment Conference Panel on "How to solve real estate disputes effectively" - Rio de Janeiro, March 2017.

- Speaker at CBAME Congress Panel on Foreign Influence on Development of Commercial Mediation in Brazil, Belo Horizonte, March 2017 - in Portuguese.

- Panel speaker at the Milton Campos Law School and the Brazilian Bar - Minas Gerais state section on "Os Mecanismos de Mediação na Experiência de um Mediador Comercial Internacional" ("Mediation Mechanisms in the Experience of an International Commercial Mediator") - Belo Horizonte - MG, Brazil, August 2016 - in Portuguese.

Panel speaker at UNCITRAL on the Proposed UNCITRAL Convention on Mediated Settlements of International Commercial Disputes, Vienna, 2016.

Coordinator, Roundtable on Multi-Party Mediation in the Energy Sector, 4th CPR Brazil Business Mediation Congress, Rio de Janeiro, 2016.

"Mediating Commercial Disputes between Global and Local Companies", New York State Bar Association Brazil Chapter, June 2015.

Panel speaker on "Choosing Arbitral Institutions, Arbitrators and Mediators for Disputes with the Brazilian Public Administration: a Perspective from Abroad",   I Annual Conference on Arbitration and Mediation in the Brazilian Public Sector, Brasília (2015) - in Portuguese.

Lecture at Tsinghua University Law School, Beijing, for LL.M. students in Tsinghua's International Arbitration Program. "Arbitration Experience in the International Environment: Focus on the USA and Latin America/Brazil" (2015)

Panel speaker on Arbitration in Latin America at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (2015).

Panel speaker, "The CISG and Arbitration", Conference on the CISG and Brazil, Curitiba (2015).

Panel speaker, "Mediation in Business Sectors" (Mediação em disputas relacionadas a construção e outros setores, e a necessidade/utilidade de um mediador especialista), II Brazilian Business Arbitration and Mediation Congress, São Paulo, (2015) - in Portuguese.

Contributed suggested changes to new Beijing Arbitration Commission Arbitration Rules (2014).

Panel Speaker on "The New Draft Brazilian Arbitration Law:  An International Perspective" at Conference on the New Brazil Civil Procedure Code (CPC), Informa Group, São Paulo, July 2014 - in Portuguese.

Speaker on panel "International Construction and Infrastructure Projects:  The Latest Conflict Management Options" at ICDR Conference on International Conflict Management, São Paulo, November 2013 - in Portuguese.

Opening speaker on "Combining Mediation and Arbitration to Resolve Business Disputes", 3rd Annual Santa Catarina (Brazil) Seminar on Mediation and Arbitration, Joinville-SC, Brazil, September 2013 - in Portuguese. 

Recommendations made to Brazilian Senate Commission at public hearing to draft proposed Laws on Arbitration and Extra-Judicial Mediation, Brasília, August 2013 - in Portuguese.

"Tecnología e Mediação - Mediação internacional por Videoconferência" ("Technology and Mediation - International Mediation by Videoconference"), CPR Brazil Business Mediation Congress, Rio de Janeiro, April 2013 - in Portuguese.

"Use of MED-ARB and ARB-MED in International Commercial Disputes", Rio de Janeiro Bar Association (OAB-RJ), April 2012 - in Portuguese.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

Arbitrator (Judge),  Stanford Law School International Arbitration Association debate between counsel from Three Crowns, Lalive, and CyberArb on the proposition "Arbitration is the best method to resolve technology disputes" (April 2022); Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Global Moot (Miami, 2019); Willem Vis International Pre-Moot Competitions in Rio de Janeiro (2014) and Miami (several between 2015 - 2021: 2021 Vis Pre-Moot in Paris/ICC for Zoom session between Mexican and Portuguese law school teams, and Miami/JAMS - Florida Bar for Zoom session between Ukrainian and Florida law schools); Petronio Muñiz Arbitration Competition in Rio de Janeiro (2013 - in Portuguese).

Adjunct Professor, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Florida International University Law School, Miami, 2017

Invited Professor with Dr. Gustavo Moser/London to teach the module on International Arbitration for the online course on Managed Negotiation of Disputes, Law Faculty of Vitória (FDV, in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil), July 2021.

Expert Assessor (Judge), International Negotiation/Mediation Competitions:  IBA-IMI-VIAC (Vienna, 2016); Lex Infinitum (Goa - India, 2017); CPR (São Paulo, 2017), Meneghetti Foundation (RS - Brazil, 2017); ABA Southeast Regional (Miami, 2018).

Instructor, Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices for New Arbitrators, AAA-Miami, 2016.

Teacher and co-coach, Milton Campos Team  for Brazilian National Mediation Competition (winners), 2016.

Designed and Taught Workshop on Evaluation in Mediation, CBMA/Rio de Janeiro, with Prof. Dwight Golann, May 2016.

Member, Scientific Commission to Evaluate Discussion Papers for the III & IV Brazilian Congresses on Business Arbitration and Mediation, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 2016 and 2017.

Taught International Arbitration as Invited Professor for part of graduate level ADR course at Nova University, Florida, July 2014.

Honorary Professor Taught Negotiation and Mediation seminar for MBAs and lawyers at MFUA in Moscow, Russia’s largest private university, and gave Master Class on Mediation at State University of St. Petersburg, Russia, April 2011. 

Guest lecturer, “Combining Mediation and Arbitration (Med – Arb) to Resolve International Commercial Disputes: Western vs. Chinese Perspectives and Experiences”, graduate law course on Latin American Commercial Arbitration, University of Miami Law School, Miami, November 2008.

Invited Professor teaching Arbitration Module in Intensive Post-Graduate ADR Courses for Attorneys and Judges in Portuguese, PUC-Minas Law School, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 2001 & 2002.

Presentations on arbitration for post-graduate course in Civil Law for judges of superior level trial court (Tribunal de Alçada); for post-graduate course in Procedural Law at PUC-Minas Law School; and for the Tribunal of Mediation and Arbitration of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte.

Special class on ODR for students of the Law Practice Center (NPJ), PUC-Minas Law School, Belo Horizonte.

Presentation on arbitration for the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Invited Professor to teach module in Special Training Course on Arbitration in Spanish for Attorneys and Judges from Guatemala, Nova University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 1998.

Co-designed and provided Arbitration Scenario Special Training Program for Baker & McKenzie’s Western Hemisphere Associates Meeting, Monterrey, Mexico, 1997.

Conducted Mediation Training in English and Spanish for the Quito, Ecuador Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Conciliation and Arbitration, Miami, July 1996.

Mentor for some 20 young lawyers and law students from Brazil, India, Italy, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, U.S. (2017 - )

EDUCATION

Yale University, B.A.

Johns Hopkins University - Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Washington, D.C. and Bologna, Italy, on Fulbright Fellowship.  M.A. International Relations, with Distinction. Focus on International Economics/European Studies. 

Studied under well-known jurists Stephen Schwebel of the International Court of Justice and Federico Mancini of the European Court of Justice.

University of Maine School of Law, J.D. International Moot Court Team.

NATIONALITY and RESIDENCE

U.S. citizen, dual residency in U.S. and Brazil.

Moderator for Panel on “Protection of Intellectual Property Assets in Latin America”, JURIS Conference on Legal Aspects of Risk Management in Latin America, Miami, October 2008.  Intellectual Property law specialists on Panel from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.

“The Latest Legal Developments Related to Arbitration in Brazil”, 6th Annual ICDR Arbitration Conference, Miami, April 2008.

“A Experiência numa Arbitragem Internacional no Setor Petroleiro” (“The Experience of an International Arbitration in the Oil Sector”, Ibero-American Maritime Law Institute, Rio de Janeiro, September 2007 - in Portuguese.

“Considerações na Escolha do Árbitro na Arbitragem Internacional” (“Considerations in the Choice of an International Arbitrator”), International Arbitration Conference Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Brazilian Arbitration Law, ARBITAC/AC Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil, June 2006 - in Portuguese.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES IN MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION

Member, International Task Force on Mixed Mode Dispute Resolution organized by Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution/Pepperdine School of Law - College of Commercial Arbitrators - International Mediation Institute (2016 - present).

Mentor for 15 junior lawyers and law students from Brazil, India, Italy, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea and Spain (2017 - 2018) helping with career advice, research projects, recommendations for ADR institution and law firm positions.

Negotiation & Mediation Competitions

As Expert Assessor (Judge)

ABA Southeast Regional Representation in Mediation Competition, FIU Law School, Miami, February 2018

Brazilian Business Mediation & Negotiation Competition, Antonio Meneghetti Law School - RS - Brazil (8 teams, in Portuguese), June 2017

CPR International Business Mediation & Negotiation Competition, FIESP/São Paulo (12 teams), May 2017

LexInfinitum International Mediation & Negotiation Competition, Goa, India (16 teams).  Member, Case Problem Committee and judge for finalist round, January 2017

IBA-VIAC International Commercial Mediation & Negotiation Competition, Vienna, July 2016 (32 teams worldwide), July 2016  

Coaching

Co-coach, Milton Campos Law School team (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) won the first Brazilian National Mediation & Negotiation Competition, Porto Alegre (in Portuguese), October 2016

Arbitration Competitions

As Arbitrator (Judge)

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Global Moot Competition, University of Miami Law School, 2019.

Vis Pre-Moot Arbitration Competition semi-final in São Paulo, 2015 with Brazilian teams; on panels at the Vis Pre-Moot at JAMS Miami with teams from Finland, France, Mexico and the U.S.  2011, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Chaired international commercial arbitration panel for the Vis Pre-Moot in Rio de Janeiro - teams from Brazilian law schools in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Curitiba (in Portuguese), 2013.

Chaired international arbitration panel for the semi-final round of the III Brazilian National Arbitration Competition - Petrônio Muniz, Rio de Janeiro with 15 teams from Brazilian law schools (in Portuguese), October 2012.

Adjunct Professor, Florida International University Law School, Miami, co-teaching three-day intensive Mediation Module Program for exchange law students from Victoria University in Australia, 2017.

Facilitator/Trainer for two-day training workshop "Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices for New AAA Arbitrators", American Arbitration Association, Miami, December 2016.