Meet the New Young ITA Leadership

Young ITA is very pleased to introduce its newly appointed Thought Leadership Chair, Mentorship Chair, and eight Regional Chairs for the 2017-2019 term.

They join Silvia Marchili (Young ITA Chair), Elizabeth Devaney (Young ITA Vice-Chair), and Robert Landicho (Young ITA Communications Chair) in leading the Young ITA in its exciting new chapter.

For more information about Young ITA, visit the Young ITA homepage or contact Young ITA chair Silvia Marchili or vice chair Elizabeth Devaney.

Young ITA Chair - Silvia Marchili
Silvia Marchili
Chair, Young ITA
King & Spalding LLP
Houston, Texas

Young ITA Chair Silvia M. Marchili specializes in complex international arbitration cases involving investment as well as commercial claims. A partner in King & Spalding’s International Arbitration practice, Silvia handles international arbitration and litigation matters involving Latin America and Africa, and a variety of sectors, including oil and gas, power, construction, mining, air transportation, and infrastructure. An expert in investment arbitration, Silvia coauthored, with R. Doak Bishop, the treatise Annulment Under the ICSID Convention (Oxford University Press).

Elizabeth Devaney
Vice Chair, Young ITA
Assistant General Counsel
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Houston, TX

Young ITA Vice Chair Elizabeth McKee Devaney is Senior Corporate Counsel – Litigation for Occidental Petroleum Corp., where she handles a variety of complex commercial litigation and manages Oxy’s international arbitration matters. Prior to joining Oxy, Liz worked at Vinson & Elkins and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan where she handled a variety of litigation matters spanning numerous industries and matter types.

Robert Landicho
Communications Chair, Young ITA
Vinson & Elkins LLP
Houston, TX

Young ITA Communications Chair Robert Reyes Landicho is an Associate in Vinson & Elkins’ Houston Office. Rob has represented clients from a variety of sectors in investor-State disputes at ICSID and under the UNCITRAL rules, as well as in ICC, ICDR, DIFC and LCIA commercial arbitrations. In U.S. courts, Mr. Landicho has experience with the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, act of state doctrine, and questions of jurisdiction over non-U.S. domiciled parties.

Crina Baltag
Thought Leadership Chair
University of Bedfordshire, Department of Law and Finance
Luton, United Kingdom

Young ITA Thought Leadership Chair Crina Baltag is a senior lecturer in law at the University of Bedfordshire (UK), teaching courses on International Commercial Arbitration, Investment Treaty Arbitration, and International Commercial Litigation. She is the acting editor of the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, and regularly publishes on international commercial and investment arbitration. Crina also regularly sits as an arbitrator. Her latest book, ICSID Convention after 50 Years: Unsettled Issues (ed.), was released by Wolters Kluwer in 2017. As Thought Leadership Chair, Crina will lead the Young ITA Award selection process, review contributions to publications, and identify topics to be addressed at Young ITA events and Young ITA LinkedIn Group/Forum.

Laura Sinisterra
Mentorship Program Chair
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
New York, NY

Young ITA Mentorship Chair Laura Sinisterra is an associate in Debevoise & Plimpton’s International Dispute Resolution Group in New York. Her practice focuses on international investment and commercial arbitration. She is admitted to the New York and the Colombia Bars, and has advised clients in a variety of jurisdictions on issues of public international law, treaty and contract interpretation, common and civil law. Laura received an LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School, where she was a recipient of a Dean’s Scholar Prize and a member of the Harvard International Law Journal. Laura will coordinate the Young ITA Mentorship Program.

Rocío Digón
Regional Chair, Continental Europe
Yale University School of Law
Paris, France

Young ITA Continental Europe Chair Rocío Digón is an Associate Research Scholar at Yale Law School and contract professor at HEC Paris. She is former Managing Director and Counsel of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, SICANA, Inc., where she was responsible for directing SICANA's promotional activities and for the administration of cases for the North America region. She is a former associate in King & Spalding LLP’s New York office and has published several articles on topics related to international arbitration. As Continental Europe Chair, Rocío will serve as Young ITA’s ambassador in Continental Europe and organize events throughout the region.

Tomas Vail
Regional Chair, United Kingdom
White & Case LLP
London, United Kingdom

Young ITA UK Chair Tomas Vail is an associate in the International Arbitration Group of White and Case LLP, in London. He regularly advises clients on international commercial arbitrations and investment treaty disputes, and has particular experience in the petroleum and extractives industry, advising on investment treaty planning, production sharing agreements, tax stability provisions and cost recovery mechanisms. Tomas is listed on the LCIA database of neutrals/ arbitrators. As UK Chair, Tomas will serve as Young ITA’s ambassador in the UK and organize events in the UK and surrounding areas.

James Egerton-Vernon
Regional Chair, North America
Jones Day
Washington, D.C.

Young ITA North America Chair James Egerton-Vernon is a member of Jones Day’s Global Disputes team in Washington, D.C and is an adjunct professor of international arbitration at the University of Maryland. James has a focus and publishes regularly on investor-state and commercial arbitration disputes, with particular experience in the oil & gas, mining, telecommunications, and construction sectors. James is included on the roster of arbitrators of the Arbitration Center of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce. As North America Chair, James is the Young ITA’s ambassador in the region and will organize multiple events.

Karima Sauma
Regional Chair, Mexico and Central America
Executive Director
International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (AmCham Costa Rica)
San Jose, Costa Rica

Young ITA Mexico and Central America Chair Karima Sauma is the Executive Director of the International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration of the American Chamber of Commerce in Costa Rica, teaches international arbitration at ULACIT University in San José. She has worked as an Advisor in the Dispute Settlement Department of the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Trade, where she worked as part of Costa Rica’s defense team, and was part of the negotiating team for investment treaties. Prior to joining the Ministry of Foreign Trade, she worked for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Washington, DC. Karima will serve as Young ITA’s ambassador in Mexico & Central America, where she will organize multiple events.

Pedro Guilhardi
Regional Chair, Brazil
Executive Director
Nanni Advogados
São Paulo, Brazil

Young ITA Brazil Chair Pedro Guilhardi is partner at Nanni Advogados. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo and obtained his LL.M degree in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary, University of London. He has previously worked in the international arbitration team of Dechert LLP (Paris) and has interned at the ICC Court in Paris. He has published in ADR and commercial law journals, and speaks Portuguese and English. Pedro is Young ITA’s ambassador in Brazil and will plan multiple events in the country.

José María de la Jara
Regional Chair, South America (Spanish-speaking jurisdictions)
Bullard Falla Ezcurra +
San Isidro, Peru

Young ITA South America (Spanish-Speaking Jurisdictions) Chair José María De la Jara is an associate at Bullard Falla Ezcurra + in Lima, Perú. He is also the Founder and Executive Director at PsychoLAWgy, professor of Law & Psychology at Universidad del Pacífico and Ambassador for Perú at Arbitrator Intelligence. His research is focused on persuasion, the relation between cognitive biases, emotions and arbitral decision making, and the fight against corruption in international arbitration. José María will serve as Young ITA’s ambassador in South America’s Spanish-speaking jurisdictions and will plan multiple events in the region.

Chinedum Umeche
Regional Chair, Africa
Banwo & Ighodalo
Lagos, Nigeria

Young ITA Africa Chair Chinedum Umeche is a Lawyer at Banwo & Ighodalo in Nigeria. Chinedum has consistently demonstrated a passion for law practice. His exceptional understanding of legal issues reflects in his output in and out of Court. A passionate writer and thinker, his articles on a wide range of legal issues have been published in reputable international and local law journals. Chinedum is a Notary Public for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As Young ITA’s Africa Chair, Chinedum is the ambassador for the Africa Region, and will take the lead in organizing events in the Region.

Aditya Singh
Regional Chair, Asia
White & Case Pte. Ltd.
Singapore, Singapore

Young ITA Asia Chair Aditya Singh is an associate in White & Case’s International Arbitration Group, based in Singapore. He has acted as counsel in arbitrations across the world and has acted in proceedings under all major sets of arbitration rules (ICC, ICDR, ICSID, LCIA and SIAC), as well as in ad hoc proceedings (UNCITRAL). Before joining White & Case, Aditya clerked at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court. As Young ITA’s Asia Chair, Aditya is the ambassador for the Asia Region, and will organize numerous events each throughout the Region.