TRAINING
REMOTE ORAL ADVOCACY PROGRAMME (ROAP)





Please meet the Ambassadors for the 2025 editions of ROAP Americas, Asia, EMEA, Construction (EMEA), and LatAm, all of whom participated successfully in one of the ROAP 2024 editions:
From left to right and top to bottom, we are delighted to have Erin Culbertson, Sophia Sepulveda Harms, Sara Little, Tom Villalon, Nguyễn Thế Đức Tâm, Jessica van der Kamp, Jennifer Yoo, Chenguang Zhang, James Elliott, Martina Magnarelli, Hannah McDonald, Lucy Pearson, Nusaybah Muti, Zofia Porada, Bradley Price, Bianca Vasilache, Bruno Balbiani, Elisa Legorreta, Candela Rodríguez and Juan Pablo Veliz. Their short bios and information about the edition they support are set out below.
ROAP Americas 2024/5
Erin, a senior associate in the Washington, DC office, has extensive experience representing and advising clients, including governments and government entities, international organisations, and multinational companies, in international arbitration proceedings (contractual and treaty-based), recognition and enforcement proceedings, complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation, and project finance matters. Erin’s representations have concerned diverse industries, such as gaming, mining, life insurance, banking/finance, satellites, and wireless spectrum.
Erin received a J.D. with High Honours from The George Washington University Law School, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. from the Princeton School of Public & International Affairs at Princeton University.
Erin is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia, as well as the US Supreme Court, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, US District Court for the District of Columbia, US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia, and US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Erin has published and presented on topics including arbitration, dispute resolution, international trade and investment. She has extensive experience working in Africa and Asia, and her pro bono practice focuses on reproductive rights, asylum, and juvenile justice.
Sophia Sepulveda Harms is an international arbitration associate in King & Spalding's Trial and Global Disputes Practice Group. Her practice focuses on complex international dispute resolution, including large-scale commercial, investor-state, construction, and recognition and enforcement disputes. Sophia has experience representing clients in the oil and gas, telecommunications, and infrastructure industries, related to investments and commercial relationships in regions across the globe.
Before joining King & Spalding, Sophia graduated summa cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center and joined the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Sophia served as the Chief Notes & Comments Editor for Board 58 of the Houston Law Review.
Sophia has published articles in the Houston Law Review and on the American Bar Association website. Her article in Volume 58 of the Houston Law Review analyzes and suggests changes to bilateral investment treaty language amid heightened environmental concerns. Her article on the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources website proposes a legislative solution to the turbine blade waste issue faced by the U.S. wind energy industry.
Originally trained in the U.S., Sara focuses on international commercial arbitration across a range of sectors, including defense contracting, energy and infrastructure, construction, technology, and corporate disputes involving joint ventures and licensing.
Sara represents clients across the United States, Europe and Asia in the energy and infrastructure, real estate, licensing and distribution, defense, and aerospace industries. She has experience handling disputes governed by French, Swiss, Iranian, and US (Maryland, New York, Washington, Illinois) law in most of the major arbitral forums, including the ICC, HKIAC, ICSID, and the Swiss Arbitration Centre.
With a strong background in Public International Law, Sara brings a nuanced understanding of the international legal frameworks that impact cross-border disputes to her cases. She also has a keen interest in defense technology and aviation, combining industry-specific knowledge with a solutions-oriented mindset to tackle the unique legal challenges these fields present.
Before joining Orrick, Sara gained valuable experience working in the Emerging Companies department of another major international law firm in New York City. She also represented the City of New York in family court, prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases for two years. In addition to her legal practice, Sara serves as a coach for the International Criminal Court moot court and is a Steering Committee member of the young practitioners’ group of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR).
Sara is recognised for International Arbitration by Legal 500 France.
Tom is an associate in the Washington, DC office. He has significant experience representing clients in a wide range of international arbitrations under most major institutional rules, with a particular focus on disputes across Asia and Latin America. Tom has represented and advised clients from an array of industries, including construction, mining & metals, post-M&A, biotech, and pharmaceuticals.
Tom holds a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Hawaii School of Law, and a B.A with Honors from Dartmouth College. While in law school, he won first-place individual oralist for the global International Environmental Law Moot Court competition. He is the host of The China Arbitrator, a Mandarin language arbitration podcast dedicated to understanding Asian views of the practice of international arbitration. He is also the co-founder of Rescue Afghan Women Now, an organization dedicated to rescuing high-risk Afghan women from Taliban capture and execution.
Tom is admitted to practice in California, New York, and Washington DC. He speaks English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean, and is conversant in Arabic (Egyptian dialect) and Farsi.
ROAP Asia 2025
ROAP EMEA 2025
Nusaybah is an associate in the London office of Three Crowns. She has experience advising and representing companies and states in commercial and investment arbitrations across various sectors including oil and gas, construction, and financial services. Nusaybah has been involved in proceedings under various institutional rules, including the ICC, LCIA, and ICSID rules.
Prior to joining Three Crowns, Nusaybah clerked for judges at the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of the Philippines. She also interned at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), and underwent training in the international arbitration practices of leading firms in Paris and London.
Nusaybah is dual-qualified (England & Wales and the Philippines) and holds an LL.M. in Transnational Arbitration and Dispute Settlement from Sciences Po Paris, where she was awarded the merit-based Sciences Po LL.M. scholarship. She is a current member of the Executive Committee of the London Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (London VYAP).
Bradley has over 5 years experience advising on corporate and commercial dispute resolution. He has advised clients on a number of complex and high-profile disputes, in both common law and civil law jurisdictions. In addition, Bradley has considerable experience advising clients in relation to complex disputes and dispute avoidance including litigation, arbitration and mediation.
He has broad experience of acting for government departments, authorities, listed companies, developers and contractors on complex contentious and non-contentious matters and projects in a variety of jurisdictions including the UAE, the UK, South Africa, Zambia, Qatar and KSA.
Bradley specialises in all areas of dispute resolution with a particular emphasis on construction disputes. Prior to joining Al Tamimi & Company, he gained experience at a leading South African law firm.
ROAP Construction (EMEA) 2025/6
James's experience spans the energy, infrastructure, oil and gas, maritime and sports sectors, and he has particular expertise in complex construction disputes concerning mega-projects in emerging markets, as well as M&A, shareholder, and joint venture disputes, often involving multiple interrelated proceedings. In addition to dispute resolution, James advises clients on strategies to avoid disputes when they arise, particularly in relation to ongoing projects and transactions.
James has acted in arbitrations under major arbitral rules including UNCITRAL, ICC, HKIAC and DIAC, as well as in Dispute Adjudication Board proceedings. He has acted in disputes under a variety of governing laws, including English, Hong Kong, South African, Saudi and UAE law, and has advised clients in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and East Asia. James also has a busy pro bono practice, focusing on public international law, where his experience has included advising clients on proceedings before international human rights courts, and advising NGOs on post-conflict peace negotiations in Europe and Africa.
James is based in Abu Dhabi, having previously worked in London.
Martina is an international arbitration specialist with working experience in six jurisdictions across Europe. Thanks to her previous in-house role, Martina easily navigates through complex contractual setups and has a strategic vision for her clients. She has acted in international arbitration proceedings under the ICC, DIS, ICDR, CAM, CEAC and Swiss Rules with seats in Paris, Zurich, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, and New York. Martina has experience in commercial and investment arbitration in a diverse range of sectors, including construction and infrastructure projects, private equity, energy and natural resources, pharmaceuticals, IP licensing, manufacturing and international sales. Martina further represents clients in mediation proceedings and before Italian courts for post-award relief.
Martina is Co-Chair of AA40, the Italian below40 arbitration group, and is recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Germany since 2024.
Hannah is a Senior Associate specialising in construction and engineering projects. She advises clients on a wide range of construction and engineering projects both in the region and internationally. Hannah’s experience includes infrastructure, residential, commercial, leisure and education, as well as building and fire safety. She acts on behalf of employers, developers, contractors and subcontractors.
Hannah specialises in both contentious and non-contentious matters. She has acted in arbitrations under various rules including BCDR, ICC and LCIA as well as in adjudications.
Hannah is currently based in Bahrain, prior to which she was based in her firm’s Guildford office. Hannah is admitted to practise in England & Wales and Scotland.
Lucy Pearson is a construction lawyer in King & Spalding’s International Disputes practice group, based in London.
Lucy specialises in the resolution of complex, high value and bet-the-company disputes arising out of major construction, engineering and infrastructure projects around the world. She provides practical, contractual, strategic and risk management advice to a range of stakeholders including employers, contractors, sub-contractors, and investors. Her experience spans various sectors including energy and resources, infrastructure and industrials, and she has advised under a wide range of applicable laws and arbitral rules.
ROAP LATAM 2025