Profession
Independent Arbitrator and Mediator
Work History
Arbitrator and Mediator, 2001-present
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Partner, 1994-2001
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, International Counsel, 1990-1994
Gluck & Associates, 1985-1990
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, 1982-1985
Labaton Sucharow LLP, 1979-1982.
Legal Experience
Since 2001, practice limited to arbitrating and mediating complex domestic and international commercial cases.
More than twenty years of broad corporate, commercial and international legal experience in common law and civil law jurisdictions in the United States, Canada and Europe, with particular emphasis on:
- Mergers and Acquisitions — private and public companies
- Energy — development, acquisition and financing of energy projects (including electrical generating facilities and independent power plants), negotiation of electrical power purchase agreements, and oil & gas concession, exploration and joint operating agreements
- Telecommunications — acquisition and spin-off of regional and national telecommunication entities, including negotiations with governmental bodies
- Privatizations – represented sovereign States and investors in Central Europe in connection with the privatization of national industries involving telecommunications, electrical and gas utilities (including electrical power generation and distribution companies), aviation and pharmaceuticals.
Served as outside general counsel to an NYSE-listed telecommunications company. Opened and managed Skadden Arps’ Budapest office and was the Managing Partner of Weil, Gotshal’s Budapest office.
Significant corporate/finance experience, including negotiation and drafting of partnership, joint venture, and shareholder agreements; concession and project finance agreements; complex international syndicated loan agreements; executive employment agreements; licensing, copyright and distribution agreements. Securities and capital markets (public and private offerings of debt/equity); private equity (represented both fund sponsors and investors).
Representative transactions include: sale of a U.S. integrated oil and gas company; purchase of a major U.S. business-to-business integration solutions company; formation of a multi-party telecommunications joint venture operating cellular networks in South America; negotiation of oil and gas exploration concession agreements in Hungary, Turkey, and Qatar; acquisition of telecommunication companies in Hungary, Kazakhstan and Denmark; acquisition of electric power plant and distribution companies in Hungary; development of a 250MV power plant in Hungary; negotiation of long-term international power purchase agreements; negotiation of multi-currency syndicated loan agreements with separate consortia of leading international banks, including the EBRD and the World Bank’s IFC; served on the Government of Hungary’s Steering Committee for the creation and implementation of a strategy for the privatization of its telecommunications industry and its national airline.
Listed in “An International Who’s Who of Merger & Acquisitions Lawyers,” in Law Business Research, and “Guide to the World’s Leading Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyers” in Euromoney.
ADR Experience
Full-time independent ADR neutral since 2001, handling cases of varying size and complexity including accounting, appraisal rights, aviation, banking, biotechnology, corporate governance, class actions, construction, communication, employment, energy, finance, franchise, information technology, international, intellectual property, manufacturing, maritime, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships & joint ventures, pharmaceuticals, power, telecommunications, valuations, real estate (For a representative list of ADR cases, see “Arbitration Experience” and “Mediation Experience”)
ADR Panels
Admitted as an ADR neutral on the following arbitration and/or mediation panels:
- American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) — Arbitration Panels: Commercial; Large Complex Cases; Energy; Telecommunications. Mediation Panel
- International Center for Dispute Resolution (“ICDR”) — Arbitration and Mediation Panels
- CPR International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (“CPR”) — Arbitration Panels: Distinguished Panel of Neutrals; International; Energy. Mediation Panel
- International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”)(Listed on both United States and Canadian Panels)
- London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”)
- Vienna International Arbitration Centre (“VIAC”)
- ADR Chambers International (Toronto), Arbitration and Mediation
- United States District Court, Southern District of New York –Mediation
- International Mediation Institute (“IMI”)
ADR Training
Annual College of Commercial Arbitration Conference, 2010-11; Annual ICC New York Conference, 2011; CPR Annual Meeting, 2011; New York State Bar Annual Dispute Resolution Meeting, 2011; IBA Annual Conference, 2010; AAA/ICDR Arbitration Training, 2009-10; ICDR/AIPN, Dispute Resolution in the Oil & Gas Business, 2010; US District Court (SDNY) Mediation Training, 2010; AAA Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards, 2009; ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, 11th Annual Spring Conference, 2009; AAA/ICC/ICSID Joint Colloquium on International Arbitration, 2008, 2011; ICC Arbitration Today: Bridging the Cultural Gap in International Arbitration 2008; ICDR/ICC, The Current State of International Arbitration and a Vision of the Future, 2008; AAA Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices, 2007; CPR Ethics Training for Arbitrators and Mediators, 2007; ICDR The Common Law/Civil Law Gap: The Issues and How International Arbitrators May Resolve Them, 2006; CPR Training and Certificate in Mediation, 2006; ICDR International Arbitrator Training, 2005.
Professional Licenses
Admitted to the Bar, New York, 1981
U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, 1981
Admitted as Barrister and Solicitor, Ontario, Canada, 1979.
Professional Associations
Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators
International Bar Association (Arbitration Committee)
American Bar Association (Section of Dispute Resolution)
New York State Bar Association (Mediation and Arbitration Committees; Subcommittee on Discovery in Arbitration and International Arbitration Task Force)
National Arbitration Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Education
York University, Toronto (B.A., Honors, first class-1973)
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (A.M., International Affairs-1974)
Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (J.D., Law Review-1977)
Recipient of the ITT International Fellowship, representing Canada (1973).
Publications and Speaking Engagements
Numerous publications and speaking engagements in the United States and Europe on international business issues.
Languages
English, French, Hungarian
Citizenship
United States of America, Canada
