Alumni & Friends of the School of International Arbitration(AFSIA)
- Selected Profiles
Welcome to the homepage of AFSIA, the worldwide network for Alumni and Friends of the School of International Arbitration.
Since its foundation, more than 2,000 students from over 80 countries all over the world have graduated from the SIA and many others have been closely involved with its activities in different capacities. The AFSIA was founded in June 2008 with the objective to bring all of these people together, to allow them to keep in touch with each other and the SIA and to thus create an invaluable network of people involved in the field of arbitration at every level and in every part of the world.
The current AFSIA Steering Committee consists of:
| Ms Crina Baltag | PwC Research Fellow at the School of International Arbitration, QMUL, London |
| Dr Stavros Brekoulakis | Lecturer at the School of International Arbitration, QMUL, London |
| Ms Dimitra Capas | Associate at Norton Rose, Athens; Chair of the Steering Committee |
| Mr Maarten Draye | Associate at Hanotiau & van den Berg, Brussels |
| Mr John Rhie | Associate at McDermott Will & Emery, London |
London Coordinators are Ms Sandra Baird and Ms Romina Donati.
News:
AFSIA Inaugural Conference on “Issues relating to Enforcement in International Arbitration” on 3 December 2008
To mark and celebrate the creation of AFSIA, we will hold an inaugural conference on 3 December 2008 on Issues of Enforcement in International Arbitration. The programme will exclusively feature speakers from the long list of SIA alumni and friends in key positions in all fields of arbitration practice, ranging from law firms, arbitration and other institutions, arbitration users to arbitrators.
To find out more about the programme and how to register, please click here.
Become a member
Becoming a member is easy. If you’re a graduate of the SIA or are/have been involved closely with the SIA, just fill out the downloadable form here and send it back. To cover expenses related to the proper functioning of AFSIA (including the website, e-mail accounts and database), we will be collecting a membership fee of £25 for two years.
This fee is included in the registration fee for the Inaugural Conference. Alumni and Friends attending this event will therefore automatically receive a two year AFSIA membership.
Get in touch
Don’t hesitate to contact us with suggestions, queries or other issues. You can reach us via e-mail at alumni@schoolofinternationalarbitration.org
A SIA/CCLS alumni group also operates on Facebook.
AFSIA will soon have its own website www.sia-alumni.info, which is currently under construction and will launch in 2009.
Sandra Baird
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8125
email: s.a.baird@qmul.ac.uk
Alumni Members, Graduation, December 2006
Selected Profiles
Melike Tas, Attorney, Istanbul, LLM |
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"After having studied law at Istanbul University, I was eager
to complete my LLM. degree in law. I was determined
to be specialised in comparative and commercial
law and following my research on this area, I
was convinced that QMUL was the best option to
apply for". |
Mauricio Gomm Santos, LLM |
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"In 1992, as a law professor of Commercial Law at the Catholic University in the State of Parana, Brazil, I was graced with a scholarship from the British Council to attend a Master's Degree Program (LLM), at Queen Mary and Westfield College, with a special focus on international commercial arbitration. It turned out to be an outstanding personal and academic experience because QMW provided me with accurate tools to obtain a substantial knowledge regarding international arbitration, at the moment where a new arbitration bill was being sent to Brazilian Parliament. Since then, I have been involved with international arbitration, as counsel, arbitrator and law professor." |
Judith Gill, Postgraduate Diploma |
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"I attended the inaugural Diploma course in International Commercial Arbitration in the late 1980s. The course provided an excellent foundation for a professional career in international arbitration, focusing on the key elements of practice and procedure in international arbitration. What particularly distinguished the Diploma course was its international dimension, which is such an important feature of the subject for the practitioner, and the excellent teaching faculty, all of whom were experienced practitioners.". |
Joseph Altendorff, LLM |
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"I was attracted by the leading reputations of the two schools in which I wished to study. Those being the Queen Mary Institute for IP Research and the Queen Mary School of International Arbitration. I'm really pleased that I took the course and got a good degree. I would certainly do it again. I enjoyed writing and researching specific areas of interest and taking a more jurisprudential look at the law.". |
John Rhie, Postgraduate Diploma |
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" I am currently a senior associate in the International Dispute Resolution Group of Mcdermott Will & Emery. I undertook the Post Graduate Diploma in Comparative International Commercial Arbitration and Investment Treaty Disputes at the School of International Arbitration ("SIA") in 2006 - 2007. This course was ideal for me for a number of reasons. First, I was able to do this course on a part-time basis whilst continuing to work at my firm. The lectures and tutorials were held in the evenings which fitted my work hours. Second, although currently my practice is focused on international arbitration (both commercial and investment treaty), I had trained and qualified as a solicitor at Herbert Smith where I focused on litigation. I felt this course was a perfect way to enhance my knowledge of arbitration that I may have lacked as I started my career as a litigator. Third, part of the course is a comparison of various arbitration acts and rules around the world which is incredibly helpful in advising clients as to the choices they may have in choosing the proper forum or laws in resolving their disputes or potential disputes. The course has met and sometimes exceeded my expectations and I certainly have a great deal more knowledge and understanding of international arbitration which has benfitted my practice as well as a great deal more friends that I met through the course". |
Martin Goodman,SBM Offshore-Skarv Turret and Mooring System Project Manager, |
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"I found the Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (Distance Learning) to be an excellent course and a good investment of my time. The course is run by a knowledgeable team that have the ability to transmit their enthusiasm of the complex and extensive subject matter to their students. It provided me with a meaningful insight into the world of commercial arbitration which will stand me in good stead for my eventual future as an arbitrator.
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David Waddle MCIArb, Senior Consultant (Delay Expert)-Brewer Consulting Limited, |
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"It may sound like a cliche but I found the course both rewarding and challenging; for me, obtaining my Diploma was made possible due to the quality of teaching and the helpfulness of the QM staff who were always on hand to provide guidance and support. I would recommend this course to anybody with an interest in International Dispute Resolution.
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Kamal Itani Hewlett-Packard, Commercial Contracts Middle East, Mediterranean & Africa, |
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"25 years of experience in the middle east, I worked with well known multi-national companies including; Lucent Technologies, Textron Defense Systems,S ub to Bechtel Corp., Hewlett-Packard and others. I have dealt directly with end customers/employer contractors and subcontractors, the likes of major Telecom Co., IT companies, Ministries, and Government Agencies. Particularly for the past 9 years, I have actively worked in contract management and legal servcies functions including developing contracts/agreements, terms and conditions, negotiating contracts, advising internal clients on legal contracting matters with regards to risk management, limitation of liability, applicable laws, intellectual property, licensing and liquidated damages.
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Paul Taaggart, Manager International Contract Dept, Salini Costruttori S.p.A Postgraduate Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (Distance Learning) |
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This is highly regarded course by international standards. The material was cutting edge in the context of international commercial arbitration developments and extremly informative.
The course also put much concerning my past experiences of arbitration and dispute resolution as a whole in context both academically and practically. It provide confidence through knowledge."
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