8th Annual Conference

12th - 13th June 2025
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Exchange House, Primrose Street
London EC2A 2EG

8th Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration & Dispute Resolution in the Middle East & Africa

12th - 13th June 2025

Herbert Smith Freehills
Exchange House, Primrose Street
London EC2A 2EG

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About the Conference

Now in its 8th Edition, Energy Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa is firmly established as a major event in the international arbitration calendar, serving as a forum for discussion of energy dispute resolution, and the factors that drive energy disputes in these key markets. As with previous editions, our 2025 conference will bring together leading figures from the Middle East and Africa to examine procedural and technological developments in dispute resolution, the economic and geopolitical drivers of disputes, and what lies ahead for the industry. This is an unmissable event for all professionals involved in energy dispute resolution in the Middle East and Africa.

Our Speakers

Brandon Malone

Quadrant Chambers, Ampersand Advocates, and Arbitra International

Conference Director

Brandon Malone is a distinguished advocate and barrister with 30 years of experience in dispute resolution. He practises with Ampersand Advocates in Scotland and is a member of the Inner Temple, authorised to appear before all courts in England and Wales, as well as the DIFC Courts in Dubai. His expertise lies in complex commercial, energy, and construction disputes, and he is recognised internationally for his arbitration work.

He was formerly accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in both Construction Law and Arbitration Law, and in 2016 became Scotland's first Approved Solicitor Arbitrator. Brandon is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an eminent Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He also lectures at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, and has served as an External Examiner at Robert Gordon University.

Brandon was a key figure in founding the Scottish Arbitration Centre, where he served as Chairman from 2011 to 2022. He remains on the Centre's Board and is Co-Director of the International Centre for Energy Arbitration. He is regularly appointed to serve as arbitrator in institutional and ad hoc proceedings, and sits on the panels of major centres including ICDR, SIAC, CIETAC, AIAC, SCCA, ADGM, and BCDR.

Beyond his arbitration practice, he is a Door Tenant at Quadrant Chambers in London, an arbitrator with Arbitra International, and Senior Legal Consultant with HFI Consulting International, advising clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He is a member of the ICC UK Committee on Arbitration and ADR, and also chairs the ICCA–New York City Bar–CPR Working Group on Cybersecurity. In 2022, he chaired the landmark ICCA Congress in Edinburgh.

Sir William Patey

Chairman of the Labour Middle East Council & Chair of Turquoise Mountain Trust

Opening the conference

Sir William Patey is one of the United Kingdom's most distinguished diplomats, with a career spanning some of the most geopolitically significant postings in recent history. He served as British Ambassador to Sudan (2002–2005), Iraq (2005–2006), Saudi Arabia (2007–2010), and Afghanistan (2010–2012), offering expert leadership and strategic counsel during pivotal moments in each of these regions.

Following his diplomatic service, Sir William brought his deep understanding of global risk and international affairs to the private sector. Since 2012, he has served as Government and International Affairs Adviser to Control Risks, a leading global risk consultancy. He was also Non-Executive Director of HSBC Middle East from 2012 to 2019, where he provided strategic oversight in a period of complex regulatory and economic transition across the region.

Sir William remains deeply engaged in policy, cultural preservation, and regional development initiatives. He currently serves as Chairman of the Labour Middle East Council, contributing to nuanced dialogue on foreign policy and regional engagement. He is also Chair of the Turquoise Mountain Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving cultural heritage and supporting artisanal enterprise in the Middle East and Central Asia.

With unparalleled experience navigating the intersection of diplomacy, business, and security in the Middle East and Africa, Sir William continues to be a sought-after voice on regional affairs and international strategy.

Dr. Mahmood Hussain

Founding Partner of
M & CO

Keynote Day 1

Dr. Mahmood Hussain is the Founding Partner of M&CO Legal, a leading UAE-based law firm, and a highly respected litigator, arbitrator, and dispute resolution specialist with more than 20 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors. Recognised for his strategic insight and deep understanding of regional and international legal frameworks, Dr. Hussain is widely regarded as one of the UAE's foremost legal practitioners in the fields of commercial litigation, arbitration, and Islamic law.

He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in over 50 international arbitration cases, including high-value, multi-jurisdictional disputes across sectors such as construction, energy, infrastructure, and shareholder disputes. He is accredited by leading arbitral institutions including the ICC, DIAC, LCIA, and ADCCAC, and continues to be a trusted figure in cross-border arbitration.

Dr. Hussain currently serves as the Chair of the ICC-UAE Commission on Arbitration and ADR and is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR in Paris, contributing actively to the development and harmonisation of global arbitration practices. His leadership has significantly contributed to positioning the UAE as a centre for international arbitration.

Alongside his legal practice, Dr. Hussain is committed to legal education and thought leadership. He lectures on UAE Sharia Law and Islamic Arbitration at the University of East Anglia (UK), and teaches UAE Labour and Employment Law at Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas (France). Through these roles, he supports the next generation of legal professionals and promotes a nuanced understanding of UAE law in international academic and professional circles.

Fluent in Arabic and English, Dr. Hussain regularly speaks at global legal forums, and his work reflects a commitment to bridging legal traditions, fostering cross-border cooperation, and strengthening legal capacity in the MENA region and beyond.

Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour

Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

Keynote Day 2

Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, lawyer and arbitrator (British Chevening Scholar) is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) with over 40 years’ experience in legal practice and alternative dispute resolution. She graduated in Law from the University of Lagos [1980] and holds Master of Laws degree [University of Lagos] and Master of Arts [M.A] of King’s College London, University of London She is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. She is a certified mediator by CEDR UK.

She has acquired very significant experience and recognized in various publications including Expert Guides, Who is Who Legal and Women in Business Law (Commercial Arbitration) as a top Arbitration Practitioner. Her experience spans various areas including Energy and Natural resources, Construction and Infrastructural projects, Maritime, Banking, Joint Ventures and Investment Arbitration. She has been involved in cases under major arbitration rules.

She was a member of the ICC Paris International Court of Arbitration, is a member of the World Bank Group Sanctions Board. She is listed on the Panel of Arbitrators of various international institutions including the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes [ICSID]. She has held pivotal roles in Arbitration Institutions [local and international] including being the pioneer founding President of the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria. She is a Past Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators [CIArb] Nigeria Branch.

he has written several articles on Arbitration/ADR and regularly delivers papers at international and domestic conferences and training events. She is an approved tutor for the CIArb. She is the author of the book titled: ‘Commercial Arbitration Law and Practice in Nigeria through the Cases’ Published by LexisNexis.Adedoyin is an advocate of diversity and inclusion.

Emilia Onyema is an independent arbitrator with experience as presiding, co and sole arbitrator, and acts as legal expert witness in international arbitration. She is a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the DIAC Court, among others. She is a Professor of International Commercial Law at SOAS University of London where she teaches and publishes on international arbitration, international investment law and commercial law in a global context. She is qualified to practice law in Nigeria, as a Solicitor in England & Wales, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is the Director of the SOAS Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Centre (SADRC). In 2024, she received the CPR Institute award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR, and the African Arbitration Association award for Publication/Speech of the Year for her Roebuck Lecture which was also shortlisted for the GAR Best Lecture/Speech Award 2024.

Jacob Grierson is an English barrister and a French lawyer. Having started his career in the Chambers of Lord Grabiner KC at One Essex Court in London, Jacob has been based in Paris for the past 20 years and has become a French avocat while remaining an English barrister. Jacob has acted both as counsel and as arbitrator (sole arbitrator, president and co-arbitrator) in a very large number of arbitrations subject to many different laws and seated in many different places, although predominantly in London and Paris, the two cities between which he divides his time.

He has a particular focus on disputes related to Africa (both Anglophone and Francophone) and on certain sectors, including construction, energy, mining, pharma/biotechnology and
transport. Jacob is bilingual in English and French, and has conducted arbitrations in both of those languages. He also has a working knowledge of German. He has been recognised by Who’s Who Legal as one of the ten best regarded arbitration practitioners in France and by Jeune Afrique as one of the most influential lawyers active in Francophone Africa.
Jacob is the author (together with Annet van Hooft) of “Arbitrating under the 2012 ICC Rules: an Introductory Users’ Guide”, which has been recognised as one of the leading guides to the ICC Rules of Arbitration, on which Jacob is a leading authority.

Jacob is a Council Member of the ICC Institute, a Member of the ICC’s Arbitration Commission, President of the Users’ Council of the Casablanca International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CIMAC) and a Member of the Steering Committee of the Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC).

Glenn R. George is a seasoned advisor and expert witness in the global power and utilities, oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, water, chemical, transport, consumer services, and infrastructure sectors. Drawing on his background as an engineer and economist, he applies deep expertise in strategy, policy, regulation, technology, and finance to deliver consulting and litigation support to governments, companies, and investors. His consulting work includes regulatory design, transaction support (involving over time more than 30,000 MW of generation capacity, together with a wide variety of other asset types), asset valuation (including intellectual property), risk assessment, transportation planning, energy efficiency, and power generation, transmission, and distribution.

His expert testimony relates primarily to contract disputes and construction delays and cost overruns in the energy, infrastructure, and related sectors. He has testified 20 times, including as both an engineer and quantum expert, in a number of high-profile, multi-billion-dollar matters, including in the High Court of England and Wales, the International Court of Justice at The Hague, the US Court of Federal Claims, several US District Courts, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). He was lead expert witness on behalf of the Nigeria in Nigeria v. P&ID, an $11 billion litigation matter; on behalf of Uganda in Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda; on behalf of the Federal Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico in an ongoing $8.5 billion bankruptcy matter; and on behalf of the City of Baltimore in ongoing litigation concerning the collapse of the Key Bridge after it was struck by MV Dali.

Before entering the consulting field, Dr. George served in policymaking and program management positions in the US government, in the areas of nuclear facility operations, congressional liaison, export controls, and warship design, procurement, regulation, and operation. Dr. George holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering (with distinction) from Cornell University, an MBA (with distinction) from the same institution, a diploma in nuclear engineering from the US Department of Energy’s Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, and the PhD (with a focus on energy economics) from Harvard University. He is a licensed professional engineer (PE).

Dr. George is an active member of numerous professional organizations. In 2011, he received the ANS Presidential Citation for his response to the Fukushima accident. He attended the COP28 Dubai Climate Change Summit in December 2023 as part of the US Energy Transition team. And he is recognized as a recommended expert in the Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal) Arbitration Expert Witnesses 2025 report.

Daniel Correa is the Managing Director of DAC Consulting Services, where he leads a team of specialist forensic engineers and delay experts delivering independent expert witness services for complex energy and infrastructure disputes across the globe. With over 20 years of experience in the engineering and construction sectors, Daniel has been instructed in high-value arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, DIAC, and UNCITRAL rules, involving upstream and downstream oil and gas, renewables, and large-scale infrastructure projects.

Daniel is regularly appointed as a delay and disruption expert and has testified in international arbitration proceedings. He is recognised for his ability to distil complex technical and scheduling matters into clear, persuasive evidence for tribunals. His recent assignments have included disputes relating to LNG facilities, offshore platforms, power generation assets, and wind farms.

Prior to founding DAC, Daniel held senior roles at leading global consultancies and worked extensively on the delivery of major projects in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering and is a member of several professional bodies, including the Society of Construction Law and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Hind Al Aissi is a Moroccan attorney-at-law based in Paris and member of the Paris and New York bars. Her main practice is international arbitration & public international law, and her working languages are Arabic, French, English and Spanish.

Throughout her career, she has been involved in investment and commercial arbitration cases under the leading arbitral institutions, particularly in cases related to foreign investment in sectors such as energy, mining, construction, and pharmaceuticals.

Her practice also covers State-to-State disputes and various public international law issues, including maritime border delimitations and questions of state succession and sovereign immunity. She also worked on peculiar cases at the intersection of arbitration and international sanctions. A significant portion of her work focuses on the Middle East and Africa, regions where she has also been a speaker at events such as the International Law Summit in London and the MEDays Forum in Tangiers.

Hind earned law degrees from the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Paris II (Panthéon-Assas). She holds a law degree from Columbia Law School, where she was an editor for the American Review of International Arbitration (ARIA).

Julius Nkafu was called to the English Bar at the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in 2014, having previously been called to the Cameroon Bar in 2006. He is also a member of The Barrister Group Chambers and Julex Chambers in the United Kingdom.

He is a distinguished legal professional with a broad and diverse educational background. He has a law degree from the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon, a CPE, and an LLM in International Business Law from London, United Kingdom. He also possesses Postgraduate Certificates in Transnational Oil & Gas Law and Education.

Julius specialises in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and is widely recognised in international arbitration. He serves as an arbitrator in disputes and represents parties as counsel. He is a Course Director and lecturer on International Arbitration at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in London and is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Court of Arbitration. He is also a member of several prominent arbitration panels, highlighting his deep commitment and expertise in ADR. His extensive legal practice encompasses key sectors, including civil and commercial matters, energy, oil and gas(including ESG), maritime, and international trade. Additionally, he offers specialised advisory services in Business Email Compromise (BEC) and International Administrative Law.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Julius is dedicated to civic and international initiatives. He has participated in local authority committees in London as an elected member and as an election observer in various countries. As a Direct Access Barrister, he is authorised to conduct litigation and represent clients in courts and tribunals throughout the United Kingdom and Cameroon.

Julius is an active member of numerous professional organisations, including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Fellow), the Commercial Bar Association (Combar), the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA - Support Member), and the African Arbitration Association (AfAA). He also chairs the ADR Committee of the African Bar Association and sits on the Sanctions Appeals Board of the African Development Bank Group.

Ula is the Managing Director of Cortex Capital where she integrates psychology and neuroscience with law and business. Ula is an experienced arbitration lawyer and an expert in human behaviour. She holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCL and a MA in Psychology from the University of St Andrews. Ula also practiced international arbitration for over a decade in Europe and Asia, including spending time in-house at finance and telecoms firms.

Ula trains and advises lawyers, corporates and banking clients around the world on leadership, diversity and wellbeing/performance programmes. She also lectures at Queen Mary University of London on Strategic Decision-Making and she is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Warwick. Ula is commissioned by international organisations to conduct original research on decision-making and diversity topics. Ula has won awards for her speaking and writing and is a well-known thinker in Legal Psychology.

Andrew Mackenzie has been Chief Executive of the Scottish Arbitration Centre since its establishment in 2011. A solicitor on secondment to the Centre from the Scottish Government, Andrew previously worked as a policy lead in Justice and as a legal adviser to that Government.

Andrew is Co-Chair of the International Bar Association (IBA) Government and Public Lawyers Forum and Chair of the IBA Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI) Council’s Working Group on UN SDGs and ESG. He is a former Member of the IBA SPPI Council and former Co-Chair of the IBA Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee. An Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, he also co-chairs the European Sub-Committee of the Campaign for Greener Arbitration and sits on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Arbitration Court Users Group and is a public interest member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland Investigation Committee.

Mrs. Mispa FRI AWASUM (PhD in view, LLM, MSc, DLP, MCIArb) is a dynamic international arbitrator, mediator, season public speaker and policy expert with over a decade of experience in international trade, investment law, and dispute resolution. She currently serves as the Manager of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Rwanda Branch, where she leads national training initiatives, capacity building, and advocacy for alternative dispute resolution across East Africa.

A rising force in Africa's arbitration and governance landscape, Mispa has served as tribunal secretary in complex international proceedings involving investment and commercial disputes and is currently undertaking her first appointment as an arbitrator. She is also a trusted advisor to investors on corporate social responsibility, ESG compliance, and conflict-sensitive business practices.

A multilingual speaker and award-winning human rights and Democracy advocate from the Senate of Maryland, Mispa holds multiple qualifications in law, gender, environmental policy, and development from institutions in Rwanda, Cameroon, and the UK. She is a member of CIArb (UK), AfAA, AYA, Young ICCA, African Women in Arbitration and the ICC YAAF.

Mispa is the Founder of the AWASUM Institute specialized in Peace, Gender, Good Governance, Dispute Resolution & Environmental Sustainability and is passionately committed to promoting justice, equity, and sustainable leadership across Africa.

Hon. Prof. Kariuki Muigua, Ph.D., FCIArb. (Chartered Arbitrator), OGW

He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Professor of law, University of Nairobi, Faculty of Law; Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). He served as the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Regional Trustee for Africa from 2019 to 2022.

He has on various occasions been appointed by leading arbitral institutions including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb-Kenya), the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) among other institutions, as both as a sole arbitrator and a member of arbitral tribunals in arbitrations involving commercial disputes.

He became the first winner of the Inaugural CIArb (Kenya Branch) ADR Lifetime Achievement Award 2021. He was also the winner of the ADR Practitioner of the Year Award 2021 given by the Nairobi LSK and the ADR Publisher of the Year 2021 awarded by CIArb Kenya. He is rated by Chambers and Partners as one of the best dispute resolvers in the country. He has published in the areas of ADR and Access to Justice, Environment, and Natural Resources.

Rym Loucif founded her own practice, Loucif + Co, after having practised with respected US law firms in Paris (Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher) as well as with renowned French law firms in Algiers (Gide and LPA-CGR Avocats).

Based in Algeria for the past ten years, Rym Loucif has acquired a renowned expertise in Algerian business law advising mostly foreign investors regarding their investments and activities in the country.

Her deep knowledge of the Algerian business environment combined with her international vision allows her to provide clients with tailor-made advice adapted to the reality on the ground.

Rym Loucif focuses on cross-border mergers, acquisitions, establishment of joint-ventures, competition law and energy related-matters, on behalf of leading international groups.

Rym Loucif attended the prestigious Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris II and King’s College in London before being admitted to the Paris Bar in 2006.

Loucif + Co is a trusted and regular contributor to major regional and international legal conferences. Rym Loucif contributes as an expert to the OECD in the context of the EU-OECD Program on Promoting Investment in the Mediterranean, aiming to strengthen investments into and within the Mediterranean region.

Daniel is an English-qualified barrister and arbitration practitioner who has acted in over 40 arbitrations - ranging from USD 2 million to over USD 1 billion - under the rules of the leading arbitral institutions, seated in seats including Geneva, London and Singapore. He has developed an extensive client base across continental Europe, Turkey and the Middle East and is particularly well-versed in applying foreign law and developing and presenting foreign law arguments to tribunals of diverse legal cultures.

After training at the London Commercial Bar, Daniel practised in the arbitration group of a leading US firm in London before practising in Switzerland from 2011.

More recently, he was a partner at an international law firm in Geneva, ranked in the GAR 30 listing, and later worked in Doha. He combines experience of civil law culture with common law advocacy know how, described in Legal 500 as "a rising star" and in Who's Who Legal as "undoubtedly one of the new generation of influential European arbitration lawyers". Daniel is a native speaker of English and German and has a knowledge of legal French. He frequently contributes to debates about arbitral practice, through participation in international conferences and written publications.

A senior leader with extensive expertise based on a 34-year career in the UK Army, finishing as a Major General. A history of operational and strategic leadership including planning and successful tactical delivery of thriving in high-pressure environments requiring effective decision-making, and an ability to harness the power of teams. He now translates that into helping individuals and organisations think differently about their leadership and provides leadership consulting, coaching, mentoring, advising, and speaking services. A qualified coach, speaker and best-selling author on leadership and life-skills. Clients include Virgin Media, Deutsche Windtechnik, Network Rail, Thales, Sandals, and has given keynote addresses to many clients including: BlackRock, Amazon, Boston Consulting Group, Headteachers Conference, the National Police Federation and the National Health Service. Paul has delivered executive leadership development to the KSA MoD in partnership with the Arab British Chamber of Commerce and BAES. Prior to civilian life he held many leadership roles in the British Army, including Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Director UK Army Leadership, Head UK Army Recruiting and Training 2015 – 2020, where he was The British Army’s lead for leadership development, cohering and professionalising the study of leadership across the Service. Leader of an organisation with 5.5K people and an annual budget of £200M that attracts, recruits, selects, trains and develops all British Army officers and soldiers. He also developed an International Commercial Leadership Development Programme aimed at translating military leadership into the commercial sector and drove cultural change through the introduction of Leadership Doctrine and the establishment of the first Centre for the professional study of Army Leadership. He was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Reading for contribution to contemporary thinking about leadership development.

Momoh is the Managing Partner at Mitchell Simmonds. He is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales; his practice focuses on dispute resolution, particularly commercial litigation and arbitration in various commercial sectors such as oil & gas/energy, construction and engineering projects, shipping, international trade and company/corporate (shareholder/M&A). Momoh holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) Degree in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary University of London, and he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London. Momoh is a highly skilled and trained dispute resolution specialist and has attended advanced courses in the field of commercial dispute resolution, including a residential course on international investment law and arbitration at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge. Momoh has also been awarded a diploma certificate in international arbitration by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.

Dr. Enikő Horváth is an independent arbitrator and counsel specializing in international arbitration and public international law, with 18 years of experience. She has advised or represented sovereign and private parties in more than 30 investment arbitrations, in commercial and inter-State arbitrations, and in human rights cases. Her experience spans a variety of applicable laws and sectors, including energy, mining, and infrastructure.

Enikő holds a JD from Columbia Law School and a PhD in Comparative, International and European Law from the European University Institute. She is admitted to the bar in New York and Paris and as a solicitor in England and Wales.

Jean-Christophe Honlet is a founding partner of Honlet Legum Arbitration, a Paris-based boutique devoted exclusively to international arbitration. Before that, he was a partner and headed for over 12 years the global arbitration practice of a large international law firm. Over the past 25 years, Jean-Christophe has been involved in numerous international arbitrations, both commercial and under bilateral investment treaties, spanning a number of applicable laws and industry sectors, including energy, mining, international construction, real estate, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, insurance and reinsurance, telecommunications, media, automotive, aerospace, private equity and banking. He has represented public and private companies, sovereign states and state entities. He is also active in arbitration-related litigation, including actions to set aside arbitral awards and enforcement actions.

Jean-Christophe is a member of the Paris Bar. He graduated from ESSEC Business School (MBA) and the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne. He held a Lavoisier scholarship at the Maison Française, University of Oxford. He is a lecturer on international commercial and investment arbitration at the University of Paris II Pantheon Assas, the University of Strasbourg and the University of Angers.

Mark has over 30 years' experience in commercial law, private practice and the oil and gas sector, both as a lawyer and a commercial negotiator. He has worked in over 80 countries on every continent and focused latterly on the renewables sector, specifically the development of large-scale tidal power generation. As Head of Energy, Mark leads Albertson's advisory work on high-profile cases involving Energy and working alongside Construction and Infrastructure colleagues.

After qualifying in England as a solicitor, Mark spent 25 years in the oil and gas sector, including at Chevron and British Gas, where he worked to acquire licenses for oil and gas exploration and development from many Governments and working with a broad range of joint venture partners, where formulating creative deal structures was his forte. Mark also worked on pipeline projects in the UK and the Caspian Sea.

Agis Georgiades is an advocate, barrister, arbitrator and mediator. He is a member of Cyprus Bar Association, the Bar of England and Wales, and is also a registered practitioner in the DIFC Courts.

He is based in Nicosia and is a Partner and Head of International Disputes at CGA, focusing on complex international dispute resolution, including arbitration and litigation before local and international tribunals, in Cyprus and abroad.

As counsel, he has had a broad commercial and international practice since 2005. Agis has argued international commercial, construction, corporate (including corporate fraud), energy, IP and investment cases before arbitral tribunals and courts. He has extensive experience in interim injunctions and other emergency proceedings of all types. He also appears frequently before the Tenders Review Authority in relation to large procurement projects.
Agis is listed as arbitrator by several institutions, including DIAC, CAMC, BVI IAC, CAfA, ArbCEE, JCAA, RAA, CLF, UAA, APIAC, HKIAC and SCCA; and is also listed for Bilateral Disputes in relation to EU’s Trade Agreements with Third Countries. As arbitrator, he has wide experience in commercial, construction and corporate disputes.

Agis is a Member of LCIA Court, an Ambassador of VIAC, a Fellow of the CIArb, and an Accredited Mediator. He is a member of the board of directors of CAF and the founder and co-chair of CAD.

He was a member of the Cyprus Supreme Court’s CPR Revision Committee and is an advocate member of the Cyprus CPR Standing Committee.
Agis holds a law degree from the University of Leeds, an LLM from LSE, a Postgraduate Diploma on International Mediation and Construction Arbitration from Queen Mary College, a Diploma in Negotiations from the Athens University of Economics and Business and has completed the ICC/CIArb Advanced Arbitration Academy. He has published on arbitration, mediation, civil procedure, international law and law of evidence. He is Adjunct Faculty at the University of Nicosia, where he lectures on the Law of Evidence. He also lectures on arbitration in the CIArb Maritime Arbitration Diploma and the Cyprus Center for ADR.

Godson Ugochukwu, SAN, FCIArb, is a distinguished legal practitioner with over 22 years of consistent experience in international arbitration and mediation. He specializes in commercial litigation, ADR, corporate advisory, insolvency, medical negligence, data protection and privacy and regularly advises on complex legal issues. Godson has been appointed to several domestic and international arbitration panels and has represented clients in institutional and ad-hoc arbitral tribunals within and outside Nigeria.

Godson was honoured with the prestigious title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2022 in recognition of his excellence in dispute resolution, particularly in litigation. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) UK, he actively
contributes to advancing international arbitration and ADR, serving as a resource person at numerous international conferences and forums.

Godson holds memberships in several esteemed organizations, including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Nigeria Branch, the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL), the International Bar Association (IBA), where he participates in the Litigation and Arbitration Committees, the Swiss Chinese Law Association (SCLA), the European-Chinese Arbitration Association (ECAA), and the African Arbitration Association (AfAA).

Beyond his legal career, Godson serves on the board of various blue-chip companies and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Guinea Insurance Plc. He co- founded Fortress Solicitors with his wife, Ruth, and leads the firm’s Dispute Resolution Practice. Godson finds joy and inspiration in family life, sharing his journey with Ruth and their three sons.

Lady Olga Maitland is Honorary President of the Algeria British Business Council. She was chairman of the Abbc for 20 years until she stepped aside this year. She is President and Founder of Defence and Security Forum, a geopolitical think tank launched in 1983. She was Member of Parliament , Conservative, 1992 – 1997 and served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon. Sir John Wheeler, JP, DL, Minister of State for Northern Ireland with responsibility for security. She is on the Advisory Board of Audere International. She is in demand as a speaker and moderator on corporate risk and cyber security at conferences all over the world. She is the author of ‘Margaret Thatcher, the First Ten Years’. Prior to her public life, she was a leading Fleet Street columnist with the Sunday Express and broadcaster on radio and tv.

Camilla Godman - Investment Manager, Senior Legal Counsel, FCIArb

Camilla Godman is an Investment Manager based in London responsible for originating, assessing and managing funded cases internationally with a focus on EMEA and the UK.

Camilla is a cross-border disputes lawyer and a qualified arbitrator with over 20 years’ experience.

Prior to joining Omni Bridgeway, she was a Director at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) where she established CIArb’s first office outside the UK, in Asia, and led the strategic growth and development of the global membership.

Camilla began her career in private practice with Ashurst LLP, initially in London and then in Singapore where she developed the firm’s Singapore Disputes’ Practice. She was subsequently Deputy Registrar at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, where her role included scrutinizing all draft awards and leading the counsel team. She has also completed secondments in-house at Mitsui & Co. Ltd and IBM.

Camilla has been involved in a large number of varied disputes, throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Her experience spans joint venture disputes, class actions, energy, construction and infrastructure disputes, international trade and competition-related disputes.

Camilla is a solicitor advocate with Higher Rights of Audience and is both a Fellow and Faculty member of the CIArb where she teaches arbitration courses. She is a frequent speaker and author on arbitration-related issues as well as third party funding. In the last 10 years, Camilla has collaborated with leaders in the ADR field to develop regional and international ADR policy, notably in 2020 with UK Ministers from the All Party-Parliamentary Group for ADR focusing on the UK’s position as a leading disputes hub.

She holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Oxford, UK.

Craig Tevendale is Head of the International Arbitration group in London and UK Head of Energy at Herbert Smith Freehills. He has broad experience of commercial arbitration, court and expert determination proceedings in a wide range of industries, with a particular focus on the energy sector.

His broader contribution to the arbitral community includes appointments to the ICC UK National Committee for Arbitration, to the ICC Commission upon the nomination of the ICC UK National Committee, as elected Chair to the Advisory Committee of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), and Deputy Chairman at the Advisory Committee to the Oman Arbitration Centre (OAC).

Fluent in Arabic and French, Craig has lived and studied in the Middle East and has a First Class honours degree in Arabic. He is often involved in cases involving the Middle East and North Africa, including as arbitrator in cases subject to governing laws including Egyptian, Iraqi, Omani, Yemeni, Qatari and UAE law.

Isabel Fernández de la Cuesta is an independent arbitrator based in New York with more than 20 years of experience in the field of international arbitration, in both commercial and investor-state disputes. Before setting up her own practice as independent arbitrator in 2023, Isabel was a partner in King & Spalding’s international arbitration group, where she handled complex, high-stakes international arbitrations across many industries and jurisdictions. Isabel has arbitrated disputes and served as counsel in matters under all the major institutions, including ICC, AAA/ICDR, LCIA and PCA. She has significant experience in Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East in a wide variety of sectors, including energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, hospitality, and others. She is fluent in Spanish, English and French.

Sean is CEO of global expert witness company Hanscomb Intercontinental. Sean’s primary expertise is quantum and as well as acting an international expert witness also sits as arbitrator, adjudicator, expert determiner and dispute board member.

He has held directorships and senior commercial positions with contracting and consultancy firms in the United Kingdom and Internationally. With over 30 years’ experience in the onshore and offshore construction and engineering industries across the globe Sean has worked across the continents of Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

Project experience includes major airport developments, industrial process plants, commercial developments, military and police installations, heavy engineering in respect of onshore and offshore oil & gas facilities and pipelines, highway interchanges, tunnels, leisure resorts, nuclear, water treatment and desalination plants, waste to energy, biomass, onshore and offshore windfarms, renewables, mines, ports, hospitals and rail/metro projects.

He is Chair of The Adjudication Society, Council Member of the Society of Construction Law (UK), ICP Member of The International Bar Association, Region 2 Director of The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, and founder of UK Adjudicators and HK Adjudicators.

Sean is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators and a FIDIC President’s List Adjudicator and Mediator.

Paul Sills is a globally recognised international arbitrator, mediator, and dispute board member with over 30 years of experience in resolving complex commercial disputes. He is a member of Arbitra International based in London and working across multiple jurisdictions. Paul is regularly appointed in high-value, multi-party cases spanning sectors such as construction, energy, transport, marine, and finance. His work is rooted in both common law and civil law systems, reflecting his versatility and global reach.

Paul’s dispute resolution expertise is underpinned by a career that includes practice as a civil and commercial barrister and executive leadership roles in international business. He has served as CEO and director in industries ranging from construction to corporate recovery, including acting as a company receiver during the global financial crisis. This commercial acumen enhances his value as a neutral, offering parties and tribunals deep insight into legal, technical, and strategic dimensions of a dispute.

A Fellow of multiple global arbitration institutes, including CIArb, and trained at the Harvard Program on Negotiation, Paul is also an active academic and educator. He taught international commercial arbitration at Westminster Law School and leads the professional training programme for arbitrators and mediators in New Zealand as Director of Professional Studies at AMINZ. His recent engagements include cross-border energy transition disputes and EU trade arbitration, and he has been named a Who’s Who Legal Global Leader in Mediation for 2022 and 2023.

Paul’s reputation is built on clarity, fairness, and effectiveness.

Jadranka Jakovcic is a New York-qualified attorney specializing in international arbitration and public international law. She has spent the past several years in private practice in New York, where she advised and represented sovereign states and investors in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations under ICSID, UNCITRAL, and ICC rules. Her prior experience spans academia, international institutions, and the judiciary, including roles at the Legal Service of the European Commission in Brussels and the New York Supreme Court. Trained in both civil and common law systems, she has worked in Croatia, Italy, Belgium, and the United States. Jadranka is a regular speaker and contributor on topics of international arbitration and holds leadership roles with Young ICCA and the Young Croatian Arbitration Practitioners Association.

Clarissa Coleman is Head of Arbitration at DAC Beachcroft LLP and a partner in the Commercial Litigation and Disputes group in London. DAC Beachcroft LLP won the British Arbitration Team of the Year in 2022/2023.

Clarissa Coleman advises corporates and individuals on multi-jurisdictional arbitration disputes, enforcement strategies, reputation and crisis management, internal and external investigations, ethics and governance. Legal 500 Arbitration stated: “Clarissa Coleman is clever, tenacious, energetic and a great team manager”, “Superb” and as a “fantastic brainstormer” in public references. "Clarissa Coleman 'has a terrific client-side manner'" and "Clarissa Coleman is an outstanding tactician, who never gets lost in the detail".

Clarissa has extensive experience (private practice and in-house) of arbitral claims relating to private equity structures, fee agreements, shareholder agreements, failed joint ventures, confidentiality and contractual disputes in the pharmaceutical, technology and commercial sectors.

Clarissa is currently running arbitrations in DIFC, the LCIA, ICC and FOSFA. She regularly speaks on arbitral matters including at the Tel Aviv Arbitration Week, Paris Arbitration Week, London International Disputes Week, Commercial Legal Summit, 6th Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in MENA and has participated on panels with the ICC, HKIAC, CIARB and the London Chamber of Arbitration and Mediation. She is a member of the LCIA, Arbitral Women, Mute Off Thursdays and REAL.

She was profiled in the Mute Off list of Arbitrators and has been listed as a UK leading lawyer for the last 7 years (2017- 2024) listed in the 8th- 12th editions of the Expert Guides’ Women in Business Law. Clarissa has been listed as a leading lawyer for the UK from 2017– 2024 in Who's Who Legal: Investigations in Conjunction with Global Investigations Review.

President: Mauritanian British Business Council
Chairman: Francophone British Business Council
Managing Director: TVET UK

Matthew Anderson has over 30 years’ experience in international business, spanning education, marketing, and financial services.

After more than a decade with the City & Guilds Group, he joined TVET UK as Executive Director to develop a commercially viable flagship for British vocational education overseas. The initiative has delivered substantial commercial value for the sector. In 2017, he led a management buyout to take strategic control of the organisation, introducing financial services tailored to developing and frontier markets—beginning with Mauritania.

In 2016, he founded the Mauritanian British Business Council (www.mbbc.uk), creating a bilateral trade body between two countries with limited shared history. Under his leadership, MBBC has grown steadily, highlighting the potential for Anglo-Mauritanian commercial partnerships. He also established edUKate Mauritania, a locally registered training centre focused on building human capital aligned with global economic demands.

Recognising similar opportunities across Francophone Africa, Matthew launched the Francophone British Business Council (www.fbbc.uk) in 2023. The FBBC was created to extend this UK export experience into other former French-speaking African states that lack strong bilateral trade representation, including Mauritania’s neighbours.

Matthew is committed to sustainable investment and developing mutually beneficial trade partnerships. He believes firmly in trade—not aid—as the most effective route to long-term development and shared prosperity.

Jonathan is an experienced legal advisor specializing in complex, high-value energy and infrastructure projects across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. His portfolio includes advising on renewable energy (solar, wind, hydrogen), LNG, nuclear new builds, and major infrastructure developments such as airports, stadia, power projects, water treatment plants, and rail systems.

With a strong foundation in international commercial arbitration and knowledge of public international law, Jonathan has guided clients through major project development and dispute resolution in the energy and construction sectors. He has a notable focus on largescale infrastructure and energy schemes, particularly within EMEA.

In addition to his advisory roles, Jonathan is an active contributor to the energy and arbitration legal community. He has authored and presented thought leadership on topics including nuclear project disputes, hydrogen development in MENA, LNG arbitration, JOA and PPP disputes, and international investment arbitration. His work has been featured in legal handbooks, academic texts, and on industry panels.

Noreen is the Founder of Noreen & Co, an impact driven boutique law firm focused on energy, extractives and infrastructure sectors in frontier and emerging markets.

She holds a master’s degree in International Energy Law and Policy from the University of Dundee with a core module in international energy arbitration and routinely represents clients in both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations under a wide variety of arbitral rules. She has also appeared in court matters related to arbitration.

Noree has served the arbitration community in various capacities including as Chair of the CIArb (YMG) Global Steering Committee, Africa Regional Representative of the LCIA – YIAG and co-founder of Energy Related Practitioners (ENERAP) Kenya. Presently, she is the Vice-Chair of the ICC’s Commission on Arbitration and ADR (Kenya) and a subcommittee member of ERA Pledge Africa.

In 2020, she led the Law Society of Kenya ADR Committee in drafting the LSK Arbitration Rules, and in 2022 Noreen was recognised as one of ‘Africa's 30 Most Promising Young Arbitrators’ by the Association of Young Arbitrators.

Emmanuel Dupuy is President of the Institute for European Perspective and Security Studies (IPSE), a think tank focused on track two diplomacy and strategic prospective analysis with offices in Paris, Brussels and Rabat. He is an Associate Professor at the Catholic University of Lille, in the Institut Supérieur de Gestion (ISG, Paris and Strasbourg) and in the South Champagne Business School (SCBS, Troyes) as well as various universities across the world (Geneva in Switzerland, Hangzhou, in China), specialising in war and security studies. Emmanuel Dupuy served as advisor to the French Secretary of Defence and Veterans Affairs (2008-2010), and political advisor to French military forces deployed in Afghanistan (2011).

Philippe FORTUIT is a lawyer registered with the Paris Bar since 1989. After practicing at an american firm, he became a partner at a consulting firm where he developed its litigation strategies.

He was a founding partner of his own law firm in 2008, which has been based at 28 rue Marbeuf, near the Champs-Élysées, since 2016.

Philippe FORTUIT, with his team of lawyers, has nearly 30 years of experience in business law and regulated markets, as well as in the negotiation and drafting of international contracts.

The firm represents its clients in significant business disputes and institutional and ad hoc arbitrations, both national and international.
Philippe FORTUIT is also a teacher at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne; he is a member of the Sorbonne Business Finance department and of the laboratory of French economic law (LADEF).

He regularly hosts international conferences in the Sorbonne and abroad.

Craig is the CEO of Ducis Advisors. Following a career where he has been both a leader, and a developer of leaders across the globe, Craig and the Ducis Advisors team look to develop and enhance leadership capability in organisations at all levels.

Craig was a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and spent 18 years as a British Army Officer. He served in many countries across the world and spent five years on operations in Northern Ireland, where he was mentioned in Despatches in 1989. He served with the NATO forces in Bosnia in 1996.

Having left the Army, Craig worked as a leader with Coca-Cola Enterprises, running both a sales operation and large distribution centres. His commercial experience also included seven years with Aon as both a risk consultant, where he advised clients on crisis management worldwide, and as the leader of one of Aon’s largest UK retail businesses. He worked as a leadership consultant and coach, with clients ranging across the military, commercial and elite sporting worlds. He has developed leaders globally, running programmes across the Middle East including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Craig has worked as a senior leadership coach for the past few years, working with CEOs and their leadership teams helping them to maximise their leadership and management capability and to develop world class team behaviour, particularly in times of pressure and change.

Christoffer is Deputy Registrar of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre. He has extensive experience from his time working in a leading international arbitral institution in Europe, private practice, and the Swedish judiciary.

Prior to joining the Centre, Christoffer was Legal Counsel at the SCC Arbitration Institute. At the SCC, Christoffer was responsible for the administration of commercial and investor-state arbitrations. He was also involved in a number of strategic business development projects, including developing case administration procedures at the SCC, sitting on the rules revisions committee, and frequently representing the SCC at events in Sweden and overseas.

Christoffer has spoken publicly on a wide variety of arbitration related topics, including arbitral procedure, the drafting of arbitral awards, trends in international arbitration, institutional rules and practices, and niche subjects such as corruption in international commercial arbitration.

He regularly publishes articles and reports on topics such as challenges to arbitrators and green technology disputes and has historically been an active member of various arbitration initiatives, including the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations and the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge.

Christoffer practiced at Linklaters in Stockholm and clerked at the Attunda District Court where he also presided over civil and criminal cases. He holds a LLM from Uppsala University and has studied law at KU Leuven and Keio University

Naomi is ranked by Chambers (UK and Global) and Legal 500 UK in international arbitration and public international law and recommended in the Lexology Arbitration Index. She has been described in the directories as a “brilliant advocate” (Legal 500), a “shrewd lawyer”, who is a “superstar”, “does amazing work” and is “responsive”, “clever, personable and can foster a team of talents in an impressive way” (Chambers 2025).

Naomi represents high net worth individuals, corporates and states across multiple jurisdictions in commercial and treaty arbitrations and before international courts and tribunals. She has experience across a broad range of industries and sectors, including energy (oil and gas, renewables, nuclear and hydroelectricity), mining, infrastructure, aviation, TMT and private equity.

As well as advising clients on disputes, she supports clients in avoiding disputes and mitigating risk at the front-end of transactions, including by assisting with contractual negotiations and structuring for investment treaty protection. Naomi also has experience of enforcement matters before national courts.

Naomi is a member of the Users’ Council of the LCIA and sits on the LCIA’s EDI Steering Group. She is an Honorary Fellow of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Naomi has represented clients in arbitrations under most major institutional rules, including the ICC, LCIA, AAA, UNCITRAL and ICSID rules. She has also advised clients on matters before the International Court of Justice, Iran-US Claims Tribunal, European Court of Human Rights and African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Doctor in Law, Laurence has over 15 years of experience both in international commercial arbitration and in investment arbitrations (she has acted as counsel, for example in ICC, UNCITRAL, CIRDI, AFA, and SCC arbitrations as well as ad hoc arbitrations). More specifically, she often advises on energy, construction, corporate and distribution arbitrations. She advises States and investors regarding investment arbitrations.

Laurence also acts as an arbitrator and appears before French Courts, both in international private law disputes and in cases arising from arbitration (i.e. jurisdictional issues, enforcement proceedings, and proceedings aiming to set aside arbitral awards).

Manal is global leader in HR excellence and social impact, advocate for ethical leadership, justice, and human rights, inspired to pursue a dual LLM in International Business Law & Contracts and Arbitration, University of Fribourg. Member of Forbes HR Council, board member of Lean-In North African Leaders in Energy, she promotes women's inclusion through education and innovation. After graduating from Business School Lausanne, Manal launched InnoGrow for innovation and sustainable socio-economic impact in emerging markets. In the energy sector, she promotes responsible business practices and cross-cultural collaboration.

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