Board of Advisors

Robert L. Adler

Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Edison International

Robert Adler is executive vice president and general counsel for Edison International. Prior to joining Edison International, Adler was a co-managing partner of the Los Angeles law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, where he practiced corporate and business law beginning in 1975.

Joseph Alberts

Senior Counsel Litigation
Dow AgroSciences LLC

Joseph R. Alberts is Litigation Counsel for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. Alberts is responsible for global litigation involving toxic torts, product liability and commercial matters. Prior to joining Dow in 2000 and his firm practice, he also clerked for Judge Patrick D. Sullivan of the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Charla Aldous

Aldous Law Firm, Dallas, Texas

Charla Aldous, founder of Aldous Law Firm, is an active trial attorney representing plaintiffs. In addition to her extensive trial experience, she sits as a member of the Executive Committee of the American Board of Trial Advocates' Dallas Chapter and was its previous President. Ms. Aldous is also a member of the American Association for Justice and the Inner Circle of Advocates.

Ralph Baxter

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, San Francisco, California

Ralph Baxter is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, a position he has held from 1990. Mr. Baxter is active in numerous civic leadership and public interest organizations. For example, Mr. Baxter serves on the state Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth in California.

Paul D. Bekman

Salsbury Clements Bekman Marder & Adkins, Baltimore, Maryland

Paul D. Bekman, a partner at Salsbury Clements Bekman Marder & Adkins, is entering his fourth decade as an active trial attorney in Maryland. Mr. Bekman is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and was President of the Maryland State Bar Association in 1997-1998, the only plaintiff attorney to hold the seat. He also served as Chair of the University of Maryland School of Law Board of Visitors.

Peter J. Beshar

Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Marsh & McLennan Companies

Peter J. Beshar is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Marsh & McLennan Companies. Prior to joining Marsh & McLennan in 2004, he was a Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Before joinin Gibson, Dunn he served as an Assistant Attorney General in the New York Attorney General's office and as the Special Assistant to Cyrus Vance.

Ralf Boer

Foley & Lardner, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Ralf Boer has been chairman and CEO of the firm since 2002 and has been a member of the firm's Management Committee since 1992. In 1999, Mr. Boer was named Knight, First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland, awarded by the President of the Republic of Finland.

David Boies

Boies, Schiller & Flexner, Armonk, New York

When Mr. Boies, Chairman of Boies, Schiller and Flexner, received the Milton Gould Award in 1996, the citation read in part, "No lawyer in America has tried and argued on appeal as many landmark cases in as many different areas as Mr. Boies."

Robert Bostrom

SNR Denton, New York

Robert E. Bostrom is co-head of global Financial Institutions and Funds for SNR Denton. Prior to joining SNR Denton, he was executive vice president and general counsel of Freddie Mac. Bostrom joined Freddie Mac from Winston & Strawn, where he had been managing partner of the New York office, a member of the firm's executive committee, and head of its financial institutions practice. From 1992 to 1996, he was EVP of Legal, Regulatory and Compliance and General Counsel of National Westminster Bancorp (NatWest).

Michael Bramnick

Executive Vice President, General Counsel
NRG Energy, Inc.

Michael Bramnick has been Executive Vice President & General Counsel since August 2010. Since December 2004, he has also served in a variety of roles including as Deputy General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer. He previously held in-house positions at Millennium Chemicals, Inc, Lucent Technologies and EnviroSource and spent six years in private practice at Pepper Hamilton, LLP.

Frank L. Branson

The Law Firm of Frank L. Branson, Dallas, Texas

Frank Branson is a founder of Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, P.C. He centers his practice around Catastrophic injury cases and commercial torts. In addition to his active practice, Branson serves on the Executive Board of SMU Dedman School of Law and is a past President of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Dallas Chapter.

William A. Brewer III

Bickel & Brewer, Dallas, Texas

William A. Brewer III is a partner at Bickel & Brewer, a complex commercial litigation firm. Mr. Brewer primarily focuses his practice on commercial litigation and dispute resolution. In addition to his practice, he spends considerable time working with various professional and philanthropic organizations including the Bickel & Brewer Future Leaders Program and currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of Albany Law School.

Brad D. Brian

Munger, Tolles & Olson, Los Angeles , California

Brad Brian specializes in complex civil and criminal litigation. Mr. Brian has been active in the leadership of the ABA Litigation Section since 1986, and served as the chair of the section in 2005-2006. In addition to his practice, he is current chairman of the RAND Civil Justice Institute and is a past president of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Foundation.

Louis J. Briskman

Executive Vice President and General Counsel
CBS Corporation, New York

Beginning in 1993, Mr. Briskman has served as General Counsel to several prominent public corporations. He has served as General Counsel to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, CBS, Aetna Inc. and more recently returned to CBS Corporation as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

William T. Burgess

Dickinson Wright, Detroit, Michigan

Mr. Burgess currently serves as Dickinson Wright's Chief Executive Officer where he oversees all aspects of the Firm's professional and business operations. For more than 20 years, served as counsel to secured lenders in all aspects of workouts, restructurings, loan modifications and enforcement of remedies.

Michael J. Callahan

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Yahoo!

Michael Callahan serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Yahoo! Prior to joining Yahoo!, Mr. Callahan was with Electronics for Imaging, Inc and also the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, focusing on corporate finance.

William Caroselli

Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan & Conboy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Attorney William Caroselli is a partner in the Pittsburgh law firm of Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan & Conboy, LLC. He concentrates his practice on personal injury, toxic torts and complex litigation. Mr. Caroselli is a member and Past President of the Allegheny County Academy of Trial Lawyers, a member and past President of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, and is also a member of the American Association for Justice, where he served on its Executive Committee.

William J. Casazza

Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Aetna

William J. Casazza is Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Law & Regulatory Affairs. Mr. Casazza joined Aetna's Law & Regulatory Affairs department in 1992. Previously, Mr. Casazza worked at Sullivan & Cromwell and was a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young.

Evan R. Chesler

Cravath, Swaine & Moore, New York

Evan R. Chesler is Presiding Partner of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where he handles a wide variety of litigation in both trial and appellate courts. Mr. Chesler is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the President of the Dwight Opperman Institute of Judicial Administration and a trustee of the New York Public Library as well as Chairman of its Lawyers’ Committee. He is the author of numerous articles on legal topics as well as a chapter in the popular book, Inside the Minds of Leading Litigators (Aspatore Books, 2002).

Morgan Chu

Irell & Manella, Los Angeles, California

Co-Managing Partner of the firm from 1997 to 2003, Mr. Chu was named one of the "Top Ten Trial Lawyers" in the nation by the National Law Journal. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Public Counsel, the largest pro bono law office in the United States.

Michael Ciresi

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Michael Ciresi is a named partner at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, one of the nation's premier trial firms. In addition to his active practice and firm leadership, Mr. Ciresi is active in numerous civil and professional associations including sitting on the Board of Directors of MinnCAN, Minnesota Early Learning Foundation and completed terms on the Boards of Equal Justice Works and Centre of Advanced Litigation at Nottingham Law School.

Matthew Clark

Arent Fox, Washington, D.C.

Matthew Fox is Managing Partner of Arent Fox and for the last five years Matt also served as head of the international trade group, and was co-chair of the regulatory department. His practice is focused on adversarial international trade proceedings, particularly anti-dumping and countervailing duty proceedings.

Robert A. Clifford

Clifford Law Offices, Chicago, Illinois

Robert A. Clifford founded a Chicago personal injury law firm in his name in 1984 and has since earned a national reputation in liability cases. Mr. Clifford stays active in the legal community: he is President of the Chicago Bar Association and Past President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. He was also appointed a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Civility.

H. Rodgin Cohen

Sullivan & Cromwell, New York

H. Rodgin Cohen is Senior Chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.  Prior to this, he had been the chairman of the firm since 2000. He is an eminent banking and M&A lawyer, about whom The Wall Street Journal recently wrote, "With virtually all of Wall Street as his client, [Cohen] has solidified his role as one of the most influential private-sector players in the financial crisis." Mr. Cohen currently serves on the task force supported by The Pew Financial Reform Project in issuing recommendations to Congress for broader financial reform.

Thomas A. Cole

Sidley Austin, Chicago, Illinois

Thomas Cole has served as Chair of the Sidley Austin's Executive Committee, the committee that exercises general authority over the affairs of the firm, since 1998. He became a partner of the firm in 1981, a member of the firm's Executive Committee in 1987 and a member of its Management Committee in 1988. Mr. Cole maintains a substantial practice in public company mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance, along with his firm management responsibilities.

Daniel Cooperman

Bingham McCutchen, East Palo Alto, California

Fomerly General Counsel of Apple, Mr. Cooperman is Of Counsel to Bingham McCutchen. He has served as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Software & Information Industry Association, the largest trade association in the software industry, he is a member of the American Bar Association's Committee of Corporate General Counsel, and is on the Advisory Council for the Law, Science and Technology Program at Stanford Law School.

John W. Daniels, Jr.

Quarles & Brady, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

John Daniels has been the chairman of Quarles & Brady LLP since 2007. Mr. Daniels, formerly the national president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, has established an impressive career in the practice of real estate law, representing national, regional, local and governmental owners, and investors.

Stephen J. Dannhauser

Weil, Gotshal & Manges, New York

Mr. Dannhauser joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in 1975. He was named as the firm's Executive Partner in 1989, becoming Chairman in 2002. One of Mr. Dannhauser many recognitions was as a 2007 recipient of the New York State Bar Association's Root-Stimson Award for Community Service, an annual award honoring a single attorney who has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to serving the public.

Frank N. Darras

DarrasLaw, Ontario, California

Frank Darras is the founder of DarrasLaw. For over 25 years, Mr. Darras has specialized in representing policyholders in both small and large matters. Before founding DarrasLaw, he worked in the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office and at Shernoff & Levine where he later became partner.

Janet L. Dhillon

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
JC Penney

Janet L. Dhillon is executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for JC Penney. Janet joined JC Penney in 2009, and previously held the role of senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer for US Airways. Prior to joining US Airways, she spent 13 years at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Joseph C. Dilg

Vinson & Elkins, Houston, Texas

Joe currently serves as Managing Partner of Vinson & Elkins LLP. He personally serves as Chair of the Executive Committee of the National Business Committee for the Arts, Inc., as Director for the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Greater Houston Partnership.

Patrick C. Dunican, Jr.

Gibbons, New York

Patrick Dunican is the Chairman and Managing Director of the firm and a member of the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation Department. Before joining the firm, Mr. Dunican clerked for the Honorable Clarkson S. Fisher in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Peter M. Dwoskin

Senior Vice President, Strategic Development & General Counsel
U.S.News and World Report

Peter M. Dwoskin is Senior Vice President, Strategic Development & General Counsel of U.S. News & World Report.  Prior to that and serving as counsel to a financial services company, Mr. Dwoskin was with the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, focusing on mergers & acquisitions, and served as law clerk to the Hon. George C. Pratt, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Kim F. Ebert

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, Indianapolis, Indiana

Mr. Ebert presently serves as the Managing Shareholder with overall responsibility for the direction and delivery of client services of Ogletree Deakins. A past member of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Continuing Education of the Bar, Mr. Ebert is a frequent writer, speaker and seminar chair at regional and national conferences on labor and employment topics for attorneys and human resource professionals.

F. Samuel Eberts III

Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
Laboratory Corporation of America

Mr. Sam Eberts III is the Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings. Prior to joining LabCorp, Sam was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Stepan Company.

Joseph M. Fazio

Miller, Canfield, Paddock, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Joe Fazio is Chair of Miller, Canfield, Paddock's Managing Directors. Joe's specific areas of expertise include complex commercial real estate acquisitions and developments. Among his many activities, Mr. Fazio sits on the Board of Trustees for the Legacy Land Conservancy.

D. Cameron Findlay

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Medtronic, Inc.

D. Cameron Findlay is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Medtronic, Inc. Prior to joining Medtronic, he served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Aon Corporation, in both George H.W. and George W. Bush's administrations, as a law clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Scalia, and for the D.C. Circuit for Judge Stephen Williams.

Steven M. Fineman

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, New York

Steven Fineman is Managing Partner of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. In addition to his active litigation practice and management of the firm, he is the President of the Public Justice Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Civil Justice Foundation.

Avery S. Fischer

Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Ralph Lauren Corporation

Avery S. Fischer serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Ralph Lauren Corporation. Prior to joining Ralph Lauren Corporation in 2009, Mr. Fischer was a partner at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, a large international law firm, where he specialized in general corporate law, securities and mergers and acquisitions.

Michael D. Fricklas

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Viacom

Michael Fricklas is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at Viacom. He has provided counsel to Viacom since 1993. Prior to that and being counsel to a large mining industry company, Mr. Fricklas focused his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and technology law.

Eric Friedman

Skadden, Arps, New York

Eric J. Friedman assumed the role of Executive Partner at Skadden, Arps, in April 2009. An internationally recognized corporate attorney, he concentrates in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and general corporate law. He has been involved in a number of significant transactions in the financial services industry including matters for Citigroup Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, and Centennial Communications Corporation.

Anthony Gair

Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, Mackauf, Bloom & Rubinowitz, New York

Anthony H. Gair is a partner at Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman & Mackauf, which was founded by his father, Harry A. Gair in 1919. Mr. Gair has taught at the Fordham University School of Law in the Continuing Legal Education program. He is a lifetime member of Scribes-American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects and a member of the Roscoe Pound Foundation.

James H. Gallegos

Vice President and General Counsel
Alliant Energy

James H. Gallegos is Vice President and General Counsel of Alliant Energy. Prior to joining Alliant Energy, Mr. Gallegos was Vice President and Corporate General Counsel of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Corporation. He also held a counsel position with Qwest Communications, was a trial attorney with the Civil Rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and a Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard M. Bilby, U.S. Federal District Court, District of Arizona.

Gregory Gallopoulos

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
General Dynamics

Gregory Gallopoulos is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of General Dynamics. Mr. Gallopoulos served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of General Dynamics Corp. from August 2008 to January 1, 2010. Prior his work at General Dynamics, Mr. Gallopoulos spent many years at Jenner & Block LLP where he served as its Managing Partner since January 2005.

Elisa D. Garcia C.

Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Office Depot

Elisa D. Garcia C. was named Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary in July 2007. Prior to joining Office Depot, she served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary for Domino's Pizza, Inc. She has also served as Latin American Regional Counsel for Philip Morris International and Corporate Counsel for GAF Corporation.

Steven J. Gartner

Willkie Farr & Gallagher, New York

Steven J. Gartner is Co-Chairman of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in New York. He is also Co-Chair of the firm's Corporate and Financial Services Department and a member of the Executive Committee. He specializes in private equity, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters.

Herbert Gerson

Ford & Harrison, Memphis, Tennessee

Mr. Gerson is Co-Managing Partner of Ford & Harrison. His practice focuses on traditional labor and employment issues and he has co-chaired the Labor and Employment Committee of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association. He is a member of the Labor and Employment Subcommittees of the American, Tennessee and Memphis Bar Associations.

John R. Gibson

Chairman of the Board, Director
American Pacific Corporation

John R. Gibson has served as the non-executive Chairman of the Board of the Company since January 1, 2010. In July 1997, Mr. Gibson became Chief Executive Officer and President of the company. In March 1998, he was appointed Chairman of the Board.

Françoise Gilbert

IT Law Group, Palo Alto, California

Françoise Gilbert is Managing Director of IT Law Group. Françoise focuses her practice on data privacy and security issues, Internet, eBusiness, and information technology law. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Technology Law Association. She is a member of the Editorial Board of The Practical Lawyer (ALI-ABA), and she serves on the Technology Board of Advisors of the ALI ABA.

Robert Giles

Perkins Coie, Seattle, Washington

Bob Giles is managing partner of Perkins Coie LLP. He chairs the Management Committee, serves on the Executive Committee, and is involved with numerous other committees within the firm. Bob began at Perkins Coie in 1974.

Thomas V. Girardi

Girardi Keese, Los Angeles, California

Thomas Girardi is a named partner of Girardi | Keese. Mr. Girardi has spent nearly fifty years representing plaintiffs at trial. In addition to his practice, Mr. Girardi is a Member of the Board of Directors and former President of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is also the first trial lawyer to be appointed to the California Judicial Council.

Andrew I. Glincher

Nixon Peabody, Boston, Massachusetts

Andrew I. Glincher is a real estate and business attorney representing special servicers, asset managers, lenders, owners, and developers. As Managing Partner he leads 700 attorneys serving clients in the U.S., Asia and Europe. Mr. Glincher served on the faculty of the Boston College Carroll School of Management for 23 years (1988-2011). He is immediate past chairman of the board at Hebrew SeniorLife and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Michael S. Goldberg

Baker Botts, Houston, Texas

Michael S. Goldberg is chair of the international dispute resolution section at Baker Botts. His experience extends to a broad array of international matters involving clients, adversaries, and/or issues in Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Jamie Gorelick

WilmerHale, Washington, D.C.

Jamie Gorelick was one of the longest serving Deputy Attorneys General of the United States, the second highest position in the Department of Justice. She was also a member of the bipartisan National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the "9/11 Commission").

John Beau Grenier

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, Birmingham, Alabama

Beau Grenier is the Chairman of the Board of Bradley Arant. Beau joined the firm in 1983. In addition to his active corporate, securities, and mergers and acquisitions practice, Mr. Grenier serves as a member of the board for Alabama Symphony Orchestra as well as the Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Noah J. Hanft

General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Franchise Integrity Officer
MasterCard

Noah J. Hanft is General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Franchise Integrity Officer of MasterCard Incorporated and MasterCard International. Mr. Hanft has served in various increasingly senior positions at the Company since 1984, except for 1990 to 1993, when he was Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at AT&T Universal Card Services Corp.

Andrew Hendry

Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Colgate-Palmolive

Andrew Hendry is Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Colgate-Palmolive. Mr. Hendry joined Colgate in 1991 from Unisys, where he was Vice President and General Counsel. He was previously with Reynolds Metals Company (now part of Alcoa, Inc.) and prior to moving in-house was a corporate lawyer with a New York firm.

Carrie J. Hightman

Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer
NiSource Inc.

Carrie J. Hightman is executive vice president and chief legal officer for NiSource Inc. Prior to joining NiSource, Hightman served as President of AT&T Illinois (formerly SBC). She is Vice Chair of the Telecommunications Committee of the Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law Section of the American Bar Association and past Chair of the Public Utility Law Section of the Chicago Bar Association.

James R. Hubbard

Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer
Fifth Third Bancorp

James R. Hubbard is Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the Bancorp since February 2010. Prior to that, Mr. Hubbard was the Senior Vice President and Director of Legal Services since June 2001.

Shirley Mount Hufstedler

Morrison & Foerster, Los Angeles, California

Shirley Mount Hufstedler has had a distinguished career at the highest levels of legal and public service. A senior of counsel lawyer at Morrison & Foerster in Los Angeles, Mrs. Hufstedler served as Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for eleven years before President Jimmy Carter appointed her U.S. Secretary of Education.

Andrew G. Humphrey

Faegre Baker Daniels, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Andrew G. Humphrey is managing partner of Faegre Baker Daniels. His practice focuses primarily in the areas of general corporate counseling, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing and securities regulation.

John M. Husband

Holland & Hart, Denver, Colorado

Mr. Husband currently serves as the Chair of the Management Committee. He has also served as the Chair of the firm's Labor Practice Group and was a member of the Management Committee. Mr. Husband was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

J. Christopher Jensen

Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, New York

Christopher Jensen is the Chairman of Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman and a senior member of the firm's litigation group. Mr. Jenson's practice centers around resolution of commercial and intellectual property disputes. Mr. Jenson is also active in his legal community. He has taught as an Adjunct Professor at New York University School of Law and served on the Arbitration Panel of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Frank R. Jimenez

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Xylem Inc.

Frank R. Jimenez is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Xylem Inc. Having previously served as Vice President and General Counsel for ITT Corporation. Jimenez previously served under Presidents Bush and Obama as the General Counsel of the Navy. Prior to this, he served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and led Secretary Mel Martinez's senior management team.

Richard Johns

Senior VP and General Counsel
LaVie

Richard Johns is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of LaVie Healthcare. Mr. Johns joined LaVie in May 2010 and in his role, leads the company on the management of all legal matters, and he brings to his position an impressive healthcare law background. Prior to joining LaVie, Johns was in private practice with Foley & Lardner.

Patrick T. Jones

Cooley Manion Jones, Boston, Massachusetts

Patrick T. Jones is a Founding and Managing Parter of Cooley Manion Jones LLP. Mr. Jones focuses his practice on medical malpractice, product liability, construction site, eminent domain, and general liability tort. He currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys and was its President in 2005-2006.

Adam P. Kahn

Foley & Hoag, Boston, Massachusetts

Mr. Kahn serves as Co-Managing Partner of Foley Hoag and a lead member of the firm's Energy Technology & Renewables practice group. He is the immediate past coordinator of Foley Hoag's environmental practice group and chair of the firm's Administrative Law Department.

Peter J. Kalis

K&L Gates, New York

Mr. Kalis is Chairman and Global Managing Partner of K&L Gates. After law school, Mr. Kalis served as law clerk to the late J. Skelly Wright, Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and for the late Associate Justice Byron R. White of the US Supreme Court.

Brad S. Karp

Paul, Weiss, New York

Chair of Paul, Weiss, Mr. Karp has extensive experience handling and trying a broad range of matters, with particular emphasis defending financial institutions and corporations in "bet the company" litigations and regulatory matters. Currently, Mr. Karp is lead counsel for Citigroup in numerous matters.

John Keker

Keker & Van Nest, San Francisco, California

John Keker, co-founder of Keker & Van Nest, has four decades of trial experience. He largely centers his practice around White Collar Criminal Defense and Intellectual Property Litigation. Mr. Keker is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Janet Langford Kelly

Senior Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
ConocoPhillips

Janet Langford Kelly is senior vice president, legal, general counsel and corporate secretary for ConocoPhillips. Kelly began her career as a law clerk for the Honorable James Hunter III of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Once a partner at Sidley & Austin, Ms. Kelly has also spent time as counsel at Sara Lee, Kellogg Company, and KMart Corporation.

Linda A. Klein

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, Atlanta, Georgia

Linda Klein is managing shareholder in the Baker, Donelson's Georgia offices and a member of its Board of Directors. While Ms. Klein focuses her practice on business dispute resolution, she is also very active as a legal community leader. In June 1997, Ms. Klein became the first woman to serve as President of the State Bar of Georgia. For the 2010 – 2012 term, she is Chair of the ABA House of Delegates.

Robert I. Komitor

Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, New York

Robert I. Komitor is a partner at Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP and lead trial lawyer for the firm. In addition to specializing in products liability, negligence, and personal injury law, he is active in the legal community. He has co-chaired the New York State Bar Association's Civil Litigation Committee on Environmental Law and is a former member of the Products Liability Committee of the New York City Bar.

Jeff S. Korek

Gersowitz Libo & Korek, New York

Jeff S. Korek has been a partner at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. since 1992 and is a leading litigator on medical malpractice and construction accident cases for the firm. Mr. Korek is a Past President of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and a current Board Member for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.

Herbert Krueger

Mayer Brown, Chicago, Illinois

Bert Krueger is Chairman of the Management Committee. He has served on Mayer Brown's Management Committee since 1989. He concentrates his practice on private equity funds, ERISA fiduciary matters, and executive compensation.

Debra Kuper

Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
AGCO

Debra Kuper was appointed Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in May 2008. She joined AGCO from Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Illinois, where she served as Senior Corporate Counsel. She oversaw Caterpillar's corporate governance, securities, tax and regulatory compliance group. Prior to joining Caterpillar, she served as Associate General Counsel of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Thomas P. Lambert

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, Los Angeles, California

Thomas Lambert has been Managing Partner of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp since 2002. He is also Co-Chair of the Complex Litigation Practice Group for the firm. There, he has lead several high profile matters, on both state and federal matters. He represents both plantiffs and defendants.

W. Mark Lanier

The Lanier Law Firm, Houston, Texas

W. Mark Lanier is the founder of The Lanier Law Firm, where he also serves as lead litigation counsel. Mr. Lanier is certified as a personal injury trial specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and practices nationwide. In addition to his active practice, Mr. Lanier serves on the Board of Trustees of the Committee for Economic Development and the Board of Directors for the National Center for State Courts.

Marc Lawrence-Apfelbaum

Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
Time Warner Cable

Marc Lawrence-Apfelbaum is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Time Warner Cable. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Media Law Resource Center, a non-profit organization which monitors developments and promotes First Amendment rights in the libel, privacy and related legal fields. Previously, he served as SVP, GC and Secretary of Time Warner Cable division of TWE from 1996.

Mark LeHocky

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Ross Stores, Inc.

Mr. LeHocky has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since February 2009. Previously, Mr. LeHocky was Vice President and General Counsel for Dreyer's Ice Cream, Inc. He is a former member of the executive council of the antitrust and unfair competition section of the State Bar of California and of the Board of Directors for the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law Alumni Association.

Andrew J. Levander

Dechert, New York

Andrew J. Levander, Chairman-elect of Dechert LLP, is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the Securities and Commodities Fraud Unit who is consistently recognized for excellence in the practice of law. Mr. Levander represents parties in securities fraud and commercial litigation and criminal and government investigations and has tried more than 40 cases.

Roberta D. Liebenberg

Fine, Kaplan and Black, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A partner at Fine, Kaplan and Black, Roberta Liebenberg is the Chair of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary. She is the former Vice Chair of the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession and also served as its Special Advisor. She has received numerous awards for her efforts to combat bias in the justice system and for mentoring of female attorneys.

Kathleen M. Mahoney

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Nash Finch Company

Kathleen M. Mahoney is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Nash Finch Company. Before joining the Nash Finch Company, Ms. Mahoney was Managing Partner in the St. Paul Office of Larson King and had also been with Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly. Kathy also worked as Special Assistant Attorney General in the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.

Thomas Malone

Malone Law, Atlanta, Georgia

Tommy Malone is the founder of Malone Law. Mr. Malone focuses his practice on personal injury and wrongful death in Georgia. Tommy is the past President of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a member of the Diversity Law Institute and The Trial Law Institute.

Marc E. Manly

Group Executive, and Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Duke Energy

Marc Manly is a Group Executive, and the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Duke Energy. He has previously been Chief Legal Officer for Cinergy Corp. and general counsel at NewPower Holdings Inc. Prior to this, he worked in AT&T's legal department and was once a partner at Sidley & Austin.

Thomas P. Mason

Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.

Thomas Mason has served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Energy Transfer since June 2008. He has served as General Counsel and Secretary of Energy Transfer since February 2007. Prior to joining Energy Transfer, Mr. Mason was a partner in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins.

Theodore V. H. Mayer

Hughes Hubbard & Reed, New York

Ted Mayer is Managing Partner of Hughes Hubbard & Reed. He is a member of the firm's Executive Committee and its Compensation Committee. He formerly chaired the firm's Litigation Department and his practice focuses on product liability and on complex litigation generally.

Timothy J. Mayopoulos

Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel
Fannie Mae

Timothy J. Mayopoulos is Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for Fannie Mae. Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 2009, Mr. Mayopoulos was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Bank of America Corporation. Mr. Mayolpoulos has also held Counsel positions with Americas of Deutsche Bank, Americas of Credit Suisse First Boston, and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Before moving to in house counsel positions, he was in practice at Davis Polk & Wardwell.

James Fox Miller

Boies, Schiller & Flexner, Hollywood, Florida

James Fox Miller served as President of The Florida Bar from 1990-1991, one of the few Family Law specialists to ever hold the position; six years as a member of ABA House of Delegates; and three years on Florida's Judicial Council. He has published, taught, and lectured extensively throughout the United States.

John T. Montgomery

Ropes & Gray, Boston, Massachusetts

John Montgomery is the Managing Partner of Ropes & Gray and a member of its management committee. John focuses on complex civil litigation with an emphasis on trials and appeals in high profile cases involving publicly sensitive issues. Prior to joining Ropes & Gray in 1982, John served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He also served as First Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Marko Mrkonich

Littler Mendelson, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Marko Mrkonich is President and Managing Director of Littler Mendelson. He began his career as a law clerk to the Honorable Miles W. Lord, United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota. In addition to his management duties and representation of employers in specific matters, Mr. Mrkonich has devoted extensive efforts to education.

Satoru Murase

Bingham McCutchen, New York

Satoru Murase practices corporate and international law at Bingham McCutchen LLP. His focus is on the representation of major Asian and Japanese corporations in their overseas operations, and major U.S. and European corporations operating in Asia. He actively advises global corporations regarding cross-border investments in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He is a Director of the Japan Society and a member of the Trilateral Commission.

Jiro Murase

Bingham McCutchen, New York

In 1989, the Emperor of Japan conferred upon Mr. Murase the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to increased understanding and friendship between the United States and Japan.

Gary Naftalis

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, New York

Gary Naftalis is the head of the Litigation Department and firmwide Co-Chair of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel. For over 30 years, Mr. Naftalis has represented individuals and corporations in all phases of complex litigation, including bet-the-company in regulatory, criminal and civil matters. He has also counseled numerous corporations through regulatory matters.

Bruce Nagel

Nagel Rice, Roseland, New Jersey

Bruce H. Nagel is a Partner at Nagel Rice, LLP, a leading trial firm in New Jersey. He focuses his practice on plaintiffs side Medical Malpractice law. He is an active member of The Association of Trial Lawyers of America and The Association of Trial Attorneys of New Jersey.

Jonathan D. Niemeyer

Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Western & Southern Financial Group

Jonathan D. Niemeyer is Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Western & Southern Financial Group. Prior to joining Western & Southern in 2001, he held positions with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP and Graydon, Head & Ritchey LLP where he concentrated on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and securities.

Jeff Norton

Linklaters, New York

Jeff Norton is the U.S. Co-Managing Partner and Co-Head of the U.S. banking practice at Linklaters LLP. He has over 20 years of experience representing lead arrangers, underwriters, and issuers in complex domestic and cross-border leveraged debt and high-yield transactions.

Terrence O'Donnell

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Textron

Terrence O'Donnell is executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Textron Inc. Previously, he was a partner and member of the executive committee at Williams & Connolly. From 1989 to 1992, he served as general counsel of the Department of Defense under Secretary Cheney. He previously served on the White House staff as deputy special assistant to President Nixon and as special assistant to President Ford.

Edward O'Keefe

General Counsel
Bank of America

Edward P. O'Keefe is general counsel of Bank of America, the company's chief legal officer and adviser. He is also a member of the company's executive management team. A community leader in youth activities, O'Keefe has transitioned from managing athletic teams to advocating on behalf of at-risk children. He serves on the board of directors of the Charlotte-based Council for Children's Rights.

Jack H. Olender

Jack H. Olender & Associates, Washington, D.C.

Jack H. Olender founded Jack H. Olender & Associates, PC to focus on medical malpractice and personal injury victims. Mr. Olender is a current President of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys and a past President of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia and the Trial Lawyers Association, D.C.

John F. Olson

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Washington, D.C.

A founding partner of the firm's Washington, D.C. office, Mr. Olson has been Chairman for the past five years of the ABA Business Law Section's Committee on Corporate Governance.

Brian Panish

Panish Shea & Boyle, Los Angeles, California

Brian Panish is a partner at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP. Mr. Panish focuses his practice on plaintiff's-side advocacy. In addition to his successful nationwide practice, he is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of California where he sits on the Board of Governors.

Paul S. Pearlman

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, New York

Paul Pearlman is Managing Partner of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel. Mr. Pearlman's practice focuses on private equity, leveraged buyouts, corporate restructuring, and bankruptcy law in addition to his responsibilities managing the firm.

Arnold E. Perl

Glankler Brown, Memphis, Tennessee

Arnold Perl brings over thirty years of experience practicing labor and employment law to Glankler Brown, PLLC. He focuses his practice on labor law and advocacy before the U.S. Courts of Appeals and also serves as a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator. He has a great depth of experience with the NLRB and was one of only 25 management labor attorneys appointed to serve on the NLRB Advisory Panel under then Chairman William Gould.

William J. Perlstein

WilmerHale, Washington, D.C.

William Perlstein is a co-managing partner of WilmerHale, as well as a partner in the firm's Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring Practice Group. Among his many professional activities, Mr. Perlstein is a Fellow and Counsel to the American College of Bankruptcy.

Carter G. Phillips

Sidley Austin, Washington, D.C.

Carter Phillips is the Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Before becoming Co-Chair, Mr. Phillips was Managing Partner of the firm's Washington, D.C. office. Since joining Sidley, Mr. Phillips has argued 67 cases in the Supreme Court. Previously, he served as a law clerk to Judge Robert Sprecher on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Chief Justice Warren E. Burger on the United States Supreme Court.

Regina Pisa

Goodwin Procter, Boston, Massachusetts

Regina Pisa is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Goodwin Procter LLP. Ms. Pisa's practice focuses on financial services with a concentration on mergers and acquisitions of banks and financial institutions. She is a member of The American Law Institute and Co-Chair of Law Firm Pro Bono Project Advisory Committee of the Pro Bono Institute in addition to several professional activities.

Timothy A. Pratt

Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary
Boston Scientific Corporation

Tim Pratt is Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary for Boston Scientific. Tim is a member of the Board of Directors for the Advanced Medical Technology Association, a Director on the Board for the New England Legal Foundation, a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the General Counsel Roundtable, and is also active in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.

Blane Prescott

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Denver, Colorado

Mr. Prescott is the Chief Executive Officer of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. He has written more than 75 articles on law firm issues and has spoken extensively before law firms, industry trade groups, in-house legal departments and graduate school business programs.

Helen P. Pudlin

Executive Vice President and General Counsel
PNC Financial Services Group

Helen P. Pudlin is senior vice president and general counsel of The PNC Financial Services Group. Pudlin joined PNC, Philadelphia, as general counsel in 1989 from the law firm of Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll in Philadelphia, where she was a partner. She sits on the Committee of Corporate General Counsel of the American Bar Association and the Lawyers Council of the Financial Services Roundtable.

Roger Quillen

Fisher & Phillips, Atlanta, Georgia

Roger Quillen is a partner in the Atlanta office and is the Managing Partner and Chairman of the firm's Management Committee. In addition to leading the firm, Mr. Quillen focuses his practice on management and employer side counsel and litigation, specializing in federal appellate litigation.

Karl Racine

Venable, Washington, D.C.

Karl Racine is managing partner at Venable and focuses his practice on corporate defense/white collar law and commercial litigation. Mr. Racine was formerly a staff attorney with the D.C. Public Defender Service as well as an associate White House counsel under President Clinton.

Harry M. Reasoner

Vinson & Elkins, Houston, Texas

Mr. Reasoner is one of the leading trial lawyers in the country, former Chair of the ABA Section of Antitrust Law, and recipient of many awards for his civic and professional contributions, including the American Inns of Court Award for the Fifth Circuit.

Patrick M. Regan

Regan, Zambri & Long, Washington, D.C.

Patrick M. Regan is President and Senior Partner of Regan Zambri & Long. His practice aims at representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice, product liability and other serious personal injury and wrongful death claims. Mr. Regan has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and currently serves on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice.

Thomas J. Reid

Davis Polk & Wardwell, New York

Thomas Reid is the Managing Partner of Davis Polk. Mr. Reid first joined Davis Polk in 1995, leaving in 2000 to be managing director in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley and rejoined of Davis Polk in 2003. In addition to his management role at the firm, he focuses his practice on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions law.

James M. Rishwain, Jr.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Los Angeles, California

Mr. Rishwain is the Chair of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and has also served as leader or co-leader of the firm's global real estate practice. His practice has emphasis in real estate matters including acquisitions, development, finance and more.

Sandra H. Robinson

Jack H. Olender & Associates, Washington, D.C.

Sandra H. Robinson is a senior trial attorney at the law firm of Jack H. Olender & Associates, PC. Ms. Robinson focuses her practice on representing plaintiffs in catastrophic medical malpractice and personal injury cases. She has served as president of the Civil Justice Foundation and was the first African-American president of the Public Justice Foundation. Ms. Robinson is also past president of the Women's Bar Association Foundation.

Mark Roellig

Executive Vice President and General Counsel
MassMutual Financial Group

Mark Roellig is Executive Vice President and General Counsel, MassMutual and executive sponsor of MassMutual's LGBTA Employee Resource Group. Prior to joining MassMutual in 2005, he served as general counsel and secretary to three public companies before their sale/merger: Fisher Scientific International Inc., Storage Technology Corporation, and U.S. WEST Inc.

Thomas Russo

Executive Vice President, Legal, Compliance, Regulatory Affairs and Government Affairs and General Counsel
AIG

Thomas Russo is AIG Executive Vice President, Legal, Compliance, Regulatory Affairs and Government Affairs and General Counsel. Mr. Russo joins AIG from the New York office of Patton Boggs LLP, where he served as Senior Counsel. Prior to that, he was a Vice Chairman of Lehman Brothers Inc. and Chief Legal Officer of Lehman Brothers Holdings. Before joining Lehman in 1993, Mr. Russo was a Partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and a member of its Management Committee.

Peter John Sacripanti

McDermott Will & Emery, New York

Peter John Sacripanti is Co-Chair of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and Chair of the Firm's Executive Committee. He is based in the Firm's New York office, where he concentrates his practice on complex business and environmental disputes. In 2001, Peter was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Donald C. Schiller

Schiller DuCanto & Fleck, Chicago, Illinois

Donald C. Schiller is Senior Partner at Schiller DuCanto & Fleck. Mr. Schiller centers his practice on family law matters, largely for leaders or their spouses from the business, professional, entertainment, and sports communities. Mr. Schiller has served as President of the Illinois State Bar Association and Chair of the ABA’s Family Law Section.

Rex E. Schlaybaugh, Jr.

Dykema, Detroit, Michigan

Rex E. Schlaybaugh, Jr. is the chairman and chief executive officer of Dykema. Mr. Schlaybaugh is the immediate past Chairman and Member of the Executive Committee of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and is also Past Chairman of the Detroit Legal Aid and Defender Association's Legal Legacy Campaign.

Bart Schwartz

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Assurant

Bart R. Schwartz is executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary at Assurant. He previously served as Chief Corporate Governance Officer and Secretary of The Bank of New York Company Mellon Corporation, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., General Counsel and Senior Vice President of The MONY Group Inc., and Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Willis Corroon Corporation.

Karen E. Shaff

Executive Vice President - General Counsel
Principal Financial Group

Karen Shaff is the executive vice president and general counsel for Principal Financial Group, Inc. Additionally, Shaff is Past President of the Association of Life Insurance Counsel, a member of the American, Iowa State and Polk County Bar Associations, the Association of Corporate Counsel and a past member of the Iowa State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics and Conduct and the Iowa State Bar Association Board of Governors.

James L. Shea

Venable, Baltimore, Maryland

Mr. Shea is chair of Venable and also maintains an active practice, focusing on corporate litigation and related issues. A member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he tries cases in both federal and state systems throughout the country.

Joseph C. Shenker

Sullivan & Cromwell, New York

Mr. Shenker became chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell on January 1, 2010 and continues his broad multidisciplinary practice. He is president of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, one of New York City's largest poverty aid organizations, a member of the Steering Committee of the board of visitors of Columbia Law School, and a member of the board of trustees of The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Marianne D. Short

Dorsey & Whitney, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Marianne D. Short, Managing Partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, has more than 30 years of courtroom experience as a trial lawyer and an appellate judge. Marianne is a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers, and is certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a Civil Trial Specialist.

Robert Siverd

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
General Cable

Mr. Robert Siverd has been Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of General Cable since July 1994. Prior to his joining General Cable in 1992, he joined The Penn Central Corporation, a multi-industry conglomerate as litigation counsel and was elected Vice President-Litigation in 1986.

Maura Abeln Smith

Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
PepsiCo

Maura Abeln Smith is executive vice president, Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of PepsiCo. Prior to joining PepsiCo in 2011, Smith served as senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and global government relations of International Paper. Smith also served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Owens Corning and the Plastics Division of General Electric.

Andrew M. Smulian

Akerman Senterfitt, Miami, Florida

Andrew Smulian serves as Chairman and CEO of Akerman Senterfitt. Andrew has been a long-time member of the firm's Board of Directors and since 2008 leads the strategic growth and management of the firm. He has counseled clients in connection with billions of dollars of complex real estate transactions.

William B. Solomon, Jr.

General Counsel
Ally Financial Inc.

William B. Solomon, Jr. joined GMAC/Ally in 1999 to serve as general counsel; he was named group vice president in 2004. He has extensive experience working in the legal offices of major companies, working at General Motors Corp., Vixen Motor Company, and Ford Motor Credit Company. He began his legal career with a two-year clerkship on the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Jeffrey E. Stone

McDermott Will & Emery, Chicago, Illinois

Jeffrey E. Stone is Co-Chair of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and Chair of the Firm's Management Committee. Prior to joining McDermott, Jeffrey served in the United States Attorney's Office in Chicago for five years, most recently as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Receiving and Appellate Division.

Kenneth M. Suggs

Janet, Jenner & Suggs, Columbia, South Carolina

Kenneth M. Suggs is a named partner of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC. Over 30 years he has distinguished himself in medical malpractice, product liability and business litigation, and he heads the firm’s Business Litigation Division. Mr. Suggs is a past president of the American Association for Justice and recipient of the AAJ’s Harry Philo and President’s Awards for excellence in client advocacy. In 2012, he was named Best Lawyers ® Lawyer of the Year–Product Liability, Columbia, SC. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers

Edward Patrick Swan

Jones Day, San Diego, California

Pat Swan is a partner in the San Diego office of Jones Day. He is a past member of the Firm's Executive Committee, and past chair and vice chair of the Business / Complex Litigation Practice Group. He is the founder and Partner-in-Charge of the White Collar Criminal Defense Practice Group. He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California from 1982-1990.

Keith A. Teel

Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Teel is a member the Management and Executive Committees for Covington & Burling. In addition to his formidable litigation practice, Mr. Teel is Chair of Agenda Committee of American Tort Reform Association, a member of American Intellectual Property Law Association and the American Bar Association.

Larry Thompson

John A. Sibley Professor of Corporate and Business Law
University of Georgia School of Law

Larry Thompson is a John A. Sibley Professor of Corporate and Business Law at the University of Georgia School of Law. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary for PepsiCo. Mr. Thompson also served as a Senior Fellow with The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Mr. Thompson was once a partner in the Atlanta, Georgia firm of King & Spalding.

John C. Tishler

Waller Lansden, Nashville, Tennessee

John Tishler has served as Chair at Waller Lansden since 2007 and on its Board of Directors since 2004. His expertise is in corporate insolvency, creditor's rights, financial services law, and commercial litigation. In addition to his busy practice, he is Legal Counsel and on the board of directors for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

Colleen Tracy

Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto, New York

Colleen Tracy currently serves as the Managing Partner of Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto and on the Diversity and Professional Development Committee for the firm. Ms. Tracy served as a student law clerk to the Honorable William G. Bassler of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Robert W. Trafford

Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, Columbus, Ohio

Mr. Trafford serves as Managing Partner for Porter Wright Morris & Arthur. In addition to this service, he concentrates his practice in the area of complex business litigation, at both the trial and appellate levels. Additionally, he is a Fellow in the American College of Trial lawyers.

Michael Tyler

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Sanmina SCI

Michael Tyler is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Sanmina SCI. Previously, he was senior vice president, chief legal and administrative officer of Gateway, Inc., counsel at Northrop Grumman Corporation, an associate at Heller Ehrman, and a clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Patrick Vaccaro

Jackson Lewis, White Plains, New York

Patrick L. Vaccaro is the firm-wide Managing Partner of Jackson Lewis. Prior to assuming the Managing Partner role, he served as Vice Chair of the firm. Mr. Vaccaro has represented employers in virtually every conceivable type of labor and employment law matter. He also has the distinction of being selected as a judge for the inaugural Robert F. Wagner Memorial National Labor Law Competition.

Kenneth Van Winkle, Jr.

Lewis and Roca, Phoenix, Arizona

Mr. Van Winkle is Lewis and Roca's Managing Partner. He is a member of the firm's Real Estate Transactional Group and focuses his practice on real property acquisitions and dispositions; real estate equity and debt financing; and real estate leasing. Additionally, he is a Board Member and Trustee of the Arizona State University Foundation.

Hugh Verrier

White & Case, New York

Hugh Verrier is the Chairman of White & Case LLP and directs the Firm's operations and practices around the world. Mr. Verrier's practice has been focused on the development of natural resources globally. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Public Interest Law Institute's Pro Bono Advisory Council.

George H. Vincent

Dinsmore & Shohl, Cincinnati, Ohio

George Vincent is Managing Partner of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP and Chairman of the firm's Board of Directors. George is also the Chair of the firm's Finance Committee. George's practice includes general business and corporate law with an emphasis on general corporate counseling, mergers and acquisitions, federal and state securities law, professional corporations, and antitrust.

Mark D. Wasserman

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Wasserman is Managing Partner of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. Prior to being elected Managing Partner in 2005, Mark served as co-chair of Sutherland's Corporate Transactional Team and was a member of the firm's Executive Committee.

Russell Welsh

Polsinelli Shughart, Kansas City, Missouri

W. Russell Welsh has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Polsinelli Shughart since 1998. Mr. Welsh is formerly the Chairman of the firm's Litigation Department. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and he is a former Chairman of an American Bar Association Products Liability Committee. Mr. Welsh was a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, in Washington, D.C.

Keith C. Wetmore

Morrison & Foerster, New York

Keith Wetmore is the chair of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Before becoming chair, Mr. Wetmore led the firm's 50-lawyer Finance and Infrastructure practice, bringing to his engagements 20 years of experience in debt and lease finance, both domestic and international.

Gary M. Wingens

Lowenstein Sandler, New York

Gary Wingens is Chairman and CEO of Lowenstein Sandler and Chair of the firm's Board of Directors and Operating Committee. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey and the Council of Trustees of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (where he also serves as outside counsel).

Barton Winokur

Dechert, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Barton J. Winokur, who joined Dechert in 1965, has been a corporate partner since 1972 and is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the firm. Beyond his practice, Barton is a member of Board of Trustees of Cornell University and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Enrique Bruchou

Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi, Buenos Aires

Mr. Bruchou, founding partner of Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi, acted as the sole Argentine counsel to the Dealer Managers in the $88 billion Sovereign Debt Restructuring of the Republic of Argentina, the biggest financial restructuring in the history of the financial markets (2005). Since 2001, he has been the permanent advisor to the Argentine Bank Association.

Esteban Buljevich

Pastoriza Eviner Cangueiro Ruiz Buljevich, Buenos Aires

Dr. Esteban Buljevich, admitted to practice law in Buenos Aires and New York, is an international business lawyer with almost two decades of experience in the fields of Project and Corporate Finance, Transnational Business Transactions, and International Banking. He previously served as principal counsel in the Legal Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, for more than twelve years.

Roxana Kahale

Kahale Abogados, Buenos Aires

Roxana Kahale is the Founding Partner of Kahale Abogados, a law firm whose members have over 15 years of experience in Argentina counseling local and foreign clients. She practices in Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate, Energy, Entertainment, and Antitrust Law. She was selected Co-Chair of The Women Lawyers International Group of the IBA as of January 1, 2009. In 2007, Apertura Magazine voted her the best woman lawyer in Argentina.

Pablo Louge

Allende & Brea Abogados, Buenos Aires

Pablo Louge has been a partner of Allende & Brea Abogados since 1996 and is currently the managing partner. Along with his practice focus on commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, insurance and pension funds, he is a member of the International Bar Association and The Association Internationale de Droit des Assurances (A.I.D.A.).

Cristian Mitrani

Mitrani, Caballero, Rosso Alba, Francia, Ojam & Ruiz Moreno, Buenos Aires

Mr. Mitrani leads the General Corporate Practice for Mitrani, Caballero, Rosso Alba, Francia, Ojam & Ruiz Moreno. In addition to his corporate and M&A practice, Mr. Mitrani is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the London Court of International Arbitration, International Bar Association, the American Bar Association, to name a few.

Juan Javier Negri

Negri & Teijeiro Abogados, Buenos Aires

Mr. Negri is a partner of Negri & Teijeiro, a major Argentine law firm, where he practices in the areas of Domestic and International Banking, Financial Transactions, Privatization, and International Mergers and Acquisitions. He received the Argentine Legal Profession Award granted by the Argentine Press Association and the Argentine Federation of Bar Associations in 1990.

Santiago María J. A. Nicholson

Nicholson y Cano, Buenos Aires

Santiago María J. A. Nicholson is Senior Manager Partner of Nicholson y Cano. He focuses his practice on Corporate and Finance Law. Additionally, he is Advisor to the Chamber of Pension Funds Companies and to the National Association of Banks.

Uriel Federico O'Farrell

Estudio O'Farrell, Buenos Aires

Mr. O'Farrell is the Senior Partner of Estudio O'Farrell, a major Argentine Firm with over 60 professionals. He specializes in the fields of Public Law and Corporate Law.

Alfredo Rovira

Brons & Salas, Buenos Aires

Dr. Alfredo Rovira is Partner at Brons & Salas Abogados. In addition to his Tax and Corporate practice, he is incredibly active in the international legal community. He is President of the Tax and Legal Affairs Committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce in the Argentine Republic (1988-present) and Member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina (1992-present).

Guido Santiago Tawil

M. & M. Bomchil, Buenos Aires

Guido Santiago Tawil is a senior partner in the firm of M. & M. Bomchil a leading Argentine firm, where he heads the Administrative Law & Economic Regulation and Arbitration Departments. He has also served as Commissioner of Argentina's Securities & Exchange Commission and as Secretary of Argentina's Federal Supreme Court of Justice (a position equivalent to federal judge).

John Atkin

Chief Executive Officer
Trust Company Limited

Mr. John Atkin is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Trust Company Limited, a leading Australian financial services group with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Townsville as well as in Hong Kong and Singapore. Until 2008, Mr. Atkin served as Managing Partner of Blake Dawson, a leading Australian law firm. He is a member of the Business Council of Australia and is also internationally recognized for his work in Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital Markets.

Gavin Bell

Freehills, Sydney

Gavin Bell is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Freehills, one of Australia’s leading firms with around 1,000 lawyers and offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Singapore and correspondent offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Jakarta. He is a member of the Australian Graduate School of Management Advisory Council and the Business Council of Australia.

David Bennett QC

5 Wentworth, Sydney

Dr. David Bennett was the Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, the second law officer to the Attorney-General of that nation. He appears in the Commonwealth's interest in important legal proceedings, particularly in the High Court. He also served as President of the Australian Bar Association from 1995 to 1997.

Don Boyd

Norton Rose Australia, Sydney

Don Boyd is the Group Deputy Chief Executive of Norton Rose Group. Norton Rose Group is a leading international legal practice. With more than 2600 lawyers, we offer a full business law service to many of the world’s pre-eminent financial institutions and corporations from offices in Europe, Asia Pacific, Canada, Africa and the Middle East. We are strong in financial institutions; energy; infrastructure, mining and commodities; transport; technology and innovation; and pharmaceuticals and life sciences. Norton Rose Group comprises Norton Rose LLP, Norton Rose Australia, Norton Rose OR LLP, Norton Rose South Africa (incorporated as Deneys Reitz Inc), and their respective affiliates.

John Carrington

Blake Dawson, Melbourne

John Carrington is Managing Partner of Blake Dawson, a leading law firm with offices across Australia, and international offices in Shanghai, Singapore, Port Moresby, and Jakarta. He is a member of the Business Council of Australia and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA).

John W.H. Denton

Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Melbourne

John W.H. Denton is Partner & Chief Executive Officer of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, one of Australia's top ten law firms, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. He is rated as one of Australia's leading labor lawyers. He is also currently Chair of the Business Advisory Group for the Government of Australia and Prime Ministerial representative to the APEC Business Council and the author of many articles on trade.

David Fagan

Clayton Utz, Melbourne

David Fagan is a Partner with Clayton Utz, one of Australia's most successful law firms with over 1,900 people nationally, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, and Darwin, and with a leading practice in the Asia Pacific region. From May 2001 until June 2010, he was the Chief Executive Partner of the firm.  He is a Board member of the Clayton Utz Foundation and is also a member of the Business Council of Australia - Business Reform Task Force.

Mark Green

Minter Ellison, Melbourne

Mark Green is the Managing Partner of the Melbourne office of Minter Ellison, a major legal force in the Asia Pacific region with more than 2,200 people in 14 offices in 6 countries: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Shanghai, Auckland, Wellington, and London. He is one of Australia's leading advisers on Tax and related Corporate Structuring issues.

Tony Holland

DLA Piper Australia, Sydney

Mr. Holland is a distinguished lawyer with over 25 years finance and project finance experience. He is the Country Managing Partner for DLA Piper Australia. Prior to his appointment at DLA Piper Australia, Tony was the Regional Head of Finance for the Middle East and the Managing Partner of the Dubai office of DLA Piper.

Robert Milliner

Sydney

Robert Milliner was the Chief Executive Partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques from 2004 to 2011. He is on the Board of the Business Council of Australia and Chairs the BCA's Business Reform Task Force.

Mary Padbury

Blake Dawson, Melbourne

Mary Padbury is Chairman of Blake Dawson, a leading law firm with offices across Australia, and international offices in Shanghai, Singapore, Port Moresby, and Jakarta. She practices in Intellectual Property and is a WIPO Domain Name Panelist, is Past Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia, and a Member of Chief Executive Women.

Michael Rose

Allens Arthur Robinson, Sydney

Michael Rose is the Chief Executive Partner of Allens Arthur Robinson, a major firm with offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Melbourne, Perth, Phnom Penh, Port Moresby, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney. He is the Chairman of ChildFund Australia and a member of the Education, Skills and Innovation Task Force of the Business Council of Australia.

Albert Birkner

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, Vienna

Dr. Birkner is the Managing Partner of CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, a firm with offices in Belgrade, Bratislava, Brussels, Budapest, Bucharest, Minsk, Sofia, Timisoara, and Vienna. He is a Lecturer at the Politechnic College Wr. Neustadt and a Supervisory Board Member of both ÖRAG and Worthington Cylinders.

Bernt Elsner

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz, Vienna

Bernt Elsner is head of the Public Procurement Law, EU Competition Law and Public Law team at CMS Reich- Rohrwig Hainz, one of Austria's leading law firms.  He practices in the fields of Public Procurement Law, Cartel Law, State Aid, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, EU-Law, Environmental Law, Tax Law, and Arbitration.

Nariman Ramazanov

FINA, Baku

Mr. Ramazanov is Founder and Managing Partner of FINA LLP, a major Azerbaijan law firm which was founded in 2002 in Baku. He specializes in the fields of Foreign Trade Management, Taxation, Banking, Energy and Natural Resources, Commercial and Labor Law, Incorporation, and Real Estate.

Hatim Sharif Zu'bi

Hatim S. Zu'bi & Partners, Manama

Mr. Zu'bi is the founder and Senior Partner of the Hatim S. Zu'bi & Partners, which was first established in 1971 and which has been one of the leading firms in Bahrain and other GCC States in the fields of Corporate Law, Banking & Finance, Construction, Arbitration, and Litigation. Mr. Zu'bi was called to the English Bar by Lincoln's Inn, London in 1950 and has been licensed to practice as an Advocate in Jordan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar, and the Sultanate of Oman as well as in Bahrain.

Konstantin Mikhel

Vlasova Mikhel & Partners, Minsk

Mr. Mikhel is the Managing Partner of Vlasova Mikhel & Partners, the successor firm to the first private law practice in the Republic of Belarus. He is Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of the Belarusian Public Association of Commercial Lawyers and practices in the fields of Investment, Taxation, International Commercial Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Insolvency, Finance, and Commercial Litigation.

Jean-Pierre Blumberg

Linklaters, Antwerp

Mr. Blumberg is the Managing Partner for Europe of Linklaters, one of the world's preeminent firms with 30 offices in 23 countries. He specializes in Corporate Law, particularly Private and Public Mergers and Acquisitions, Take-Over Bids, Reorganizations, and Joint Ventures as well as Equity Offerings (IPOs and secondary transactions).

Peter Callens

Loyens & Loeff, Brussels

Peter Callens is a Partner at Loyens & Loeff Belgium, part of a global firm. He is a member of the Corporate Law and M&A practice group in Brussels. Peter is the chairman of the Belgian-Dutch Society (BENEV) and also a former co-chair of the International Sales committee of the International Bar Association

Sabine Chalmers

Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer
Anheuser-Busch InBev

Sabine Chalmers is Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer and Secretary to the Board of Directors of Anheuser-Busch InBev. Prior to joining Anheuser-Busch InBev, Mrs. Chalmers was with Diageo plc and Lovells in London. Mrs. Chalmers is a member of the Board of Directors of Grupo Modelo and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Anne De Wolf

Institut des juristes d'entreprise, Brussels

Anne De Wolf is the General Manager of the Institut des juristes d'entreprise - the Institute for Company Lawyers. She is also a delegate to the International Company Lawyers Association. For nineteen years, she worked for BASF Belgium N.V., the Belgian subsidiary of the German world leader in the chemical sector, serving as its Secretary-General and Legal Affairs Manager.

Patrick Hofströssler

Eubelius, Brussels

Patrick Hofströssler is a Partner at Eubelius, a leading Belgian law firm with 90 lawyers and offices in Brussels, Kortrijk, and Antwerp. Mr. Hofströssler, who focuses his practice on Estate Law and Succession Planning, Procedural Law, Commercial Law, Property Law, and Administrative Procedural Law, frequently acts for the Belgian government.

Michael Schütte

Dr. Michael Schütte, Brussels and Saint Saphorin sur Morges, Switzerland

Dr. Michael Schütte has been practising mainly in the field of antitrust, competition and international trade. In early 1990, he became a partner in Bruckhaus Westrick Stegemann, which merged to become Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in 2000. The initial years until 1995 were marked by assisting the Treuhandanstalt, the German privatization agency, in a number of complex privatizations, all of which lead to State aid procedures before the European Commission. He managed the Brussels office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer until his retirement from that firm in September 2006. He joined Howrey LLP as a senior partner in October 2006 and resigned from that firm in April 2009.

Paulo Cezar Aragão

Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão, São Paulo

Mr. Aragão is a senior partner of Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão Advogados, one of the largest firms in Brazil with offices in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Brasilia. Mr. Aragão is a former General Counsel of the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission and is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Arbitration Chamber of the São Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA).

Ricardo Barretto Ferreira da Silva

Barretto Ferreira, Kujawski, Brancher Sociedade de Advogados, São Paulo

Mr. Barretto Ferreira da Silva is the founding, senior and managing partner of Barretto Ferreira, Kujawski, Brancher Sociedade de Advogados. Through his management of the firm and Information Technology and E-Commerce practice, he was Vice-Chair of the Inter-American Law Committee of the Comparative Law Division of the ABA (2001-2004), Chairman of the CLA South America Committee (2004-2005), and Chairman of the Information Technology Transaction Subcommittee of the Committee R (IBA) (2000/2002) among other activies.

Alexandre Bertoldi

Pinheiro Neto Advogados, São Paulo

Alexandre Bertoldi is the managing partner of Pinheiro Neto Advogados and a member of the firm's Steering Committee. With offices in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, Pinheiro Neto Advogados is one of the largest law firms in Latin America and one of the most well-established in Brazil. Mr. Bertoldi practices in the corporate area, with a focus on M&A and Banking & Finance, having worked in the past years on some of Brazil's largest deals.

Fernando Koury Lopes

Koury Lopes Advogados, São Paulo

Fernando Koury Lopes is a partner at Koury Lopes Advogados which he established in 2002. Known for his Corporate and M&A work, he is head of the department and led the team that counselled Thomson Reuters when it absorbed Revista dos Tribunais.

Antonio Corrêa Meyer

Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advoagados, São Paulo

Antonio Corrêa Meyer is a founding partner of Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advoagados. His practice on Corporate and Capital Markets Law. Meyer is President of the Center of Studies of the Law Firms - CESA, an Arbitrator of the Conciliation and Arbitration Chamber of Fundação Getúlio Vargas, and a member of the Market Arbitration Chamber (CAM), created for the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa).

Roberto Quiroga Mosquera

Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados, São Paulo

Roberto Quiroga Mosquera is Managing partner at Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados. Focusing his practice on Tax law, Mr. Quiroga Mosquera is a Professor of Tax Law and the Third Sector Law of Getúlio Vargas Foundation and also a member of the IFA - International Fiscal Association and the IBA - International Bar Association.

Vladimir P. Penkov

Penkov, Markov & Partners, Sofia

Mr. Penkov is the Founder and Managing Partner of Penkov, Markov & Partners, a leading Bulgarian firm with offices in Sofia, Bourgas, Varna, Lovech, Pleven, Rousse, and Vratza. He is the former Chief Legal Counsel to the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Vice-President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and arbitrator at the Arbitration Court at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Deborah Alexander

Executive Vice-President, General Counsel and Secretary
Scotiabank

Deborah joined Scotiabank in June 2002. Prior to this, she was a senior partner in the Business Law Department at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. She is active in the legal community, as a member of the Securities Advisory Committee to the Ontario Securities Commission, and in her local community as a member of the Queen's University Council.

Norman Bacal

Heenan Blaikie, Toronto

Norman Bacal is the Co-Managing Partner of Heenan Blaikie, a major Canadian firm with offices in Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver, Québec, Calgary, Sherbrooke, Ottawa, Thornhill, Trois-Rivières, Victoria, and representative offices in Singapore and Paris. Mr. Bacal focuses his practice on tax law and is considered a leading expert in taxation issues related to the Canadian and international entertainment industry.

Jean-Paul (J-P.) Bisnaire

Senior Executive Vice President, Business Development and General Counsel
Manulife Financial

Mr. Bisnaire began serving as General Counsel of Manulife Financial in 2004. He is also a member of the Company's Executive Committee and Management Committee. Before joining Manulife Financial, he was one of Canada's leading securities lawyers practicing in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.

Marc-André Blanchard

McCarthy Tétrault, Toronto

Marc-André Blanchard is the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of McCarthy Tétrault. Mr. Blanchard focuses his practice on civil and commercial litigation and has worked on matters involving shareholder disputes, contested mergers and acquisitions, class actions and boards of inquiry. Mr. Blanchard was president of the Québec Liberal Party from 2000 to 2008, an active member in cabinet campaigns of United Way since 2004, and a board member of the WoodGreen Foundation.

Michel A. Brunet

Fraser Milner Casgrain, Montréal

Michel A. Brunet is the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fraser Milner Casgrain, a major Canadian firm with offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and New York He has more than 30 years of experience in selling, acquiring, and financing businesses and is a much sought-after lecturer and panelist on matters pertaining to corporate law. He sits on the boards of several charitable organizations.

David N. Corbett

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, Toronto

David N. Corbett is Managing Partner of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin. Mr. Corbett first joined the firm in 1979 and has been an active part of its growth since. He is a member of the Labour & Employment Group and his practice involves advising and representing employers.

Brian D. Fulton

Lawson Lundell, Vancouver

Brian Fulton is Managing Partner of Lawson Lundell LLP, a leading western Canadian business law firm . Mr. Fulton focuses his practice on mergers and aquisitions, both domestic and cross-border, divestitures and joint ventures.

Clay M. Horner

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Toronto

Mr. Horner is Chair of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. He has acted as counsel in the largest merger transaction ever involving a Canadian company and a significant number of other leading Canadian transactions. He also acted as lead counsel to the "Wise Persons' Committee" to recommend the best securities regulatory system for Canada.

Andrew J.F. Kent

McMillan, Toronto

Andrew Kent is Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Financial Services and Restructuring department at McMillan. In addition to his active Finance practice, he focuses on the legal community, serving as Chair of the Joint Task Force on Business Insolvency Law Reform of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals from 2001 to 2005. He has been an Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto and is a Fellow of the Insolvency Institute of Canada (FIIC).

Hugh L. MacKinnon

Bennett Jones, Toronto

Hugh L. MacKinnon is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bennett Jones, a major Canadian firm with 360 lawyers and offices in Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, and Ottawa. He focuses his practice in the field of Corporate Law and is a member of the Senate of the Canadian International Council and Chairman of the Chesterton Institute based at Seton Hall, New Jersey.

Bernard F. Miller

McInnes Cooper, Moncton

Mr. Miller is the CEO and Managing Partner of McInnes Cooper, a firm with offices throughout Atlantic Canada, in Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, Moncton, St. John's, Saint John, and Summerside. He focuses his practice on Environmental Law, Energy and Natural Resources Law and Real Estate Law. He is a member of the Canadian Centre for Environmental Arbitration and Mediation and sits on the regional board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Christopher Montague

Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Christopher Montague is Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD). Prior to joining TD in 1998 as the company's Senior Vice President, Compliance, Chris was a Partner at the law firm McCarthy Tétrault.

Dale R. Ponder

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Toronto

Dale Ponder is Managing Partner and chief executive of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. She serves on the Firm’s Executive Committee and is a senior member of its Mergers and Acquisitions practice. In addition to her leadership role and busy cross-border M&A work, she has been a member of the Securities Advisory Committee to the Ontario Securities Commission and a special lecturer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

Norman M. Steinberg

Norton Rose OR, Montréal

Norman M. Steinberg is Chairman of Norton Rose OR LLP, which is a member of Norton Rose Group, a leading international legal practice offering a full business law service to many of the world’s pre-eminent financial institutions and corporations from offices in Europe, Asia Pacific, Canada, Africa and the Middle East. He has had a highly distinguished career in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, privatization and corporate governance.

Pierre-André Themens

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, Montréal

Pierre-André Themens is a Managing Partner of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, an integrated firm of more than 240 lawyers with offices in Toronto, Montréal and New York. While his practice focuses on all aspects of complex real estate transactions, from development to financing to acquisitions/dispositions to securitization, in Canada and internationally, he has a strong corporate/commercial practice as well.

Guy Tremblay

Heenan Blaikie, Montréal

Guy Tremblay was co-managing partner and a member of the Heenan Blaikie Executive Committee and National Management Committee from 1997 to 2011. His practice focuses on Labour and Employment law. He had previously spent several years as legal counsel for the Montreal Construction Association, and worked at the directorate general of labour relations for the Government of Quebec.

Sean Weir

Borden Ladner Gervais, Toronto

Sean Weir is the National Managing Partner of Borden Ladner Gervais, one of the most respected Canadian firms, with more than 700 lawyers, intellectual property agents, and other professionals in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Waterloo Region, Ottawa, and Montreal. He is a Member of the legal committee of the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association.

Jaime Carey

Carey y Cía, Santiago

Jaime Carey is Managing Partner of Carey y Cía, the largest law firm in Chile. He was also Chair of the World Services Group 2004-2005. Mr. Carey practices in the areas of corporate law, leases and leasing, banks and banking, mergers and acquisitions, and taxation.

José María Eyzaguirre Garcia

Claro y Cía, Santiago

José María Eyzaguirre G. de la H. is the senior partner and the head of the litigation practice at Claro y Cía, one of the most respected law firms in Chile. He was Chairman of the commission which drafted the “Property Section” of the Chilean Constitution (1974-1977) and a member of the commissions which studied the amendment to the Chilean Civil Code on family law matters (1986-1989) and a Uniform Civil and Commercial Code (1996-1998).

Roberto Guerrero V.

Guerrero, Olivos, Novoa y Errázuriz, Santiago

Roberto Guerrero focuses his practice on general corporate law and its related areas. In addition to his practice, he is very active in legal education. He was Vice Dean of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Law (2003- 2010), a Member of the Council for Transparency (2008-2010) and has been Dean of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Law since 2011.

Darío Cárdenas

Cardenas & Cardenas, Bogotá

Darío Cárdenas is a partner at Cardenas & Cardenas. In addition to his diverse practice which includes aviation, corporate law, and mining, oil, and gas law, he is a member of the Bar Association of Mining and Petroleum, the International Bar Association, and more. He was also Australia's Honorary Consul to Colombia for five years.

Juan Manuel Prieto

Colombian Ambassador in Italy

Juan Manuel Prieto is the Colombian Ambassador in Italy and the Colombian representative before FAO and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). Prior to being Ambassador he was one of the founding and senior partners of the Colombian law firm PRIETOCARRIZOSA, with ample experience in mergers and acquisitions and lately, he has been recognized as one of the experts in international and domestic estate and tax planning for national and foreign clients. He is a lawyer admitted to practice in Colombia since 1974.

Poul Flemming Hansen

Plesner Svane Grønborg, Copenhagen

Poul Flemming Hansen, partner at Plesner Svane Grønborg, acts as legal consultant to many large Danish and international companies and is a member of the board of several Danish companies and foundations. Over the years, he has been secretary of one of Denmark's leading associations of artists, "Den Frie Udstilling" and has been one of the judges of the Labour Court appointed by the Danish Employers' Federation.

Christian Schow Madsen

Bruun & Hjejle, Copenhagen

Christian Schow Madsen serves as Managing Partner of Bruun & Hjejle. His practice focuses on Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate, and Capital Markets law. Additionally, Mr. Schow Madsen is Chairman of the board of Arvid Nilssons Fond.

Kåre Stolt

Accura, Hellerup

Kåre Stolt is Senior Partner at Accura. Mr. Stolt also heads the Mergers and Acquisitons team at the firm. Kåre was one of the founders of ACCURA in 1999. Previously, he was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and managing director of Tellabs Danmark A/S (formerly DSC Communications A/S).

Søren Hornbæk Svendsen

Horten Law Firm, Hellerup

Søren Hornbæk Svendsen is part of Horten Law Firm's management team. He specialises in energy law and in general commercial and contract law advice to companies both inside and outside the energy sector. Before his time at Horten, Svendsen was Head of Legal and Vice President at DONG Energy (2001-2005) and as corporate legal counsel at the Danish industrial conglomerate, FL Smidth (1996-2001).

Jüri Raidla

Raidla Lejins & Norcous Advokaadibüroo, Tallinn

Jüri Raidla is a Senior Partner of Raidla Lejins & Norcous, one of the largest full-service business law firms in the Baltics, with offices in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. He participated in the legislative drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and served as Chairman of the Expert Committee and as Minister of Justice of Estonia from 1990 to 1992.

Johan Aalto

Hannes Snellman, Helsinki

Mr. Aalto is a Senior Partner of Hannes Snellman, which was established in 1909 and is the largest law firm in Finland and the biggest Nordic law firm in Russia. He specializes in M&A, Corporate Finance, and Capital Markets with a special emphasis on public takeovers.

Rainer Hilli

Roschier, Helsinki

Rainer Hilli is Managing Partner of Roschier. In addition to leading the firm, he is President of AIPPI Finland. He focuses his practice on Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property Law.

Louise Pentland

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
Nokia

Louise Pentland is executive vice president, Legal and Intellectual Property, and Chief Legal Officer. She is an active member of the legal community, giving time to the Association of General Counsels, Chief Legal Officer's Roundtable and Global Leaders in Law. Louise also serves as vice chair of the International Bar Association Corporate Counsel Forum.

Kimmo Rekola

Castrén & Snellman, Helsinki

Kimmo Rekola is Head of the IP & Technology Group and the Private Equity & Venture Capital Group at Castrén & Snellman, a leading Finnish law firm a leading Finnish law firm with offices in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. Before entering private practice, he served as Legal Counsel for Unisys and Legal Counsel and Vice President of Finnish Corporate Finance Ltd. (presently Nordea Finance Finland Ltd.).

Lennart Simonsen

Chief Executive Officer
CapMan

Lennart Simonsen is CEO of CapMan one of the leading private equity investors in the Nordic countries and Russia and manages funds with approximately €3.4 billion in total capital. Before joining CapMan in 2010, he was the Managing Partner of Roschier, a leading law firm in Northern Europe. There he specialized in the fields of M&A, Private Equity, and Restructuring & Insolvency.

Thierry Brocas

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei, Paris

Thierry Brocas is one of the founders of De Pardieu Brocas Maffei. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, stock options, LBOs, and acquisition finance and restructurings. He started his career at Gide Loyrette Nouel, first as an associate and from 1980 as a partner. He then joined Charles-Henri de Pardieu and Antoine Maffei in 1993 to develop the firm.

Louis-Bernard Buchman

Field Fisher Waterhouse, Paris

Louis-Bernard Buchman is a partner in the Paris office of Field Fisher Waterhouse, specializing in Intellectual Property Law as well as Arbitration and Litigation. Since 2006, he has served as the chair of the Finance Committee of the CCBE (Council of Bars and Law Societies of the European Union).

Xavier de Kergommeaux

Gide Loyrette Nouel, Paris

Xavier de Kergommeaux is a Partner in the Banking and Finance Department of Gide Loyrette Nouel, a major international firm. He specializes in domestic and cross-border finance and securitizations. He has been a member of the firm's management committee from 2002 to 2009 and Managing Partner from 2004 to 2009.

Pascale Lagesse

Bredin Prat, Paris

Pascale Lagesse is a partner at Bredin Prat specializing in all aspects of employment law, including national, international and multi-jurisdictional issues. Ms. Lagesse is currently Chair of the International Bar Association's Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee. Prior to joining Bredin Prat, Ms. Lagesse served as head of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's French Employment, Pensions and Benefits practice.

Pierre-Sebastien Thill

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, Neuilly-sur-Seine

Pierre-Sebastien Thill is Chairman of CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre. M. Thill has also been a Member of the Board since 2000. In addition to his firm duties, he is a Member of the Institute of Tax Lawyers (IACF), the French Association of Corporate Counsel Advice (CCA), the International Fiscal Association (IFA), and the International Bar Association (IBA).

Philippe Thomas

Dechert, Paris

Philippe Thomas focuses his practice on labor and employment matters. Prior to joining Dechert in 2011, Mr. Thomas spent fourteen years at Hogan Lovells and was heard of the Employment practice at the Paris location. He has extensive experience in transfer of personnel and other employment law aspects of national and international mergers and acquisitions.

Lasha Gogiberidze

BGI Advisory Services, Tbilisi

Lasha Gogiberidze is a founding partner of BGI Advisory Services Georgia and the director of BGI Legal. Earlier, he served as a director of corporate practice in Ernst & Young's Georgian office and was a leading attorney in the Georgian Consulting Group. Together with his colleagues at BGI, he has been involved in nearly every major transaction in Georgia over the past decade.

Tobias Bürgers

Noerr, Munich

Dr. Tobias Bürgers is co-Managing Partner of Noerr. He focuses his practice on Corporate, Capital Markets, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. In addition to his practice, Dr. Bürgers is an active author for legal matters co-authoring "Takeover Law in Germany."

Dr. Dieter Schenk

Noerr, Frankfurt am Main and Munich

Dr. Dieter Schenk is co-Managing Partner of Noerr. In addition to his active Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate, and Tax Law practice, he is a member of the supervisory boards at the following companies: Fresenius SE (deputy chairman), Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KGaA (deputy chairman), Fresenius Medical Care Management AG (deputy chairman), Greiffenberger AG (deputy chairman), Gabor Shoes AG (chairman), and TOPTICA Photonics AG (chairman).

Jack Schiffer

Beiten Burkhardt, Munich

Dr. Jack Schiffer is a founding and equity partner of the international commercial law firm Beiten Burkhardt, with offices in Munich, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Brussels, Beijing, Hong Kong, Kiev, Moscow, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, and Warsaw.

Mathias Schwarz

Schwarz Kelwing Wicke Westpfahl, Munich

Prof. Dr. Mathias Schwarz is one of the Senior Partners of Schwarz Kelwing Wicke Westpfahl, a major German firm with offices in Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Dusseldorf. From 1990 to 1994, he served as Chairman of the Entertainment and Intellectual Property Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA).

Dr. Andreas Urban

Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, Berlin

Dr. Andreas Urban is Managing Partner of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek. Admitted since 1983, Dr. Urban's expertise focuses on Corporate and Labor law. He is a member of the Work Group on Employment and Labor Law of the German Bar Association and Work Group for Corporate Counsel of the German Bar Association.

Christian von Hammerstein

Raue, Berlin

Christian von Hammerstein is Managing Partner of RAUE LLP. In addition to his busy Energy and Competition practice, Mr. von Hammerstein is a member of the Institute for Energy and Regulatory Law Berlin, German Institution of Arbitration German Lawyers Association, and Study Association Competition Law (Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V.).

Gerhard Wegen

Gleiss Lutz, Stuttgart

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wegen is a senior lawyer with Gleiss Lutz, a leading German law firm with more than 200 lawyers and with offices in Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Prague, and Warsaw. His practice focuses on Corporate Law, Corporate Finance, Private Equity, Financial Services, Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Securities, and related Public, Private, and International Arbitration.

Panayotis M. Bernitsas

M. & P. Bernitsas Law Offices, Athens

Panayotis M. Bernitsas is the Managing Partner of M. & P. Bernitsas Law Offices, one of the largest and most respected firms in Greece. He has served as Counsel to the Hellenic Banking Association from 1980 to 1990; as Counsel to the Prime Minister on EC matters from 1989 to1990; as Counsel to the Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1989 and 1990; and as Advisor to the Ministry of National Economy during the negotiations for Greece's Accession to the European Community.

Catherine-Marie Karatzas

Karatzas & Partners, Athens

Catherine-Marie Karatzas is the Managing Partner of Karatzas & Partners, one of the most respected law firms in Greece, with a particular emphasis on Capital Markets.

Geoffrey Green

Ashurst, Hong Kong

Geoffrey Green has been a partner at Ashurst since 1979, with various roles at the firm. Currently, he is head of the firm's Asia practice, with extensive experience of major corporate transactions in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

Richard Thornhill

Slaughter and May, Hong Kong

Richard Thornhill is the senior partner in Slaughter and May's Hong Kong office, which leads the major international law firm’s transactions in Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, and the rest of the Asia Pacific region. He has considerable experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general commercial work, as well as debt raising and infrastructure project work in the region, including the first privatization in Hong Kong.

András Szecskay

Szecskay, Budapest

Dr. András Szecskay is the managing partner of Szecskay Attorneys at Law, a leading independent Hungarian law firm with international clientele and scope of activities. He specializes in M&A transactions, Corporate and Project Finance, Litigation/Arbitration, and Intellectual Property Law. He serves as Vice-President of International Relations of the Budapest Bar Association.

Rajesh Bagga

Vice President of Legal
Tata Motors Limited

Rajesh Bagga joined Tata Motors Limited as the Vice President of Legal and Global General Counsel in June 2009. Mr. Bagga has been in the Corporate Sector as an In-house Legal Counsel for over 28 years, working with DCM Group, and the Unilever Group of Companies in India. In addition to his work at Tata Motors, he is presently the Co-Chairman of the Apex Industry Chambers of India viz., Federation of Indian Chamber Commerce of India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers - Committees on Anti-Smuggling and Anti-Counterfeiting.

Fali Sam Nariman

Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi

Fali Sam Nariman has been President of the Bar Association of India since 1991. He was President of ICCA (International Council for Commercial Arbitration) from 1994 to 2002. He has served as Vice-Chairman of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris (1989-2005) and as a member of the London Court of International Arbitration (1988-2005). He was nominated by the President of India as Member of Parliament in 1999 and served for a full term of six years.

Ravi Nath

Rajinder Narain & Co., New Delhi

Mr. Ravi Nath is a Senior Partner with Rajinder Narain & Co., one of the most respected law firms in India and the first to be established in New Delhi soon after Independence. He was President of the Inter Pacific Bar Association in Tokyo from 2003 to 2004. He is the Chair of a Committee of the International Bar Association in London and Vice President of the Society of Indian Law Firms.

Soli Jehangir Sorabjee

Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India & Former Attorney General for India, New Delhi

Mr. Sorabjee was designated Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India in 1971. He was the Attorney General for India 1989-90 and 1998-2004. He also serves as Vice-President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and as a Member of the Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament Law of International Law Association. He was appointed in 2000 as a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague for six years.

John Cronin

McCann FitzGerald, Dublin

John Cronin is Chairman of McCann FitzGerald, holding the position since May 2008. The firm is one of Ireland's pre-eminent and largest with more than 500 people, including over 275 lawyers, and with offices in Dublin, London, and Brussels. Mr. Cronin became a partner in the firm's Banking & Financial Services Department in 1991. From 1991 until August 2002, he led the firm's London office.

Liam Quirke

Matheson Ormsby Prentice, Dublin

Liam Quirke is the Managing Partner at Matheson Ormsby Prentice, one of Ireland's leading corporate law firms with 72 partners and tax principals, more than 350 legal and tax professionals and a total staff of 560. The firm has offices in Dublin, London, New York, and Palo Alto, California. He is a member of the Irish Prime Minister's Committee on International Banking and Treasury and was at the forefront in the construction of the statutory framework to facilitate international securitization and repackaging transactions in Ireland.

Julian Yarr

A&L Goodbody, Dublin

Julian Yarr is the Managing Partner of A&L Goodbody, a leading Irish law firm providing legal services to the corporate sector across the island of Ireland. The Firm has offices in Dublin and Belfast, London, and New York. Before taking the seat of Managing Partner, Mr. Yarr was head of A&L Goodbody's London office. In addition to leading the firm, his practice focuses on corporate law, mergers & acquisitions, and private equity law.

Shlomo Cohen

Dr. Shlomo Cohen & Co., Tel Aviv

Dr. Shlomo Cohen heads Dr. Shlomo Cohen & Co., one of the most respected boutique intellectual property firms in Israel.  From 1999 to 2007, he was President of the Israel Bar, both the statutory professional trade union for Israeli lawyers and the organization that certifies lawyers to practice law in Israel.

Giuseppe Bisconti

Studio Legale Bisconti, Rome

Dr. Giuseppe Bisconti is the principal of Studio Legale Bisconti, with offices in Rome, Milan, London, and New York. He was the President of the International Bar Association from 1990 to 1992. He is also a Founding Member and Honorary Life President of the Pan African Lawyers Union, a Permanent Senate Member of the European Bar Presidents' Conference, and Chair of the International Foundation for the Rule of Law and the Independence of Lawyers and Judges.

Bruno Cova

Paul Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Milan

Bruno Cova is Co-Chair of the Milan office of Paul Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP. Prior to joining the firm, he was Group General Counsel of Fiat SpA. He was also the chief legal adviser to the Commissioner appointed by the Italian government to investigate Europe’s largest financial fraud at Parmalat, and deal with the restructuring of the company.

Antonino Cusimano

Director of Legal Affairs
Telecom Italia

Antonino Cusimano is Director of Legal Affairs for Telecom Italia. Prior to joining Telecom Italia in 2008, Mr. Cusimano was European General Counsel and held various global legal affairs positions with PPG Industries International.

Nadine Faruque

General Counsel & Group Compliance Officer
UniCredit

Nadine Faruque is General Counsel & Group Compliance Officer of UniCredit. Prior to her work with UniCredit, Ms. Faruque worked in the Office of the General Counsel at Merrill Lynch International, London in addition to previous practice at private firms in the United States and Europe.

Alberto Piergrossi

Piergrossi Studio Legale, Milan

Professor Alberto Piergrossi is Co-Founder and Chairman of Piergrossi Bianchini Eversheds, with offices in Milan and Rome. He is also a Professor of Civil Procedure at the State University of Milan.

Takashi Ejiri

Nishimura & Asahi, Tokyo

Mr. Takashi Ejiri was the head of Asahi Law Office which merged with Nishimura on July 1, 2007, to become Nishimura & Asahi. He is well known in the M&A circles in the Securities and Private Equity area. He was Vice Chairman of the International Relations Committee of Japan Federation of Bar Associations from 1986 to 1994, Chairperson of Financial Institutes and Transactions Committee from 1992 to 1994, and Secretary General of Inter-Pacific Bar Association from 1995 to 1999.

Kenichi Fujinawa

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, Tokyo

Kenichi Fujinawa is the Managing Partner of Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, the first law firm in Japan to surpass the 100-lawyer milestone. As of January 1, 2009, the firm has 334 lawyers (inclusive of foreign-licensed lawyers). Mr. Fujinawa focuses his practice in the field of Mergers and Acquisitions.

Toru Ishiguro

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Tokyo

Mr. Toru Ishiguro is a Managing Partner of Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, a major Japanese firm with more than 260 attorneys and a support staff of over 380. He has been serving as a Member on the Planning Committee of the Japan Investor Relations Association since 1994 and the Financial Law Board since 1998. He has been a Director of the IR Academy since 2001 and was a Member of the JASDAQ Securities Exchange Disciplinary Committee in 2005.

Akira Kawamura

Anderson Mori and Tomotsune, Tokyo

Akira Kawamura is President of the International Bar Association and an influential member of the Japanese Bar, having served as Executive Vice President of the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association, Executive Director of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren), and Chairman of the JFPAs' Foreign Lawyers and International Legal Practice Committee.

Mitsuhiro Moroishi

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners, Tokyo

Mr. Moroishi is a Partner in the firm of Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners, a major Japanese law firm with offices in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shanghai. He served as Senior Managing Director of the Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., from 1998 to 2004. He is also a Member of the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice, where he also serves as a Member of the Corporate-Law Sub-Council, and a Member of the Intellectual Property Policy Council of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Satoru Murase

Bingham McCutchen Murase, Sakai Mimura Aizawa, Tokyo

Satoru Murase practices corporate and international law at Bingham McCutchen LLP. His focus is on the representation of major Asian and Japanese corporations in their overseas operations, and major U.S. and European corporations operating in Asia. He actively advises global corporations regarding cross-border investments in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He is a Director of the Japan Society and a member of the Trilateral Commission.

Yoshiaki Muto

Baker & McKenzie GJBJ Tokyo Aoyama Aoki Koma Law Office, Tokyo

Yoshiaki Muto focuses his practice in the areas of domestic and international dispute resolution involving litigation and arbitration components, corporate restructuring and distressed asset acquisition, structured leasing, and general corporate matters. He is a member of the Committee on International Legal Affairs and Foreign Attorneys for the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA).

Kenneth A. Siegel

Morrison & Foerster and Ito & Mitomi, Tokyo

Mr. Siegel is the Managing Partner of Morrison & Foerster's Tokyo office and the head of the office's 40 attorney M&A team. He has represented a large number of high technology companies in acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances and is Vice-chairman of the High-Technology Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of Japan.

Olga Chentsova

Aequitas, Almaty

Dr. Chentsova is the Managing Partner of Aequitas, a leading law firm in the Republic of Kazkhstan, with offices in Almaty, Astana, Atyrau. In 1990-1991, she worked as an advisor at the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan. She has participated in governmental working groups for the development of important commercial legislative acts of the Republic including the RK Civil Code, Foreign Investment Law, and Petroleum Law.

Karim S. Anjarwalla

Africa Legal Network, Nairobi

Karim Anjarwalla is Managing partner of Anjarwalla & Khanna Advocates, one of the largest law firms in Kenya, with offices in Nairobi and Mombassa. He is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and was an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.

Abdul Rahman R. Al Haroun

International Counsel Bureau, Safat

Mr. Al Haroun founded The International Counsel Bureau, the only Kuwaiti law firm specialized and exclusively devoted to dealing with international legal issues and offering multilingual intercontinental services, in 1994. He is the former Manager of the Corporate Legal Department of the Kuwait National Petroleum Company where he served during its most crucial years of expansion, modernization, and capacity augmentation.

Ahmed Barakat

Al Sarraf & Al Ruwayeh, Kuwait

Ahmed Barakat is a partner with Al Sarraf & Al Ruwayeh, a major firm with offices in Kuwait and Bahrain. He specializes in Commercial and Construction Litigation, Local and International Arbitration, Taxation, Corporate Law, Banking, and Investment. He worked as a lead counsel at the Kuwaiti Authority for Assessment of Compensation Resulting from Iraqi Aggression and at Baker & McKenzie in New York.

Filips K. Kļaviņš

LAWIN, Riga

Filips K. Kļaviņš is a Founder and Managing Partner of Kļaviņš & Slaidins LAWIN, one of the largest firms in Latvia and a member of LAWIN, a group of leading Baltic law firms. He is a Member of the Board of Directors for Arbitration of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Country Representative for Latvia of the American Bar Association Section of International Law and Practice.

Rolandas Valiūnas

LAWIN, Vilnius

Rolandas Valiūnas has served as the Managing Partner of Lideika, Petrauskas, Valiūnas ir partneriai LAWIN since 1992. He is Chairman of the Board of the Investors Forum, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Thailand and a Member of the Board of Vilnius Court of Commercial Arbitration, and the Human Rights Liaison Officer within the Human Rights Program of the International Bar Association (IBA.)

François Brouxel

Wildgen, Luxembourg

Mr. Brouxel is a partner of Wildgen, one of the best-known law firms in Luxembourg. He specializes in Corporate and Financial Law and is regularly involved in files dealing with Mergers and Acquisitions, Banking and Insurance Advisory Services, Estate Planning, and Corporate Litigation.

Mario Di Stefano

Di Stefano, Sedlo & Moyse, Luxembourg

A partner in the major Luxembourg firm of DSM Di Stefano Sedlo Moyse, Mario Di Stefano specializes in Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax Law, Real Estate Law, European Union Law, Contract Law, Business Law, Competition Law, and Labor and Employment Law.

Philippe Dupont

Arendt & Medernach, Luxembourg

Philippe Dupont is co-head of the Financial Services Practice of Arendt and Medernach, a firm with more than 200 lawyers and offices in Luxembourg, Brussels, and New York. He is a member of three legal advisory committees, of the securitization committee, of the ad hoc interpretation group of the Prospectus Directive, of the ad hoc working group on the Market Abuse Directive, and of the ad hoc working group on takeover bids with the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, the regulatory authority of the financial sector in Luxembourg.

Marie-Béatrice Noble

Noble & Scheidecker, Luxembourg

Marie-Béatrice Noble is a founding partner of Noble & Scheidecker. She specializes in International Corporate Law while also having a strong background as a Civil and Commercial Litigator in Luxembourg. She is one of the founders of the first Luxembourg association of Employment Law specialists, ELSA, which was created in 2007.

Dato' Param Cumaraswamy

Malaysian Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism
Chairperson

Mr. Cumaraswamy served as Chair of the Malaysian Bar Council from 1986 to1988. From 1986 to 1989, he was chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the International Bar Association. He has been a commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists since 1990 and served as its Vice-President from 2004 to 2005. Appointed the UN Special Rapporteur in 1994, he intervened in more than 100 countries and conducted numerous fact-finding missions to investigate attacks on the independence of judges and lawyers and the rule of law.

Carlos Creel

Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enriquez, Mexico City

Carlos Creel C. is a senior partner with Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enriquez, S.C. Mr. Creel acted as the Managing Partner for the firm from 2000 to 2006. He has taught at the Law Faculty of the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM) and in the LLM Program at the Universidad Panamericana and advised the Mexican Government on the drafting and revisions of venture capital and securities laws and regulations.

Manuel Galicia Romero

Galicia y Robles, Mexico City

Manuel Galicia Romero is a founding partner of Galicia y Robles, a leading Mexican law firm. Mr. Galicia participated as legal advisor to the Coordinating Office of Foreign Trade Organizations (Coordinadora de Organizaciones Empresariales de Comercio Exterior - "COECE") in the negotiation of NAFTA and the Treaty with the European Union.

Francisco González de Cossío

González de Cossío Abogados, Mexico City

Dr. Francisco González de Cossío focuses his practice on international arbitration, antitrust, and corporate law. González de Cossío is Director, Treasurer and former Chair of the Arbitration Committee of the Mexican Bar Association, as well as its Law and Economics Working Group, President of the Antitrust Commission and active member of the Arbitration Commission of the Mexican Chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce, among other activities.

Thomas S. Heather

Heather & Heather, Mexico City

Prior to launching Heather & Heather, Thomas S. Heather was a partner at a leading law firm, where he led the Mergers and Acquisitions, Banking, and Corporate Governance practice. He is regarded as one of the leading lawyers in Mexico and has represented a number of significant Mexican and foreign companies and banks in its transactions in Mexico and abroad. As a financial law expert, he has advised a number of governmental entities related with the financial services industry in Mexico.

Carlos Loperena R.

Loperena, Lerch y Martin Del Campo, Mexico City

Mr. Loperena is currently a partner in the law firm of Loperena, Lerch y Martin del Campo, in Mexico City, with special emphasis on corporate law, mercantile contracts, arbitration, and litigation. He served as Advisor of the Mexican negotiating team for the North-American Free Trade Agreement on the subject of dispute resolution (1992-1993) and is President-Elect of the Barra Mexicana, Colegio de Abogados (Mexican Bar Association) for the period of 2009-2011.

Alexander Turcan

Turcan Cazac, Chisinau

Alexander Turcan is the founding and managing partner of Turcan & Turcan, now Turcan Cazac. His practice focuses primarily on the areas of Corporate and Commercial, Banking and Finance, Energy & Telecommunications, Real Estate, Tax, and Non-Profit Law. He is Co-Founder and Member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Moldova.

Sietze Hepkema

Allen & Overy, Amsterdam

Sietze Hepkema is Co-Head of the Global Corporate Practice of Allen & Overy. Previously, he was Senior Partner for the firm’s Amsterdam office. He is a Dutch qualified lawyer and specialises in international corporate law and corporate finance transactions including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity issues, IPOs, public take-over bids and management buy-outs.

Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh

Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Governance Counsel
Royal Ahold

Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh is Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Governance Counsel of Royal Ahold. Prior to joining Royal Ahold, Lodewijk was a partner and member of the managing committee of De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek. There he focused his practice on corporate law. He is also currently involved with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as its deputy chairman.

Heleen Kersten

Stibbe, Amsterdam

Heleen Kersten is the Managing Partner of Stibbe, an internationally oriented Dutch law firm. She specializes in Mergers and Acquisitions, Capital Markets, Corporate Law, and Corporate Governance and has represented many important clients in significant transactions. Until becoming Managing Partner in 2008, she was Head of Stibbe's corporate practice.

Peter Kleinschmidt

General Counsel and Head of the EADS Legal Affairs
EADS

Peter Kleinschmidt is General Counsel for EADS, a global technology and research company. Before entering the role of General Counsel, Mr. Kleinschmidt held a few positions with EADS and its family of companies including Senior Vice President in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer handling its legal affairs and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Airbus. He also held different senior positions in legal affairs and M&A with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and Siemens.

Martijn Snoep

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Amsterdam

Martijn Snoep currently serves as Managing Partner of De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek. He specialises in EU and Dutch competition law. Martijn served as President of the Dutch Association for Competition Law until 2010.

Peter Chemis

Buddle Findlay, Wellington

Mr. Chemis is National Chairman of Buddle Findlay, one of New Zealand's leading Corporate, Commercial Law, and Public Law firms, with offices in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The firm has 37 partners and a total workforce of around 280 people. He has advised successive New Zealand governments on changes to Employment Law and related legislation.

Gary McDiarmid

Russell McVeagh, Auckland

Gary McDiarmid is CEO of Russell McVeagh, a 250 lawyer firm, with a total staff of over 400 shared across our Auckland and Wellington offices. The firm won 4 awards, was nominated for Managing Partner/CEO of the Year and was the only New Zealand firm nominated for the Corporate Citizen Firm of the Year by the ALB Australasian Law Awards 2010.

Morten P. Smørdal

BA-HR, Oslo

Morten Smørdal is Managing Partner of BA-HR. His practice focuses on Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions law, particularly in the Energy and Shipping industries. Previously, he was Legal Director for Kværner Oil & Gas and then for Aker Kværner following a merger.

Kai Thøgersen

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen, Oslo

Kai Thøgersen is Managing Partner of Advokatfirmaet Thommessen, one of Norway's leading commercial law firms with offices in Oslo, Bergen and London. Once a Deputy Judge, he has considerable experience working with mergers, acquisitions, and corporate finance related matters.

Stanisław Sołtysinski

Sołtysinski Kawecki & Szlęzak, Warsaw

Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak (SK&S) is one of the leading law firms in Poland. The firm has 85 attorneys, and employs a total of 180 people including 20 paralegals and a support staff of 80, with principal offices are in Warsaw and branch offices in Poznań, Katowice, and Wrocław. In the years 1991 and 1992, Professor Sołtysiński represented the Polish Government during negotiations leading to Poland's association with the European Community.

Andrzej Wiercinski

WKB Wiercinski, Kwieciński, Baehr, Warsaw

Andrzej Wiercinski is the Senior Partner of WKB Wiercinski, Kwiecinski, Baehr, a firm with more than 40 lawyers, headquartered in Warsaw, with a branch office in Poznan, which has handled Poland's largest privatization as well as merger and acquisition deals. He has been a member of the supervisory boards of various companies, including public ones, and in particular the Supervisory Board of ING Nationale Nederlanden Polska PTE S.A.

Krzysztof A. Zakrzewski

Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka, Warsaw

Krzysztof A. Zakrzewski is a Founder and the Managing Partner of Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka, the largest law firm in Poland, with offices in Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Torun. After the 1989 political changes, he was a participant in the legislative work carried out by the Ministry of Privatisation on the Act on the Privatisation of State-owned Enterprises and the Act on Companies with Foreign Participation and was also an advisor and attorney to the Minister of Privatisation.

José Pedro Aguiar-Branco

JPAB - José Pedro Aguiar-Branco & Associados, Lisbon

Mr. Aguiar-Branco is a senior partner with JPAB. He served as President of the Oporto District Council of the Portuguese Bar Association from 2002 to 2004, as a Member of the Magistrates Higher Council (CSM) elected by Parliament in January 2000, as Minister of Justice in the XVI Constitutional Government, among other activites.

Fernando Campos Ferreira

Campos Ferreira, Sá Carneiro & Associados, Lisbon

Fernando Campos Ferreira is a partner Campos Ferreira, Sá Carneiro & Associados. He focuses his practice on Banking and Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Corporate Law. He was formerly managing partner of PLMJ - A.M.Pereira, Sáragga Leal, Oliveira Martins, Júdice & Associados.

Luís Sáragga Leal

PLMJ, Lisbon

Luís Sáragga Leal is co-founder of PLMJ. Today, he focuses his practice on Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Projects & Infrastructure. He is also active in his legal community; he was President of the Bar Association's Institute of Law in 2005.

João Soares da Silva

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados, Libson

Mr. Soares da Silva is Co-Chairman of the board of directors of Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados. He is also the President of the jury nominated by the Portuguese Bar Association to decide upon the requests submitted by lawyers to be considered for the title of "specialist lawyer" in the area of banking and finance law. He is also the partner head of the corporate department and coordinator of the corporate and commercial and capital markets team.

João Vieira de Almeida

Vieira de Almeida & Associados, Lisbon

João Vieira de Almeida is currently managing partner of Vieira de Almeida & Associados and one of the partners in charge of the M&A and Corporate Finance practice group. He has been involved in several international transactions, particularly in Portugal and Brazil.

Hassan Al Khater

Hassan A. Al Khater Law Office, Doha

Hassan Al Khater established the Hassan A. Al Khater Law Office in 1991. A. registered Qatari advocate, he is the only Qatari lawyer who has worked in two international law firms, having previously worked with the law firms of Trowers and Hamlins in Oman and then Clyde and Co in Dubai. Prior to joining Trowers and Hamlins, he was the senior legal advisor and company secretary of Gulf Air at its headquarters in Bahrain.

Cătălin Băiculescu

Muşat & Asociaţii, Bucharest

Cătălin Băiculescu is the Co-Managing Partner of Muşat & Asociaţii, a firm with 18 years of experience as one of the leading corporate firms in Romania and has advised a multitude of international companies and governmental institutions on a wide range of corporate and regulatory issues. Mr. Băiculescu is a former Parliamentary advisor and has also acted as legal counsel to the World Bank.

Ioana Racoţi

Zamfirescu Racoţi Predoiu, Bucharest

Ioana Racoţi is Founder and Senior Partner of Zamfirescu Racoţi Predoiu ("ZRP"), established in 2005 by the merger of two law firms, Călin Zamfirescu & Associates SCA and Racoţi - Predoiu SCA. A prominent lawyer who focuses her practice across a wide range of legal fields, she is an active member of various domestic and international professional organizations.

Dimitry Afanasiev

Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev & Partners, Moscow

Dimitry Afanasiev is the Chairman of Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev & Partners, the largest domestic law firm in Russia, with over 100 professionals and offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London. Mr. Afanasiev is also actively involved in pro-bono work for the Russian Government, including the drafting of the new Law on Foreign Investment in Strategic Industries and the Antimonopoly Law.

Andrey Goltsblat

Goltsblat BLP, Moscow

Andrey Goltsblat is a managing partner of Goltsblat BLP. His previous roles include Chief of Staff for the Constitutional Commission of the Russian Parliament. In addition to his practice in mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, joint ventures, different types of investment projects, Goltsblat takes an active role in the work of the Russo-British Chamber of Commence (RBCC) Advisory Council.

Valery Medvedev

Gorodissky & Partners, Moscow

Valery Medvedev is Managing Partner of Gorodissky & Partners, Russian IP firm. He has lead the firm since 1998. His practice focuses on international patent and trademark law. He is Vice President of the Licensing Executive Society of Russia and lectures at the Academy of National Economy at the Russian Government in Moscow.

Andrey Novakovskiy

Liniya Prava, Moscow

Mr. Novakovskiy is the Managing Partner of Liniya Prava, a major Russian firm with offices in Moscow, Kyiv, and London. He specializes in Privatization, Project Finance, Currency Regulation, Foreign-Economic Activity, Foreign Investment, Competition Law, Antitrust, Legal Regulation of Stock Markets, and Corporate Law. Prior to this, he was director of the in-house legal department of OAO Federal Stock Corporation.

Sergey G. Pepeliaev

Pepeliaev Group, Moscow

Sergey G. Pepeliaev is the Managing Partner of Pepeliaev Group. He has acted as adviser to the State Duma Budget and Finance Committee. He was involved in the discussion and finalization of the draft Russian Tax Code. Additionally, he is a Member of the Panel of Experts of the Federation Council Committee for Legal and Judicial Matters and a Member of the Presidium of the Russian Tax Law Association.

Alexander I. Zyuba

Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners, Moscow

Alexander I. Zyuba is Managing Partner of Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners, a firm founded in Moscow in January 1991 by postgraduate students of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Institute of International Relations. His principal areas of specialization include Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Corporate Law, Finance Law, Securities Law, Insolvency Law, and Telecommunications Law.

Mohammed Al-Jadaan

The Law Firm of Yousef & Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Riyadh

Mohammed Al-Jadaan is a Founding Partner of the Al-Jadaan Law Firm, one of the largest firms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Operating in cooperation with the international firm of Clifford Chance, it has more than 19 lawyers in Riyadh and has engaged in many of the largest matters in the Kingdom, including work on the largest Islamic financing transaction ever consummated.

Stephen Matthews

Law Office of Mohanned bin Saud Al-Rasheed, in Association with Baker Botts, Riyadh and Dubai

Mr. Matthews is one of the most distinguished lawyers working in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. His practice centers on banking and finance, technology transfer, telecommunications, construction, dispute resolution, and international investment, especially business ventures. He has worked on contracts and financing for many infrastructure projects in the region, including oil refineries, petrochemical plants, pipelines, manufacturing plants, defense projects, and telecommunications networks.

Justice Steven Chong

Supreme Court, Singapore

Justice Steven Chong SC was appointed Judicial Commisioner in 2009 and a Judge in 2010 for the Supreme Court in Singapore. Before this, he was the Managing partner and Senior Counsel of Rajah & Tann LLP, a major Singapore firm. He was a Member of the Advisory Board of the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law.

Rachel Eng

WongPartnership, Singapore

Rachel Eng is the Managing Partner of WongPartnership LLP, one of the leading law firms in Singapore with over 250 lawyers offering a full range of legal services. The Firm has two offices in China, two offices in the Middle East, and a growing practice in Asia. Rachel has close to 20 years of experience in the legal services sector.

Eng Beng Lee SC

Rajah & Tann, Singapore

Eng Beng Lee SC is the Managing Partner of Rajah & Tann. He focuses his practice on Commercial Litigation and Arbitrations. Eng Beng was formerly a Justices Law Clerk in the Supreme Court of Singapore and a Lecturer and Senior Adjunct Fellow in the National University of Singapore.

Justice Philip N. Pillai

Supreme Court, Singapore

Justice Philip Pillai was appointed as a Judicial Commisioner in 2009 and a Judge in 2010 for the Supreme Court of Singapore. Previously, he was the Senior Partner of Shook Lin & Bok, one of the most respected law firms in Singapore. Dr. Pillai served as a Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, 2000-2005 and as Chairman of the Singapore Company Legislation and Regulatory Framework Committee, 2000-2002.

Davinder Singh, SC

Drew & Napier, Singapore

Davinder Singh SC is the Chief Executive Officer of Drew & Napier, a leading law firm in Singapore. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 1997, in the first group of Senior Counsel ever to be so appointed in Singapore. Mr Singh has litigated cases in almost every area of the law, many of which are landmark cases in each of those particular areas. In 2008, he was appointed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to advise on the legal issues arising from the bankruptcy proceedings for Lehman Brothers in the United States.

Lucien Wong

Allen & Gledhill, Singapore

Lucien Wong is the Managing Partner of Allen & Gledhill, the largest law firm in Singapore with over 250 lawyers. He is also a board member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and a member of the Council on Corporate Disclosure and Governance, a body responsible for setting the accounting and corporate governance standards in Singapore.

Kevin Cron

Norton Rose, Johannesburg

Kevin Cron is Head of Corporate Law in South Africa for Norton Rose. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance work, general commercial and corporate work, and tax and financial services. Additionally, he is a member of the company law committee of the council of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces.

David Lancaster

Webber Wentzel, Johannesburg

David Lancaster is the Senior Partner of Webber Wentzel, a South African firm that spans over 140 years. He focuses his practice in the field of Corporate Law, including Structured and Aviation Finance. He is Chairman of the WWB Transformation Forum and Trustee of the Makuleke Development Trust.

Jonathan Schlosberg

Bowman Gilfillan, Johannesburg

Jonathan Schlosberg is Chairman of Bowman Gilfillan, one of the premier corporate law firms in South Africa with more than 250 lawyers and offices in Johannesburg (Sandton), Cape Town, and London. Mr. Schlosberg specializes in mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, banking and finance, corporate governance, capital markets, and securities law.

Des Williams

Werksmans, Johannesburg

Des Williams is the Chairman of Werksmans, one of the most respected corporate law firms in South Africa. He is also Co-Chairman of the Litigation Committee of the International Bar Association and a Director of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa ("AFSA").

Kye Sung Chung

Kim & Chang, Seoul

Mr. Kye Sung Chung is a senior Partner of Kim & Chang, the largest and the most specialized law firm in Korea. He has served as a Member of the Council on Financial Industry Development of the Korean Ministry of Finance and Economy from 1996 to 2007 and a Member of the Industrial Deregulation Review Committee of the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy from 1993 to 1997.

Doo-Sik Kim

Shin & Kim, Seoul

Mr. Kim is the Managing Partner of Kim & Shin, long recognized as a premier international law firm in Korea, with over 150 Korean and foreign lawyers and other professionals. Mr. Kim served as Legal Counsel to the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy from 1991 to 1997.

Yong Suk Yoon

Lee & Ko, Seoul

Mr. Yoon is a senior partner with the firm of Lee & Ko. He has also been an arbitrator with the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board since 1992.

Luis de Carlos

Uría Menéndez, Madrid

Luis de Carlos is Managing Partner of Uría Menéndez, a major Spanish firm with fifteen offices in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. Widely considered to be "the expert" on capital markets in Spain, he is a Professor of Securities Law at the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas in Madrid and Secretary-General of the Fundación de Estudios Financieros.

Fernando de las Cuevas

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, Madrid

Mr. de las Cuevas was Managing Partner of Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados from 1998 to 2000 and is currently a member of the firm's Management Committee. He is Head of the firm's Corporate Practice and is a specialist in Banking Law, Securities Market Law, Collective Investment Institutions, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Family and Private Equity Businesses.

Isidro del Saz Cordero

Roca Junyent, Madrid

Isidro del Saz Cordero is a member of the Management Committee and Board of Directors for Roca Junyent. He delivers tax advice to Spanish and multinational corporations. In addition to his practice and teaching efforts, he is a member of the Garrigues Studies Centre's Advisory Committee - Consejo Asesor del Centro de Estudios Garrigues.

Luis Fernando Guerra

Deloitte Abogados y Asesores Tributarios, Madrid

Luis Fernando is the partner in charge of Deloitte Abogados y Asesores Tributarios and responsible of tax and legal services to insurance and financial entities of Deloitte Abogados y Asesores Tributarios. Prior to his work with Deloitte, he was with Arthur Andersen Asesores Legales y Tributarios (now Garrigues Abogados y Asesores Tributarios) where he was a senior manager.

Rafael Fontana García

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, Barcelona

Mr. Rafael Fontana is the General Manager of Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, one of the leading firms on the Iberian Peninsula. He belongs to the board of directors of important business groups and to the board of trustees of several foundations. Mr. Fontana is an expert in tax and has advised on and was involved in the strategic planning of some of Spain’s and Portugal’s most significant transactions in recent years.

Martín Godino

Sagardoy Abogados, Madrid

Martín Godino Reyes is Managing Partner of Sagardoy Abogados and has been a member of the College of Lawyers of Madrid since 1986. In addition to his strong practice, Mr. Godino has taught and authored as Professor of Employment Law at the University San Pablo-CEU (Madrid), Professor of Corporate Advisory Services of ESIC, and Technical director and professor of the Master Programme in Practice of Employment Law.

Héctor Jausàs

Jausàs Legal Y Tributario, Barcelona

Héctor Jausàs is Director of the Pharmaceutical Law Department of Jausas Legal Y Tributario. In addition to his active practice in regulatory and health care law, Mr. Jausàs s is a Member of the Conference Bleue and a Lecturer at the Instituto de Empresa Business School.

Antonio Pedrajas

Abdón Pedrajas & Molero Abogados y Asesores Tributarios, Madrid

Antonio Pedrajas is President of Abdón Pedrajas & Molero Abogados y Asesores Tributarios and focuses his practice on Labour and Employment Law and is an ICAM Collegiate since 1968. In addition to his busy practice, Mr. Pedrajas has taught several courses on Labour law.

Pedro Pérez-Llorca

Pérez-Llorca, Madrid

Pedro Pérez-Llorca is senior partner of PEREZ-LLORCA. He has a strong international corporate practice with concentration on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate governance and reorganisations. He also is a member of the Madrid Bar Association (ICAM), International Bar Association (IBA), and Círculo de Empresarios.

Fernando Vives Ruiz

Garrigues, Madrid

Mr. Vives Ruiz has been Managing Partner of Garrigues since 1 September 2009. He is also partner in charge of the Garrigues Corporate/Commercial Law area. In addition to managing the firm and his practice, he is a Lecturer at Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE), Centro de Estudios Garrigues and at ESADE.

Stefan Brocker

Mannheimer Swartling, Gothenburg

Stefan Brocker is co-chair of the Shipping and transportation group and has extensive experience in shipping related matters such as joint venture contracts, ship building contracts and disputes for Mannheimer Swartling. Swartling, one of Sweden’s largest law firms. He practices in the fields of Maritime and Transport Law, Shipbuilding and Financing Law, Administrative Law, and Constitutional Law, although he now devotes most of his time to Domestic and International Arbitration and Litigation.

Staffan Eklöw

Lindahl, Stockholm

Staffan Eklöw is Managing Partner of Lindahl and has been a Partner with the firm since 2000. His practice is focused on corporate law, intellectual property, and media law. Before joining Lindahl, Mr. Eklöw was Head of Legal Affairs TV4 AB from 1994-2000.

Michael Frie

Bird & Bird Advokat, Stockholm

Michael Frie is Chairman of Global Board for Bird & Bird. In addition to leading the firm, Mr. Frie focuses his practice internationally on commercial and dispute resolution in IT and Communications matters. He also regularly acts as counsel in Swedish court proceedings as well as Swedish and international arbitration proceedings.

Bertil Villard

Vinge, Stockholm

Bertil Villard is Chairman of Vinge. His practice is centralized around general corporate matters. In addition to his corporate practice and leadership at Vinge, Mr. Villard has been general counsel for Esselte AB, board advisor for Securum AB, and sat as the Head of Corporate Finance at Alfred Berg Fondkommission AB.

Benoît Chappuis

Lenz & Staehelin, Geneva

Mr. Benoît Chappuis is a partner with Lenz & Staehelin, the largest law firm in Switzerland with more than 130 lawyers. He is the Former Chairman of the Geneva Bar Association, a Former Substitute Judge at the Court of Appeal of the Canton of Geneva, and a Former Member of the Superior Council of the Magistrature of the Canton of Geneva. He is a Lecturer on the law of contracts at the University of Fribourg.

Felix R. Ehrat

General Counsel
Novartis

Dr. Ehrat is General Counsel and a member of the Executive Committee for Novartis. Formerly, he was the Senior Partner of Bär & Karrer.  He was Co-Chair of the Section on Business Organizations of the International Bar Association was President of the Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats (AIJA) from 1998 to 1999.

David P. Frick

Senior Vice President, Corporate Governance, Compliance and Corporate Services
Nestlé

David Frick is Senior Vice President, Corporate Governance, Compliance and Corporate Services on the Executive Board of Nestlé. Prior to joining Nestlé, Mr. Frick was Group General Counsel, Head of Legal and Compliance at Credit Suisse Group in Zurich. He also spent time working at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Zurich University Law School as Assistant at the Banking Law Chair.

Markus Pfenninger

Walder Wyss Ltd., Zurich

Dr. Markus Pfenninger is a partner in the Banking & Finance Team and a member of the Board of Directors at Walder Wyss Ltd. He focuses his practice on capital markets, mergers and aquisitions, finance, and general corporate matters. He is a member of the International Bar Association's (IBA) Task Force on the Financial Crisis and a past co-chair of the IBA's Banking Law Committee.

Armen Khachaturyan

Asters, Kyiv

Mr. Khachaturyan is Senior Partner and Chair of Banking, Finance and Securities of Asters, one of the leading Ukrainian law firms. He has worked as a coordinator of the advisory group at the State Commission of Ukraine on Securities and Stock Market for improvement of capital market regulations and is a member of the National IPO Committee of Ukraine.

Oleg Makarov

Vasil Kisil & Partners, Kyiv

Oleg A. Makarov is the Managing Partner of Vasil Kisil & Partners, an internationally oriented full-service Ukrainian law firm. For over twenty years, Mr. Makarov has been practicing Domestic and International Litigation, Taxation, Investments, Securities, Property Law and Bankruptcy Law.

Irina Paliashvili

RULG - Ukrainian Legal Group, Washington, DC, and Kyiv

Dr. Paliashvili is President and Senior Counsel of The RULG - Ukrainian Legal Group in Washington, D.C., which along with its affiliate, the Ukrainian Legal Group in Kiev, provide comprehensive legal support to large and medium international corporate clients contemplating or engaged in business and investment activity in Ukraine, Russia, and other CIS countries. She has special expertise in the area of Oil and Gas, Intellectual Property Protection, Commercial Dispute Settlement, and Mediation.

Oleg Riabokon

Kyiv

Mr. Riabokon was the Managing Partner of Magisters, a major law firm in the CIS, before entering into politics. He has served as an adviser to the first Deputy Minister of Finance, the State Secretary on Trade of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade of Ukraine, and the Minister of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine and as a member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Ukraines Accession to the WTO.

Essam Al Tamimi

Al Tamimi & Company, Dubai

Mr. Al Tamimi is the Founder and Senior Partner of Al Tamimi & Company. Established in 1989, the firm is the largest in the Middle East, with offices throughout the UAE in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, as well as in Qatar, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Al Tamimi has been practicing commercial law and related litigation in the UAE and other GCC countries for over twenty years.

Patrick Andrews

Shepherd and Wedderburn, Glasgow

A partner at Shepherd and Wedderburn since 1989, Patrick Andrews was elected to the post of Chief Executive in 2004. Prior to taking the position of Chief Executive, which has lead to growth for the firm, he focused his practice on energy and telecommunications.

Lord Daniel Brennan QC

Matrix Chambers, London

During 1999, Lord Brennan was Chairman of the Bar of England and Wales, and in 2000, British lawyers voted him Barrister of the Year. In May 2000, the Queen, on the recommendation of the U.K. Government, appointed him a life peer and member of the House of Lords.

Angus Eaton

Operational and Regulatory Risk Director
Aviva plc

Angus Eaton is the Operational and Regulatory Risk Director at Aviva plc. He has held a variety of legal positions with Aviva, including Head of Legal (Products), Director of Legal in the UK Life, and Group Legal Director, before becoming Operational and Regulatory Risk Director. Prior to joining Aviva, he trained as a Solicitor at international law firm Eversheds.

Lord Anthony Grabiner QC

One Essex Court, London

Lord Grabiner is a commercial lawyer with a substantial court and advisory practice dealing with the major commercial issues of the day. Highly experienced both as an advocate and an arbitrator in domestic and international arbitrations, he is a director of the London Court of International Arbitration. He sits as a Deputy High Court Judge of the Chancery and Queen's Bench Divisions.

Alan Jenkins

London

Alan Jenkins currently sits the board of several investment companies and non-profit organizations, including UKTI and Crown Prosecution Service. Previously, he was Chairman of Eversheds, one of the largest full-service law firms in the world. He had been a partner at the firm since 1998, when he led Frere Cholmeley into a merger with the firm’s London office.

Simon Johnston

Nabarro, London

Simon Johnston has been Nabarro LLP's senior partner since 2001. He chairs the firm's Partnership Board and focuses his own practice on Corporate law, with an emphasis on joint ventures, corporate structures and cross-border transactions. Simon is also on the board of London First.

Charles Martin

Macfarlanes, London

Charles Martin is Senior Partner of Macfarlanes. Charles works principally in mergers and acquisitions and private equity, acting for sponsors and corporations. Much of his work is cross-border in nature.

David Morley

Allen & Overy, London

David Morley is worldwide Senior Partner of Allen & Overy LLP. He joined Allen & Overy as a trainee in 1980, qualifying as a solicitor in 1982 in the Banking department. He spent a year on secondment at a US investment bank and became a partner in 1988. In 1998, he became the global head of the Banking practice. In May 2003, he was elected to the position of worldwide Managing Partner.

Donald Shaw

Dundas & Wilson, London

Donald Shaw is Managing Partner of Dundas & Wilson, a highly regarded commercial firm. Prior to taking on that role in 2006, Mr. Shaw lead the firm's Real Estate practice.

David Stewart

Olswang, London

Mr. Stewart is Chief Executive of Olswang and a member of the Litigation and Arbitration Group. His practice includes Litigation and Dispute Resolution both in England and internationally. He specialises in complex multi-jurisdictional disputes.

Debra Valentine

Group Executive Legal and External Affairs
Rio Tinto

Debra Valentine was appointed Group executive, Legal & External Affairs in 2009 after joining Rio Tinto in 2008. She previously worked at United Technologies Corporation as vice president, deputy general counsel and secretary, at O'Melveny & Myers as partner and she served as general counsel at the US Federal Trade Commission from 1997 to 2001.

Dr. Thomas Werlen

Quinn Emanuel, London

Thomas Werlen is a partner at Quinn Emanuel. Before joining the firm he was the Group General Counsel of Novartis since 2006. He was also Secretary to the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee of the Board of Directors of Novartis. In addition to his time with Novartis, Dr. Werlen has practiced at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York and London, David Polk & Wardwell, and Allen & Overy, often focusing on corporate and capital markets law.

David Willis

Herbert Smith, London

David is managing partner of Herbert Smith. Prior to becoming managing partner in April 2008, he held a number of senior management positions, including his role as head of Herbert Smith's Asia operations (1997-2001) and more recently head of the firm's Financial Institutions Group.

Elisabeth Eljuri

Norton Rose, Caracas

Elisabeth Eljuri is the head of the corporate department of the Caracas office of Norton Rose and is head of the oil and gas practice group in Caracas and an active member of the international disputes practice group.  Since 2005, she has been a Director of the AIPN (Association of International Petroleum Negotiators) and is one of the Vice-Presidents of the association worldwide.