Arbitrators

Many Members of Chambers act as advocates and sit as arbitrators as part of their practice under various Arbitral rules both in the UK and abroad. All the senior members of Chambers and many junior members accept appointments as Arbitrators in both domestic and international arbitrations. Details of those Associate Members and Members of Chambers who spend all or a substantial part of their practice in Arbitrations are set out below.

Associate Members

Dato' Cecil Abraham (Malaysia)
Earl A Cherniak QC (Canada)
Sir Peter Cresswell
Christopher Lau S.C. (Singapore)
John Lorn McDougall QC (Canada)
Sophie Nappert
Dr Colin Yee Cheng Ong

Christopher Symons QC
John Jarvis QC
Ali Malek QC
Andrew Onslow QC
Rory Phillips QC
Tom Weitzman QC
Clive Freedman
Elizabeth Birch

• Chairman, Sole Arbitrator and Co-Arbitrator in international commercial arbitrations in India, France, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong. Involved to date in more than 50 arbitrations, both international and domestic.
  
  
• Chairman of 15 Tribunals, Sole-Arbitrator in 10 arbitrations, Co-Arbitrator in 10 arbitrations, all of an international nature. The rest are domestic arbitrations.
  
  
• Extensive arbitration practice, frequently appearing as Counsel in domestic and international arbitrations. Experience of arbitrations conducted under UNICTRAL, ICC, SIAC, KLRCA and LCIA Rules since the 1990s.
  
  
• Acted as party counsel in domestic and international arbitrations.
  
  
• Arbitrated in maritime disputes in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
  
  
• Currently counsel for the Government of Malaysia in a pending ICSID Arbitration
  Resident in Kuala Lumpur with home in London.
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Earl A Cherniak QC (Canada)
E-mail: echerniak@3vb-arbitrators.com

LL.B, FCI.Arb is a Senior Partner at Lerners LLP

Earl's practice is restricted to trial and appellate work, arbitrations and mediations, in a broad spectrum of complex commercial, insurance and public litigation.

Elected Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada (1999 - 2007) and served as Chair of the Proceedings Authorization Committee.

A commissioner of the Ontario Law Reform Commission (1986-1992).

An elected Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Awarded The Advocates' Society Medal in 1996 and is a past president of the Society and he was the first recipient of the Ontario Bar Association Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation.

An honorary North American member of the (U.K.) Commercial Bar Association.

Member of:

• London Court of International Arbitration
  
  
• Canadian roster of arbitrators of the International Chamber of Commerce, where he is Chair of the Roster sub-committee
  
  
• ADR Institute of Canada
  
  
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  
  
• international panel of arbitrators for the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR)
  
  
• international division of the American Arbitration Association
  
  
• appointed a member of the (federal) Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission, as the nominee of the Judiciary and served in that capacity until his term expired in 2007

• a dispute between Alberta Oil Sands joint venture and an international group of insurers (chair of panel, settled after 3 months of hearing)
  
  
• a dispute between a steel company and a group of contractors who performed an upgrade (chair of panel)
  
  
• a dispute between a coal mining company and a loading facility (sole arbitrator)
  
  
• a dispute between an energy supplier and a manufacturer (chair of panel)
  
  
• a dispute between the Ontario Government and the long term lessee of a toll highway (member of the panel); a dispute in the Canadian book publishing industry (sole arbitrator)
  
  
• a dispute between an Ontario municipality and an energy supplier (sole arbitrator)
  
  
• a dispute between the buyer and seller of an energy supply company (sole arbitrator)
  
  
• a shareholder dispute in the technology industry (sole arbitrator)
  
  
• a vendor/purchaser dispute in the power supply industry (sole arbitrator)
  
  
• a dispute between two pharmaceutical companies over a distribution agreement
  
  
• a dispute over dockage rights on the Great Lakes (panel member, ICC arbitration)
  
  
• a dispute between a hospital and a pharmaceutical company
  
  
• a manufacturer of commercial airplanes and a customer
  
  
• an ICC arbitration involving a dispute between an American supplier and European entities over a share acquisition agreement (sole arbitrator)
  
  
• a dispute between Canadian companies in the helicopter industry (panel member)

• A shareholders dispute
  
• Claims in a complex insolvency between stakeholders
  
• A dispute between a major supplier and a sub-contractor in the automotive industry
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• insurance and re-insurance;
  
• banking and financial services;
  
• shipping and the construction of ships, oil rigs etc;
  
• the exploitation of oil and gas reserves and other natural resources;
  
• the carriage of goods by land, sea, air or pipeline;
  
• the export and import of goods;
  
• arbitration;
  
• international disputes between states;
  
• business contracts and documents;
  
• the operation of markets and exchanges;
  
• the purchase and sale of commodities;
  
• major construction projects/domestic and international;
  
• business agency;
  
• disputes concerning information technology.

• Member of the Chartered Institure of Arbitrators
  
• The London Court of International Arbitration.
  
• International Chamber of Commerce.
  
• Chairman of Commercial Court Working Party on Electronic Disclosure - Report dated 6 October 2004.
  
• Chairman of various committees concerned with Information Technology for the Judiciary for about 10 years.
  
• Civil Justice Counsel 1999 - 2003.
  

For full curriculum vitae please click here

Christopher Lau S.C. (Singapore)
E-mail: clau@3vb-arbitrators.com

Senior Counsel (Singapore); FCIArb, FSIArb, Chartered Arbitrator

Christopher is a full time arbitrator. He is a contributor to "Arbitration World" second edition and is the convenor for the formation of the Singapore Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. His arbitral appointments are set out in the CV under "Associate Members".

Christopher is on the faculty of the Third Annual Asian Leading Arbitrators' Symposium held in Hong Kong in September 2008.

Resident in Singapore with Homes in London and Munich

• FCIArb, Chartered Arbitrator, United Kingdom
  
  
• FSIArb, Singapore
  
  
• Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA)
  
  
• Regional Panel Arbitrator of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)
  
  
• Accredited Arbitrator of Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
  
  
• Member of Panel of Arbitrators, Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA)
  
  
• Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA)
  
  
• Member of the First Panel Arbitrators of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA)
  
  
• Member of Governing Board of the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI)
  
  
• Member of the Board of Directors (as an independent non-executive director) and a member of the Audit Committee of Neptune Orient Lines Limited, Singapore
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• Practice encompasses almost all aspects of corporate/commercial dispute resolution, with expertise in trial and appellate advocacy. As one of the leading civil litigation lawyers in Canada
  
  
• Appeared in wide variety of complex cases in the courts and in arbitration
  
  
• Particular experience in securities, competition and energy related matters, as well as class actions and insolvency
  
  
• Extensive experience in cross-border cases.
  
  
• Appointed Queen's Counsel in 1980
  
  
• Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1991

• Lexpert: Canada's Top 500 Lawyers, 2008
  
• Who's Who Legal; The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, 2008
  
• Global Counsel Cross-border Dispute Resolution Handbook, 2006/7, Q&A section for Canada
  
• Guide to World's Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration,
• Legal Media Group, 2008
  
• Canadian Who's Who, 2008
  
• PLC Which Lawyer? 2008
  
• Chambers' Guide to the World's Leading Business Lawyers, 2008
  
• Guide to World's Leading Litigation Lawyers, Legal Media Group, 2007
  
• The World's Leading Lawyers, 2007 published by Chambers Global
  
• Leading litigation lawyer, Global Counsel 3000, 9th edition, 2003/04

Education

Carleton University (BA, Economics - 1962)
Osgoode Hall Law School (LLB - 1966)
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Sophie Nappert
E-mail: snappert@3vb-arbitrators.com or
snappert@3vb.com

LL.M. (with merit), University of London;
LL.B.(Common Law), McGill University;
B.C.L. McGill Unviersity;
Diploma in Public International Law, Institute of International and Comparative Law (Magdalen College, Oxford).

Sophie is a dual-qualified lawyer in the UK and in Canada. She is an arbitrator in independent practice, based in London. Before becoming a full-time arbitrator, she was Head of International Arbitration at a global law firm. Sophie is ranked in Global Arbitration Review's Top 30 List of Female Arbitrators Worldwide and is listed in the International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration.

Professional Bodies and Committees

• The Energy Arbitrators' List (www.energyarbitrators.icdr.org), founder and Chair of the List's Steering Committee.
  
  
• ICDR/AAA Roster of Arbitrators.
  
  
• UNCITRAL Working Group on International Commercial Arbitration and Conciliation, member of the observer delegation sent by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
  
  
• International Law Association, Committee on International Investment Law, alternate member.
  
  
• International Arbitration Club, London, Committee member.
  
  
• Various task forces on arbitration for the ICC and the IBA
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• Accredited arbitrator with Arbitration Association (Brunei), BANI (Indonesia), CAM (Mexico), CARICI (Switzerland), VHKIAC (Hong Kong), ICC, KCAB (Korea), KLRCA (Malaysia), LCIA, AAA/ICDR (Ireland), ICADR (India), Philippine Dispute Resolution Centre, Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators, Monaco Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, PAM (Malaysia), SIAC (Singapore), Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, World Intellectual Property Organization, VENCA (Italy); WIPO domain names.
  
  
• President of the Arbitration Association of Brunei.
  
  
• Appointed as counsel, and arbitrator in large number of domestic and international arbitrations.
  
  
• Arbitrates in banking and finance, energy, international trade, insurance, construction and intellectual property.
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Members of Chambers

Christopher Symons QC
E-mail: csymons@3vb.com

Call 1972; QC 1989; BA (Kent)

Member of LCIA.

• Employment dispute under UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules co-arbitrator Michel Kallipetis QC and Michael Lee
  
  
• LCIA arbitration re share purchase agreements co-arbitrator; Andrew Foyle; Toby Landau QC.
  
  
• Reinsurance Arbitration Marine xs loss co-arbitrator with Richard Youell and Bryan Kellett.
  
  
• Insurance arbitration in Bermuda co-arbitrator claim re right to recovery for losses arising from FSA intervention with JL McDougall QC and Bill Jentes.
  
  
• Insurance Arbitration re damage to New Orleans hotel after Hurricane Katrina - co-arbitrator with Michael Collins QC and J. Stevens Clay.
  
  
• LCIA Arbitration as chairman involving directors and officers cover issued to a Bermuda Telecommunications company - with Lord Irvine and Colin Edelman QC.
  
  
• Arbitration co-arbitrator involving insurance coverage for a Monorail system - Ian Hunter QC and Professor John Uff QC.
  
  
• LCIA arbitration involving the reinsurance of an insurance companies CAR account with Bryan Kellett and John Emney.
  
  
• Arbitration as sole Arbitrator on question of whether there had been a good notification under a professional negligence policy issued to a firm of accountants.
  
  
• Arbitration as co-arbitrator involving Insurance cover for political risks in Russia with Professor Bernadini and Guy Walker.

Christopher has also been instructed to provide a neutral evaluation for parties seeking to resolve their disputes on a number of occasions.
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John Jarvis QC
E-mail: jjarvis@3vb.com

Call 1970; QC 1989; MA (Cantab)

Member of the LCIA; Panellist of ACI; CEDR Accredited Mediator

• Appointed on a regular basis to sit as an arbitrator/umpire in LCIA, ICC, UNCITRAL and ad hoc domestic and international arbitrations.
  
  
• Acts as Counsel in domestic and international Arbitrations.
  
  
• Experienced in general commercial contractual disputes and disputes involving banking, finance, construction and insurance.
  
  
• Also has many years’ experience sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge.
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• Arbitrator (ICC): sale of goods dispute.
  
• Arbitrator (ICC): settlement agreement subject to English/Sharia law.
  
• Arbitrator (LCIA): VAT dispute.
  
• Arbitrator (LCIA): reinsurance dispute governed by New York law.
  
• Arbitrator (ad hoc): joint venture dispute.

• ICC arbitration in The Hague concerning termination of a military supply contracts and related enforcement proceedings in the Dutch courts.
  
  
• ICC arbitration in The Hague concerning termination of missile system involving 9 contracts. Dispute governed by non-national rules of law.
  
  
• ICC arbitrations in Houston and Stockholm involving oil and gas disputes in Turkmenistan.
  
  
• ICC arbitration concerning a high fashion designer and a consumer products company.
  
  
• ICC arbitration in Amsterdam concerning a joint venture set up by 2 Hollywood studies. Dispute concerned affiliation agreements and European competition law (article 81).
  
  
• ICC arbitration about boiler technology in China.
  
  
• ICSID arbitration: Enrho v Kazakhstan.
  
  
• ICSID arbitration: telecommunications dispute.
  
  
• LCIA arbitration concerning a dispute about a hotel and share warranties.
  
  
• LCIA dispute about fuel additives.
  
  
• Uncitral arbitration concerning an alleged settlement agreement.

• Dardana v Yukos [2002] 2 Lloyd's Rep 326 (New York Convention. Awards against non-signatories and the approach of the court to applications for a stay pending hearings to set aside in the country of origin).
  
  
• Dardana v Yukos [2002] 2 Lloyd's Rep 261(arbitration and security for costs).
  
  
• AIG Capital v Republic of Kazakhstan [2006] 1 Lloyd's Rep 45 (ICSID arbitration/ enforcement. State Immunity Act 1982).
  
  
• Republic of Kazakhstan v Istil [2006] 2 All ER (Comm) 26 (arbitration and security for costs).
  
  
• Republic of Kazakhstan v Istil [2006] 2 Lloyd's Rep 370 (jurisdiction of arbitrators and issue estoppel).
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• Experience sitting as an arbitrator in domestic and international arbitrations involving general commercial matters including ICC, ad hoc etc.
  
  
• Broad commercial practice, with specialities in banking and finance, fraud and professional negligence.
  
  
• Experience as an advocate and adviser in ICC, LCIA, ICSID and domestic arbitrations.
  
  
• As arbitrator, he has recently completed (as sole arbitrator) a domestic ad hoc arbitration about a waste management contract, and is presently sitting in an ICC Arbitration concerning an Indian joint venture.
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• Has been appointed as sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator in insurance/reinsurance and professional negligence disputes.
  
  
• Regularly acts as Counsel in arbitrations in these fields.
  
  
• CEDR accredited mediator.
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• Chartered Arbitrator and a CEDR Accredited Mediator. He has carried out approximately 20 mediations, mostly of IT disputes, and has sat as sole arbitrator. He has been instructed as counsel in numerous arbitrations, including ICC arbitrations.
  
  
• Dual-qualified as both a barrister and a computer programmer - he is a Fellow of the British Computer Society and is on the BCS panel of suggested arbitrators. He is on the CIArb IT/IP panel. Named as a leading junior in Information Technology in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK Guide directories.
  
  
• In addition to IT disputes, his specialist areas of practice in which he is competent to act as arbitrator include construction and engineering disputes, as well as contractual disputes generally.
  
  
• Contributor to Expert Determination, Third Edition, John Kendall, Sweet & Maxwell, June 2001.
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• Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) 1993; Chartered Arbitrator; Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (CIA) 1998.
  
  
• Receives regular appointments under the Rules of ICC, CPR (New York), LCIA, ACI, CIA and LMAA and ad hoc appointments in commercial and international disputes.
  
  
• Commercial barrister with emphasis in the arbitration field since 1980. She has sat as arbitrator since 1992 and as mediator since 1996. She gave up practice as an advocate in 2003 in favour of sitting solely as arbitrator and mediator and this now forms the entirety of her practice. The majority of her work over the past 26 years has been in the commercial and international arena.
  
  
• Accredited as mediator in 1995 by CEDR and BAE.
  
  
• Recommended as leading mediator in Chambers and Partners' Directory from 1998-1999 onwards.
  
  
• Named as one of the top ten mediators in UK in two surveys carried out in 2002 and 2005.
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Affiliates

ACI is affiliated to chambers by its founding member Elizabeth Birch. ACI (A Commercial Initiative for Dispute Resolution)

Elizabeth Birch
E-mail: ebirch@3vb.com

Call 1978; LLB (Lon)

• Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) 1993; Chartered Arbitrator; Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (CIA) 1998.
  
  
• Receives regular appointments under the Rules of ICC, CPR (New York), LCIA, ACI, CIA and LMAA and ad hoc appointments in commercial and international disputes.
  
  
• Commercial barrister with emphasis in the arbitration field since 1980. She has sat as arbitrator since 1992 and as mediator since 1996. She gave up practice as an advocate in 2003 in favour of sitting solely as arbitrator and mediator and this now forms the entirety of her practice. The majority of her work over the past 26 years has been in the commercial and international arena.
  
  
• Accredited as mediator in 1995 by CEDR and BAE.
  
  
• Recommended as leading mediator in Chambers and Partners' Directory from 1998-1999 onwards.
  
  
• Named as one of the top ten mediators in UK in two surveys carried out in 2002 and 2005.
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