Cedric Chao
San Francisco, CA
Cedric Chao led Morrison & Foerster's international litigation and arbitration practice from 1996 to 2013 and was the U.S. head of DLA Piper's international arbitration practice from 2013 to 2019. He established Chao ADR, PC in 2019, and sits as an arbitrator and mediator, in addition to selectively accepting engagements as counsel or advisor in precedential matters. In 2018 Cedric was named by California's legal publication, The Daily Journal, as one of "California's Top 100 Lawyers." In 2019, he received The Daily Journal's prestigious California Lawyer Attorney of the Year award for thought leadership in international arbitration. Best Lawyers in America named Cedric the 2018 San Francisco Arbitration Lawyer of the Year and the 2020 San Francisco Mediation Lawyer of the Year, based on peer feedback. He was an Advisor to the ALI project to draft the Restatement of the U.S. Law of International Commercial and Investor-State Arbitration, and is the co-author of the Mediation chapter in Thomson Reuters' treatise, Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts (5th ed. 2021).
John E. Bulman, FCIArb
Boston, Mass. and Providence, R.I.
John E. Bulman has over thirty years’ experience in construction and commercial trial matters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and other states. He has represented clients in trials, arbitrations and mediations throughout the United States.
As a mediator, John has successfully mediated over two-hundred cases on a variety of subjects including contract interference, construction, franchise disputes and municipal tax assessments. As an arbitrator or master under the auspices of the AAA/ICDR, CPR, ICC and courts, John has presided over cases with claims as large as $200,000,000.
John is currently President-Elect of the American College of Construction Lawyers. John served on the Board of Directors and on its Executive Committee for the American Arbitration Association from 2002-2014. He is a Certified Mediator with the International Mediation Institute since 2010 and a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators.
Reena Soni
Ashburn, Virginia
Reena Soni is an arbitrator with a background as a regulator, lawyer, educator, and a businesswoman. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIARB), and on the roster of arbitrators with the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
In January 2020, Reena retired from Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after a career spanning 24 years. During her tenure with FINRA she gained extensive experience in regulatory compliance, enforcement of Securities regulations, as well as securities-related consumer and employment matters. She continues to maintain her CFE accreditation (Certified Fraud Examiner) by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), acquired while working with FINRA.
Reena has an LL.M. degree in International Legal Studies from the American University, and a LL.B. degree from Kashmir University, India. She is the current chair of the Webinar Committee of the North America Branch of CIARB.
James R. Ferguson
Chicago, IL and New York, NY
James R. Ferguson serves as a neutral in U.S. and international arbitrations involving complex commercial contracts, often with Intellectual Property or Information Technology issues. A partner with Mayer Brown LLP, he has served as both Chair and Wing Arbitrator in cases involving licensing, joint venture, co-development, royalty, patent, trade secret, data management, software and many other contract disputes. These cases span a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnology, financial services, IT, insurance and aviation. He has published and spoken widely on arbitration issues, and has taught courses on arbitration at the Northwestern University School of Law and the University of Chicago Law School.
Deborah Hylton
Durham, North Carolina USA—and wherever the work leads!
Deborah’s experience as a corporate director, executive officer, strategic consultant and corporate / transactional attorney provides distinctive expertise in her service as an independent dispute resolution professional. She has first-hand experience in structuring and executing complex transactions and in the practical implications of corporate governance. She is a member of numerous arbitration and mediation panels and is active in various corporate director and ADR organizations. She is passionate about making diversity goals a reality.
