WORLD CAFÉ
MODERATORS
Mag. Marija Dobrić, LL.M. (Cambridge) is an associate in the Dispute Resolution Team of Binder Grösswang.
She focuses on investment and commercial arbitration and national and international civil law disputes. In 2020, Marija joined the Dispute Resolution team of Binder Grösswang as an associate. Previously, she worked as a researcher and lecturer at the Section for International Law and International Human Rights Law at Bundeswehr University Munich. She holds a degree in law (Mag. iur. 2016) from the University of Vienna. After her judicial clerkship in Austria, she completed a postgraduate degree (LL.M.) at the University of Cambridge.
Marija publishes in the fields of international law and human rights law. She was also teaching international law at the Bundeswehr University Munich. Besides her studies in Vienna, she has participated in the 2016 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, where she reached 6th place with the University of Vienna.
MARIJA DOBRIĆ
Associate | Binder Grösswang
EVGENIYA GORIATCHEVA
Senior Legal Counsel | Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
MANUELA GROSU
Managing Associate, Attorney-at-law | KPMG Legal Tóásó Law Firm
VIAC Community Ambassador-Hungary
Evgeniya Goriatcheva is Senior Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), based in the PCA’s Vienna Office inaugurated in 2022.
In her post at the PCA, Evgeniya has acted as registrar and secretary in international commercial, investment and inter-State arbitrations, as well as in expert determinations, and has assisted the PCA Secretary-General with the appointment of arbitrators and the resolution of challenges. Evgeniya has also represented the PCA at various intergovernmental fora such as UNCITRAL Working Groups II and III and the Meeting of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Evgeniya earned her B.C.L. and LL.B. degrees from the McGill Faculty of Law (2010) and is a qualified lawyer in Quebec, Canada.
Manuela Grosu is a Managing Associate, lead attorney-at-law at the dispute resolution practice group of KPMG Legal Tóásó Law Firm (Budapest). She is a visiting lecturer at ELTE Law School where she teaches private international law. She is a trained mediator and is also involved in mediation training related activities. She has gained significant experience in domestic and international arbitration and commercial litigation involving complex cross-border issues.
She has a PhD in law from ELTE Law School and has also obtained an LL.M. degree in US and Global Business Law for International Business Lawyers from Suffolk University (Boston). She was a visiting researcher at Cardozo School of Law (New York), Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution. She is a VIAC Community Ambassador for Hungary.
MAREK JEZEWSKI
Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution | Kochański & Partners
Marek specializes in international arbitration, particularly investment and commercial arbitration. At Kochański & Partners he is head of the dispute resolution practice and also runs unique international disputes group.
Marek has been representing clients in investor-State disputes for many years gaining reputation as a leading practitioner in that field in the CEE region. He remains the sole author of the only Polish-language practitioners’ textbook on international investment law.
He also works in complex commercial arbitration cases. His reputation gained him numerous recognition by Legal500 and Chambers Global as leading individual in arbitration and dispute resolution.
Marek represents clients and acts as arbitrator under various set of arbitration rules, including ICSID Additional Facility, SCC, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL or FOSFA.
In 2023 Marek was nominated VIAC CAN (Vienna International Arbitral Centre of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber) Ambassador for Poland.
ALEKSANDER KALISZ
Research Associate (Dispute Resolution) | The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London | Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution
Aleksander Kalisz, LL.M. is a Research Associate at the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution at The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London. His specialism is in construction dispute resolution, arbitration and international economic law. Aleksander also has practical experience having worked on High Court commercial litigations and arbitrations under the DIAC, LCIA, ICC, SCC, VIAC, ICSID and Polish-German Chamber of Commerce arbitration rules. He acts as tribunal secretary in international commercial arbitrations. He is a co-founder of the Young Investment Treaty Forum - an association supporting early-career investment arbitration practitioners under the auspices of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.
JUDITH KNIEPER
Legal Officer | UNCITRAL – United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
Judith Knieper is a legal officer at the Secretariat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in Vienna. She is the Secretary of Working Group II on Dispute Settlement, also services Working Group III on Investor-State Dispute Settlement Reform and is responsible for Mediation.
Until her appointment to the Secretariat, she had been working in South East Europe from 1998 -2013 for numerous donors/organizations, e.g. OSCE, CoE, Worldbank and GIZ, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, the German international cooperation.
She obtained both Legal State Exams in Frankfurt, Germany as well as her PhD and is also qualified and certified as a Mediator.
STEFAN KRÖLL
Professor for International Dispute Resolution | Bucerius Law School
Chairman of the Board of Directors | German Arbitration Institute (DIS)
Stefan Kröll is Professor for International Dispute Resolution at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German Arbitration Institute (DIS). He is one of the directors of the Willem C. Vis Arbitration Moot Court and Germany’s national correspondent to UNCITRAL for arbitration. He is a member of the advisory boards of the Arbitration Institute of the Finish Chamber of Commerce. Stefan has published widely in the field of international arbitration and international contract law and is member of the editorial or advisory boards of several international journals. He is regularly listed as one of the most in demand arbitrators in Germany. Stefan has acted as arbitrator in more than 95 cases under many different arbitration rules, including arbitrations with state parties.
AIJA LEJNIECE
Attorney at law | New York, Avocat à la cour | Paris
Aija Lejniece is an independent counsel and arbitrator based in Paris. Before establishing her solo practice focusing on public international law, and international investment and commercial arbitration, she spent a decade working for several prominent global law firms, including Latham & Watkins LLP and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
She advises governments and private entities in international commercial and investment disputes across a broad range of jurisdictions and business sectors. Her practice likewise encompasses fintech and blockchain litigation – Aija was one of the first international arbitration specialists to branch out into crypto disputes, most notably advising traders in a dispute against the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
Aija was recently appointed as a Member of the Court of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
In her free time, she enjoys playing polo and reading the New Yorker.
SEAN MCCARTHY
Irish Barrister, New York Attorney, Founder & Principal | Aegis Arbitration
Co-Founder & Moderator | ArbTech
Co-Founder & COO | Woander
Sean McCarthy is an Irish barrister, New York Attorney, founder & principal of Aegis Arbitration. He is a co-founder and moderator for ArbTech, an online community at the intersection of law, technology and the future of justice. Sean is also the co-founder & COO of an Irish tech startup called Woander.
Sean is a proud member of the VIAC Legal Tech Think Tank. He was previously a Deputy Counsel at the ICC Secretariat in Paris and is currently the ICC YAAF Representative for Ireland and the UK. Sean is a former legal consultant in the blockchain industry and a self-professed tech geek.
MICHAEL MCILWRATH
CEO | MDisputes
Chair | ICC Governing Body for Dispute Resolution Service
Michael Mcilwrath is founder and CEO of MDisputes, a company that provides in-house counsel support for international disputes. He is Chair of the ICC Governing Body for Dispute Resolution Services, and an adjunct professor at Bocconi Law School in Milan.
Previously, Michael spent 22 years as in-house counsel, most recently as Vice President - Litigation for Baker Hughes. In 2017, Arbitral Women recognized Michael as a Champion of Change. He lives in Florence, Italy.
RENATO NAZZINI
Partner | LMS Legal LLP
Professor of Law | King's College London
Director | Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution
Renato is a partner at LMS Legal LLP, London and Professor of Law at King's College London, where he is also the Director of the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution. His industry knowledge covers construction, oil and gas and infrastructure, IT and digital, commercial contracts, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. He is a dually qualified English Solicitor and Italian Advocate, a member of the ICC Arbitration and ADR Commission, Italy, a member of the ICC Task Force on Dealing with Corruption Issues in International Arbitration and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has acted as party-nominated arbitrator, sole arbitrator, president/chair and emergency arbitrator and dealt with arbitrations under all the main internationally used rules.
WING NGA (KAREN) NGAI
Associate Legal Officer (JPO) | International Trade Law Division, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations Secretariat (Vienna)
Ms. Wing Nga Ngai (Karen) is an Associate Expert at the International Trade Law Division (ITLD) of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, which functions as the substantive secretariat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Ms. Ngai assists in the servicing of Working Group II: Dispute Settlement, and UNCITRAL’s project on the stocktaking of dispute settlement in the digital economy.
_edited.jpg)
TONI NOGOLICA
Founder | Nogolica Law Office
Toni is a Croatian lawyer focusing on international arbitration and litigation procedures, primarily in the construction and energy sectors. He acts primarily as counsel and tribunal secretary in commercial and investment proceedings, and is listed as an arbitrator at several regional arbitration rosters. He is a VIAC’s CAN Ambassador for Croatia.
MARIANELA BRUNO POLLERO
Legal Officer | International Trad Law Division, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations Secretariat (Vienna)
Ms. Marianela Bruno Pollero is a legal officer at the International Trade Law Division (ITLD) of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, which functions as the substantive secretariat for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Ms. Bruno Pollero provides assistance to the UNCITRAL’s project on the stocktaking of dispute resolution in the digital economy (DRDE) and the UNCITRAL Working Group II on dispute settlement.
Before joining UNCITRAL, Ms. Bruno Pollero worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at the Division on Investment and Enterprise, International Investment Agreements. After that, she was the Legal Advisor at the Embassy of Uruguay in Washington D.C. and liaison officer to ICSID.
PETER RIZNIK
Counsel | Konrad Partners
Peter works as Counsel at Konrad Partners, a boutique firm specialized in arbitration. He regularly sits as arbitrator in commercial arbitrations and has extensive experience working as tribunal secretary with a number of arbitral tribunals. As counsel he represents clients in a variety of international arbitrations, in particular in the CEE region, in particular in construction and energy disputes. He is a habilitated lecturer at the University of Maribor in Slovenia and a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR and its task force on corruption. Currently he acts as a co-director of the Young ICCA Mentoring Programme. Peter is regularly listed among the most highly regarded arbitration practitioners in Austria and the EMEA region by Who's Who Legal.
MALTE STÜBINGER
General Counsel Germany | Deminor
Dr. Malte Stübinger is General Counsel Germany (Syndikusrechtsanwalt) at Deminor. He leads Deminor’s operations in the DACH region and advises clients on funding requests in complex commercial disputes in all different fields of commercial disputes (commercial & investment arbitration as wekll as litigation) and international collective cases (securities law and antitrust damages). He has extensive experience in handling and managing collective redress and mass claim mechanisms, both on the plaintiffs’ and the defence side. Previously to joining Deminor, he was a Dispute Resolution Associate at Latham & Watkins in Hamburg (2015-2021).
TAKASHI TAKASHIMA
Legal Officer | International Trade Law Division, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations Secretariat (Vienna)
Mr. Takashi Takashima is Legal Officer at the International Trade Law Division (ITLD) of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, which functions as the substantive secretariat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). He manages UNCITRAL’s project on the stocktaking of dispute resolution in the digital economy (DRDE) and assists in the servicing of UNCITRAL Working Group II on dispute settlement.
From April 2018 to September 2022, he was Senior Attorney of the Litigation Bureau and the Minister’s Secretariat International Affairs Division of the Japanese Ministry of Justice. Prior to serving for the Japanese Government, he served as Judge of various domestic courts in Japan for 12 years. From 2009 to 2011, he was second secretary of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations.
DAVID TEBEL
Co-Founder & Partner | rothorn legal
David Tebel is co-founder and partner of the international dispute resolution boutique rothorn legal, based in Frankfurt, Germany. His practice focuses on industrial product liability cases, large-scale infrastructure projects and corporate disputes. His clients include leading industrials and technology companies, especially from the energy, automotive and oil & gas sectors. In addition to his work as counsel, David also acts as arbitrator.
Prior to co-founding rothorn legal, David was a member of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s International Arbitration Group in Frankfurt and Singapore. At Freshfields, David was part of the innovation think-tank Freshfields Lab and interfaced between legal operations and the practice group dispute resolution.
HEIDI WALSH
Managing Associate | Mishcon de Reya
Heidi Walsh is an Austrian qualified lawyer and a managing associate in the international arbitration group of Mishcon de Reya in London. She advises and represents clients in arbitrations at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), London Court of Arbitration (LCIA), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC), and in ad hoc arbitrations. Her practice encompasses a range of sectors including oil and gas, renewable energy, complex shareholder and general commercial disputes. She has been recognised in Legal 500 (2022) for her "responsiveness, amazing grasp of detail, and efficient, top-notch case management. A wonderful lawyer who is a true pleasure to work with" and as "an inspiration for her work in support of the Greener Arbitration Pledge."
Heidi became a member of the Steering Committee of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations in 2020; she is now co-heading the European Regional Sub-Committee with the aim to increase the environmental awareness amongst arbitration practitioners in this region.
JOHANNA WIRTH
Partner | Hengeler Mueller
Johanna is a partner in Hengeler Mueller's international dispute resolution group. Her work has a particular focus on technology and post-M&A disputes.
Johanna has broad experience in international arbitration, both as counsel and arbitrator. Recent matters include advising a listed company in a large scale post-M&A arbitration or a US company in a technology related dispute with a Chinese distributor. In the past, Johanna i.a. advised Deutsche Telekom AG in a US-$ multi-billion arbitral proceeding initiated by the Federal Republic of Germany.
Johanna's recent litigation practice includes work for Volkswagen AG (defense in mass claims proceedings) or Deutsche Bahn AG (price adjustment claims in energy related disputes).
Johanna is an LCIA Court Member and a Board Member of the DIS.
MATHIAS WITTINGHOFER
Partner | Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Dr Mathias Wittinghofer, FCIArb is a partner in the dispute resolution department at Herbert Smith Freehills in Frankfurt. Mathias is double-qualified as a Rechtsanwalt in Germany and a solicitor in England and Wales. Mathias has almost 20 years' experience in handling all kinds of commercial litigations and domestic and international arbitrations, with a special focus on capital markets- and post-M&A disputes, both as counsel and as arbitrator. In addition, Mathias has been acting, both as counsel and as arbitrator, in joint venture disputes, in corporate D&O liability matters and in intellectual property cases, including patents, utility models and designs. Mathias' arbitration experience includes serving as an expert on German arbitration law in foreign court proceedings.
ALEXANDER ZOLLNER
Counsel | Wolf Theiss
Alexander Zollner is a member of the Wolf Theiss Disputes team in Vienna. He focuses on commercial disputes and is particularly experienced in advising clients in corporate, post M&A and banking disputes. Alexander Zollner has handled disputes under the ICC, VIAC, DIS and Swiss Rules, and represented clients before ad hoc tribunals as well as in disputes regarding arbitration related matters and general commercial matters before Austrian courts. Prior to joining Wolf Theiss, Alexander Zollner worked at the Vienna office of a global law firm. He obtained his law degree from the University of Vienna and gained international experience during his studies in Denmark (University of Copenhagen), focusing on international and European law. Alexander Zollner is a member of YAAP, DIS40 and ICC YAF, as well as being the author of several articles on arbitration.
