Chiann Bao is an independent arbitrator with over 20 years of experience working in Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and London. She has been appointed in complex ad hoc and institutional arbitrations with a total of several USD billion dollars in dispute. Qualified in New York, Hong Kong and England and Wales, she is a panel arbitrator of the major arbitral institutions worldwide, a Chartered arbitrator, and a CEDR-accredited mediator.

Chiann has served as arbitrator in a range of disputes in various sectors, including general corporate, joint venture and shareholder disputes, private equity, intellectual property and licensing, pharmaceuticals, media and telecommunications, technology, cryptoassets, construction and infrastructure projects, energy and resources, agency and distributorship agreements, sale of goods and general commercial disputes.

Prior to joining Arbitration Chambers, Chiann worked in private practice where she focused on complex international arbitration and litigation, acting as counsel for corporates and states in a range of disputes in various sectors.

Chiann serves as the Senior Vice Chair of the IBA’s International Arbitration Committee. She is also a Vice President of the ICC Court of Arbitration, a co-chair of the ICC Commission task force on arbitration and ADR, and an ambassador of the ICC Belt and Road Commission. From 2010 to 2018, Chiann served as the Secretary General and then as Council Member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. During her tenure, HKIAC was recognized as the most frequently used arbitral institution outside of Europe, most improved institution and ranked as the third best arbitral institution worldwide by the 2015 International Arbitration Survey conducted by Queen Mary University of London.

Chiann is an adjunct professor at the National University of Singapore and a lecturer at Sciences Po. Chiann is on the advisory board of the Journal of International Arbitration. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and is an Honorary Senior Fellow of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Regularly ranked by Who’s Who Legal and Chambers, Chiann has been identified as one of the top Who’s Who Legal Global Elite Thought Leaders for the past few years and, in 2022, was ranked by Chambers as one of the “Most in Demand Arbitrators” globally. She is described as a “brilliant lawyer and arbitrator with vast experience working on complex commercial and investment disputes across Asia.” Peers further describe her as “meticulous, smart, well-prepared and efficient,” as well as “very knowledgeable, diligent and a real diplomat.” Chambers Asia Pacific recognises her as one of the most in demand arbitrators with a “deliberative skill, intellectual engagement, thoroughness and formidable presence," and adds: "She over-performs in everything she does, and it's rare for a major arbitration matter in Asia to be discussed without her name being mentioned."

Chiann Bao is an independent arbitrator with over 20 years of experience working in Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and London. She has been appointed in complex ad hoc and institutional arbitrations with a total of several USD billion in dispute. Qualified in New York, Hong Kong and England and Wales, she is a panel arbitrator of the major arbitral institutions worldwide, a Chartered arbitrator, and a CEDR-accredited mediator.

Chiann has served as arbitrator in a range of disputes in various sectors, including general corporate, joint venture and shareholder disputes, private equity, intellectual property and licensing, pharmaceuticals, media and telecommunications, technology, cryptoassets, construction and infrastructure projects, energy and resources, agency and distributorship agreements, sale of goods and general commercial disputes.

Prior to joining Arbitration Chambers, Chiann worked in private practice where she focused on complex international arbitration and litigation, acting as counsel for corporates and states in a range of disputes in various sectors.

Chiann serves as the Senior Vice Chair of the IBA’s International Arbitration Committee. She is also a Vice President of the ICC Court of Arbitration, a co-chair of the ICC Commission task force on arbitration and ADR, and an ambassador of the ICC Belt and Road Commission. From 2010 to 2018, Chiann served as the Secretary General and then as Council Member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. During her tenure, HKIAC was recognized as the most frequently used arbitral institution outside of Europe, most improved institution and ranked as the third best arbitral institution worldwide by the 2015 International Arbitration Survey conducted by Queen Mary University of London.

Chiann is an adjunct professor at the National University of Singapore and a lecturer at Sciences Po. Chiann is on the advisory board of the Journal of International Arbitration. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and is an Honorary Senior Fellow of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Regularly ranked by Who’s Who Legal and Chambers, Chiann has been identified as one of the top Who’s Who Legal Global Elite Thought Leaders for the past few years and, in 2022, was ranked by Chambers as one of the “Most in Demand Arbitrators” globally. She is described as a "one of the superstars in Asian arbitration" and a “brilliant lawyer and arbitrator with vast experience working on complex commercial and investment disputes across Asia.” Peers further describe her as “meticulous, smart, well-prepared and efficient,” as well as “very knowledgeable, diligent and a real diplomat.” Chambers Asia Pacific recognises her as one of the most in demand arbitrators with a “deliberative skill, intellectual engagement, thoroughness and formidable presence," and adds: "She over-performs in everything she does, and it's rare for a major arbitration matter in Asia to be discussed without her name being mentioned."

Niuscha Bassiri is a partner at Hanotiau & van den Berg in Brussels. She is a high-in-demand arbitrator who also acts as counsel in numerous international arbitrations under various arbitral institutions and arbitration rules governed by diverse procedural and substantive laws involving State-entities and private entities alike and spanning a multitude of sectors. She is also a sought-after strategic adviser on setting-aside and enforcement matters, in particular under the New York Convention regime. She is a member of the faculty of the University of Miami White & Case International Arbitration LLM program and lectured as a Visiting Senior Fellow at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law as well as at the Geneva LLM in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS) program. She was the inaugural and long-time lecturer in the master’s program of the ICHEC Business and Management School in Brussels on International Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution. She is also part of the faculty of the CIArb Online Diploma. She regularly speaks at leading conferences and seminars and publishes on novel matters concerning international arbitration. Since 2014, Niuscha appears in all major rankings. Currently, in the 2023 edition of Who’s Who Legal, she has been praised by her peers and clients, stating that "Niuscha has an abundance of hands-on experience", that "she is sharp, quick and attentive to details" and that "Niuscha has excellent experience in investment arbitration and energy-related disputes".

Marcos Dracos undertakes a broad range of commercial work, with emphasis on international arbitration, conflict of laws, civil fraud, offshore and CIS related litigation. He has extensive experience appearing as counsel in international arbitration disputes (on his own or as part of a team), and he also sits as an arbitrator. He was recently appointed a member of the ICC Court (2021-2024).

Marcos can advise on all aspects of English and Cypriot commercial law. He has full rights of audience in England and Cyprus and, in addition to his arbitration work, he frequently appears before courts in both jurisdictions. In Cyprus, he has acquired particular experience acting in jurisdictional disputes, arbitration claims, company and shareholder disputes, trust disputes, civil fraud claims, freezing order and disclosure applications. He also has experience appearing as an expert witness on English and Cypriot law in foreign courts. In England, he frequently acts in jurisdictional disputes and arbitration related matters. He also has experience in offshore litigation and is admitted as a barrister of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the Territory of the Virgin Islands.

Marcos has a PhD from the University of Cambridge where he also taught contract law. Presently he is a visiting lecturer at the law department of the University of Cyprus, lecturing on Cypriot Civil Procedure and Evidence.

Marcos has received recognition in all the Legal Directories. He is listed in the WWL’s Arbitration Future Leaders (2022) and in the Legal 500 UK Arbitration Powerlist (2022).

Quotes from directories: “Amazing capabilities in cross-border work” (Chambers Global, 2022). “Marcos has a formidable intellect which he combines with shrewd strategic acumen.” (Legal 500, International Arbitration 2022). “He is one of the best litigators in Cyprus, bringing his London expertise to the Cypriot market” (Chambers Global 2021). “Very clever barrister with great intellect. He won’t stop fighting for the client and very nimble in cross examination. Great tactical brain and very client friendly.” (Legal 500 International Arbitration, 2021). “His thinking and consequently his submissions on issues are very clear and persuasive, his written submissions are excellent” (Legal 500 International Arbitration, 2020). Marcos “is remarkably responsive and excellent in his performance" and "he provides top analysis - can analyse fine legal points, and can make very good and persuasive arguments" (Chambers Global, 2019).

Bernd Ehle is a partner at LALIVE specializing in international arbitration, with over 20 years’ experience. He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in more than 90 international arbitral proceedings brought under many of the major arbitration rules and governed by civil law and common law.

Bernd Ehle’s practice focuses on complex, high-value disputes involving in particular major infrastructure and construction projects, joint venture agreements, M&A transactions and sales and distribution contracts.

Bernd Ehle has for several years been recognized as a leading practitioner by Chambers, Legal 500 and Who’s Who (both Arbitration and Construction). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and a member of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre. He is on the Executive Committee of the Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy (FIAA) and co-chairs the Construction Group of the German Arbitration Institute (DIS).

Bernd Ehle is admitted to practice both in Switzerland and Germany. He holds an LL.M. from Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago (2000) and a Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg (2001).

Lindsay Gastrell is an independent arbitrator and Senior Counsel with Arbitration Chambers specializing in international dispute resolution, with experience spanning private practice, institutional service, and academia. Her cases have included complex investment treaty disputes and high-stakes commercial disputes, often exceeding USD 1 billion in value, as well as smaller cases involving individuals and SMEs. She has experience with the major institutional rules, the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, and fully ad hoc arbitrations.

Lindsay is dual qualified in New York and England & Wales and educated in both the civil law and the common law traditions, with a JD, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and a Masters in Global Business Law from Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and Sciences Po. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Accredited Mediator with CEDR.

Before joining Chambers, Lindsay represented clients in investor-State and commercial arbitrations at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in New York and London and then served as Legal Counsel at ICSID. For the last seven years, Lindsay has taught arbitration and investment law as Adjunct Professor of Law at American University, Washington College of Law.

Among her many roles in the arbitration community, Lindsay is co-chair of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge YPSC, co-chair of Mute Off Thursdays, rapporteur for the ICCA judiciary committee, Practice Notes Editor of the ICSID Review, and member of the 2022 ICCA Johnny Veeder fellowship selection committee.

Céline Greenberg is a partner of the firm Mayer Greenberg, co-founded with Professor Pierre Mayer in early 2021. She is a French-qualified avocate with extensive experience acting as counsel, arbitrator, and tribunal secretary.

Céline receives arbitrator appointments in proceedings conducted by various institutions, e.g. the ICC Court of International Arbitration, the French Arbitration Association or the Swiss Arbitration Centre.

She also acts as counsel in arbitrations involving a variety of sectors and applicable laws, and in French courts proceedings involving arbitration law questions (interim measures applications, proceedings before the juge d’appui, recognition and enforcement of awards, challenges to awards, etc.).

Céline has significant experience as secretary to arbitral tribunals chaired by Professor Pierre Mayer and other chairpersons. In that capacity, she has assisted some of the world's most renowned arbitrators in commercial and investment-treaty cases.

Earlier in her career, she was an associate in the International Arbitration group of Clifford Chance (Paris) for seven years. Her training also includes work experience within the International Bureau of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, with TOTAL's exploration and production legal department, and at major international arbitration practices in Paris (Dechert, Latham & Watkin).

Céline is well known for her involvement in the international arbitration community. She co-founded Paris Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (PVYAP, www.pvyap.org), an award- winning organisation created specifically for junior and mid-level practitioners. In that context, she notably proposed and coordinated the Young Arbitrators Match (YAM), the first and only award- drafting competition open to junior and mid-level practitioners. The YAM received a GAR Award for Best Innovation of 2013.

A French national, Céline works in French and English.

Sarah Grimmer joined Twenty Essex in August 2022 as a full-time arbitrator. She has over 20 years of experience in international commercial, investment treaty, and public international law dispute resolution proceedings.

From 2016 to 2022, Sarah served in the highly public role of Secretary-General of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) during which time it was ranked the third most preferred institution in the world. Prior to that, she spent a decade at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague where she administered complex inter-State, investor-State, and contractual disputes involving States, State entities, and intergovernmental organisations.

Sarah has also worked at the ICC International Court of Arbitration (ICC) in Paris administering hundreds of commercial cases under the ICC Rules of Arbitration. Prior to that she worked at Shearman & Sterling LLP in Paris and in private practice in New Zealand.

Dyalá Jiménez Figueres set up boutique firm DJ Arbitraje in Santiago, Chile in 2011. DJ Arbitraje is now based in her home country, Costa Rica. Dyalá has represented clients in ICC arbitrations and in pre-arbitration and litigation disputes. She has worked in cases governed by the ICC Rules of Arbitration and the AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules administered by the ICDR, as well as the ICSID Arbitration Rules. Also, Dyalá has been appointed sole arbitrator and chair of the tribunal in ICC and ad hoc international arbitrations. She has participated in setting-aside proceedings of inter¬national awards and rendered legal opinions in arbitral proceedings. Dyalá is a Costa Rican attorney from the Universidad de Costa Rica and holds a masters in law (LLM) in International Law from Georgetown University Law Center. She lived in Santiago, Chile for almost 10 years, where she taught International Arbitration at the Universidad de Chile and at that university’s joint LLM programme with the Heidelberg Institute. A founding member of the ICC Latin American Arbitration Group, the International Arbitration Institute (IAI), and the Latin American Arbitration Association, Dyalá is often invited to participate as speaker at international conferences and seminars.

Ndanga Kamau is an international lawyer based in The Hague, Netherlands. Her practice focuses on international dispute settlement, public international law, private international law, and business & human rights.

She sits as arbitrator in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. She also advises clients on investor-state dispute settlement, investment protection, contractual disputes, public international law, international negotiations, risk mitigation, dispute prevention and avoidance, and grievance management. She works in a variety of sectors and industries and has considerable expertise in matters related to Africa. Her clients include private entities, states and state entities, and international organisations.

Ndanga has substantial international experience. Prior to setting up her practice, she worked in the international arbitration practices of two international law firms and as registrar of an international arbitration institution. She also worked for government, and international organisations. She has lived and worked in Cape Town, Geneva, Houston, London, Mauritius, Nairobi, and The Hague.

She regularly speaks about international dispute settlement (including international arbitration), public international law, and private international law, at forums around the world. She also lectures on these topics at various universities. She has had speaking engagements in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Ndanga also writes on topics related to her areas of specialisation. S

Ndanga is a vice president of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and was the inaugural President of the ICC Africa Commission (2018-2021). She is an honorary senior fellow of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL), and a member of the following organisations: International Law Association (ILA) Committee on Rule of Law and International Investment Law, editorial board of the African Journal of International and Comparative Law, the Global Advisory Board of the New York International Arbitration Centre (NYIAC), and the Executive Committee of the Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy (FIAA). She is also the director of programmes of the African Association of International Law (AAIL) / Association africaine de droit international (AADI), an observer delegate at UNCITRAL WG III on investor state dispute settlement reform, and a PRIME Foundation Expert in Dispute Resolution.

Ndanga is listed on the panels of arbitrators of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), Shanghai Arbitration Commission (SHAC), the Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC), and the International Division of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA International). She has been selected for inclusion on the Global Arbitration Counsel List of the Office of the Ombudsman, United Nations Funds and Programmes.

Jennifer Kirby is an internationally recognized arbitration expert, who acts as counsel and sits as arbitrator in a wide variety of arbitration matters. Her experience covers a range of disputes, including those concerning agency agreements, construction and engineering projects, distribution agreements, hotel management, mergers and acquisitions, sales of goods and shareholder agreements. She also has experience under all major institutional and ad hoc arbitral rules.

Jennifer began her career with a multinational firm as a New York litigator, representing clients in both international arbitrations and complex commercial litigations, with a particular focus on securities, insurance, mergers and acquisitions and white-collar criminal cases. From there, Jennifer went to the ICC International Court of Arbitration, where she served as both Counsel and Deputy Secretary General before leaving to join a multinational law firm as a partner in their arbitration group.  Jennifer left to found her own firm — Kirby — in 2010.

 Jennifer has been recognized by Chambers Global as a “true expert in ICC-related disputes” and by The Who’s Who of International Arbitration as a “very sharp” global player in the field.  She regularly publishes on arbitration issues and speaks at international arbitration conferences around the world.

Mohamed Shelbaya is a Paris-based founding partner of Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes and is recognized as “a leading figure in arbitration” with a particular focus on arbitrations in the oil & gas sector. Prior to founding Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes, he was a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP where he practiced for more than twelve years.

He has represented companies, States and State-owned entities in more than 70 commercial and investment treaty matters, including many multibillion-dollar disputes involving novel questions of international law and geopolitical issues. Mohamed has secured a number of landmark victories for his clients, including in a recent string of precedent-setting awards on the application of the ICSID Convention and the English law of assignment, which fully dismissed claims exceeding USD 4 billion that were brought against our client in connection with the operation of an LNG Liquefaction plant and an associated long-term gas supply agreement. Mohamed regularly acts as President, Sole arbitrator, and co-arbitrator in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations under the UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, and CRCICA rules.

He also advises energy companies regarding their contractual portfolio and on how to manage potential liability and mitigate litigation risk through dispute-minded contract drafting and corporate structure optimization. He advises governments and State entities on the restructuring of their respective energy sectors. Mohamed teaches investment arbitration at Sciences Po Law School. He also serves as a member of the LCIA Court and as President of the LCIA’s Arab Users Council.

Mohamed also regularly acts as arbitrator in commercial and investment arbitrations under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and CRCICA. Mohamed teaches investment arbitration at Sciences Po Law School. He also serves as a member of the LCIA Court and as President of the LCIA’s Arab Users Council.

Chambers Global notes that clients and peers have described Mohamed as a “‘leading figure in arbitration, with strong ties to Egypt.’ He is equally experienced in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, and regularly handles cases in the energy and petrochemical industries. Interviewees describe him as ‘among the best.’ One source elaborated that ‘having Mohamed at the top makes [the firm] very attractive to state agencies in complex disputes’.” Mohamed has been praised in Who’s Who Legal as “one of the greatest arbitration minds of his generation,” and as being “a calm, composed and efficient practitioner” who “has the ability to turn prima facie losing points into winning arguments.” The previous edition of Chambers Global noted that sources describe Mohamed as “the best in his generation,” and “doing amazing work.” Clients and peers have described him as “persuasive and very smart,” and as “an excellent negotiator” who “thinks outside the box.” They have also commented that Mohamed is “a brilliant lawyer, who understands how each case involves different interests, priorities, concerns and goals and has a pragmatic approach, perfectly balancing legal and commercial considerations,” and “an outstanding strategist, with excellent analytical skills and a unique ability to come up with innovative solutions to solve difficult problems.”

Deva Villanúa has been involved in arbitration since 2002.

She has been designated arbitrator in more than 60 commercial cases and in a dozen investment arbitration. She has also acted as Privilege Master in several occasions. Deva has been Secretary to the Arbitral Tribunal in more than 30 commercial arbitrations and has had active involvement as assistant in more than 15 investment arbitrations.

Since 2018 Deva is Vice-president of the ICC Court of Arbitration.

Additionally, Deva is listed on ICSID’s Panel of Arbitrators and on the European Commission’s List of Candidates Suitable for Appointment as Arbitrators and TSD Experts.

She is fluent in Spanish, English, German and Portuguese.