Citizenship: USA  Arbitrator Experience: USA, ASIA, GLOBAL

Position: Arbitrator, Trial Attorney - Akerman LLP – Managing Partner – Houston Office

Industry Sectors: International, Energy, Employment, Professional Services, Products, Transportation, Construction, Real Estate, Insurance, Commercial Contracts, Joint Ventures, Intellectual Property, Sports, Cross Border.

Arbitration Philosophy: All parties deserve an arbitrator that is knowledgeable, organized, decisive, to the point, practical, streamlined, efficient, cost effective, clear, unbiased, fair, timely, approachable, respectful, and that follows the law.

On arbitration panels of the following tribunals:

• American Arbitration Association (AAA)
• International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR)
• International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR)
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
• The Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA)
• Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
• Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB)
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Representative/Select Examples of Arbitration Experience: Over 30 years of experience as an advocate and as an arbitrator before domestic and international tribunals including AAA, CPR, ICDR, ICC, and UNCITRAL. Arbitrator or advocate in a wide variety of international and domestic complex business and energy disputes, including the below select/representative cases.

• Chair: complex commercial case involving accounting issues, allocations, offshore and onshore assets, joint accounts, development agreements
• Chair: gas metering, natural gas contract dispute with claims of breach of contract and fraud
• Chair: employment, FLSA, collective matter involving global company
• Chair: trade secrets, employment, fraud, fiduciary duty matter among energy company employee/owners
• Chair: multi-million dollar JOA, joint account disputes among major oil companies
• Chair: JOA, breach of fiduciary, fraud, and company ownership disputes
• Chair: complex IP case involving inventorship, licensing, royalties, engineering, contract interpretation (15 hearing days in Chicago, multiple technical witnesses)
• Chair: multi-million dollar natural gas pipeline matter involving tariffs, joint venture, contract interpretation, midstream, gas gathering, partnership, fraud, regulatory, and transportation issues
• Chair: multi-million dollar fraud, development agreement dispute among operating company, shareholders, investors;
• Chair: solar alternative green energy projects, contract, fraud, fiduciary, UCC claims, bad faith disputes
• Chair: fraud, trade secrets, contract disputes involving major accounting firm
• Panel: multi-million dollar action involving financial issues relating to acquisition and divestiture of numerous oil and gas properties and other commercial real estate
• Panel: LNG contract, stock, fraud, insurance, business valuation, technology, trade secret, and intellectual property issues
• Panel: allegations of fraud, tortious interference and breach of fiduciary duties in joint venture and corporate stock transfer case
• Panel: multi-million dollar real estate and private equity investment matter related to operating agreements, stock transfers, capital costs, design and construction of refining plants with associated contract, fraud, misrepresentation, insurance, and negligence claims
• Sole: cross border complex case re: proprietary trading platform, financial instruments, software, consulting services, investments, trade secrets, equities, commissions.
• Sole: complex construction case involving class A commercial tower in downtown area of major US city, design defects, repairs, breach of lease issues
• Sole: oil, gas and chemicals products supplier, force majeure, distributorship case involving tort, franchise, partnership, indemnity, insurance, real estate and contract disputes
• Sole: employment, FLSA cases in various industries, insurance, oil and gas, transportation
• Sole: numerous complex construction matters (plants, onshore, offshore, schools, office buildings, pipelines, other facilities) involving architect, engineer, design, project management issues in numerous industries;
• Sole: multi-million dollar renewable natural gas matter regarding natural gas recycling, extraction, green energy business and contract, UCC, fraud, carbon credits, acquisition, divesture, purchasing, tortious interference, construction, trade secrets and premises issues
• Sole: promissory notes, sworn accounts. and acquisition disputes
• Sole: trade secrets, contract and fraud claims regarding assets, chemical inventions, licenses, joint venture disputes
• Sole: numerous employment cases: discrimination (age, sex, race, gender, origin, ADA, retaliation), trade secrets, non-competes, FLSA, personal injury, fiduciary, negligence actions;
• Sole: solar, renewable energy / power, wind farm technology, IP, injunction disputes
• Sole: insurance coverage, alleged statutory violations, and bad faith disputes
• Sole: partnership, stock, loan, default, and indemnity disputes
• Sole: wind farm / turbine technology, electricity, trade secrets, breach of contract disputes
• Sole: insurance, indemnity, loans, JV, and partnership disputes
• Arbitrated nine figure international disputes involving complex contractual, governmental, royalty, license, regulatory, investment, partnership, shipping, and M&A issues relating to the acquisition and divestiture of oil and gas interests in South America
• Arbitrated multi-million dollar commercial matter between international financial institution and investors involving tort, securities, fraud, employment, and unjust enrichment claims
• Arbitrated matter between international brokerage house and manager of division involving employment, fraud, covenant not to compete, slander and defamation, trade secrets and breach of contract issues
• Arbitrated claims by independent oil and gas producers in multi-million dollar upstream action against drilling companies in commercial disputes involving contract specifications, construction, products, force majeure and indemnity issues
• Arbitrated international intellectual property, franchise, trademark, covenant not to compete, fraud, anti-trust, partnership, unfair competition, regulatory, and restraint of trade issues
• Arbitrated multi-million dollar intellectual property disputes between international medical device products company and inventor/surgeon involving patent, licensing, and tort matters
• IP consultant in arbitration of business disputes involving copyright and trademark claims between two international manufacturers

Arbitration Training: ACE 24 – Disclosure Dynamics in Arbitration; ACE 23 - Panelist Safety and Security; ACE 22 – Process Essentials (2022); ACE 21 – Impartiality: Do You Know Where Your Biases Are? (2021), ACE 20 – Cyber Security: A Shared Responsibility (2020), AAA ACE 19 Case Finances: What Arbitrators Need to Know (2019); “Current & Emerging Cybersecurity Threats,” CPR-FTI (2019); “Practical tips for arbitrators and mediators on mitigating cybersecurity risks,” CPR-FTI  (2019); “The ICCA-CPR-NYC Bar Association Protocol on Cybersecurity in International Arbitration,” CPR-FTI (2019); Arbitrator Performance and Demeanor ~ Meeting Participant Expectations (2018, ACE018); ICDR Looking Ahead: Effectively Arbitrating Complex Disputes in the Global Energy Sector, 2017; AAA, \"Nuts and Bolts of an Arbitration Hearing: Procedure, Evidence and Practicalities\" (2016); AAA \"Navigating the Evidence and Discovery Roadmap in Arbitration,\" Course 16WEB005O (2016); AAA Training Course, What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate (AAA Faculty, 2014); International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) - Comparing and Contrasting Major European and American Arbitral Forums, 2013 (Speaker); IADC - The Basics of Dispute Resolution in Major Asian Economies, 2013; IADC, International Arbitrations: The Dos and Don\'ts, 2013; AAA Webinar, Arbitration Strategy in IP/Technology Disputes, 2013; The Company in Crisis Supercourse, The Lost Art of Arbitration, 2013; Litigation Management Supercourse: Getting Your Mojo Back Regarding Arbitration, 2012; AAA Webinar, Electronic Discovery in Arbitration: What You Need to Know, 2009; International Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting: The Decision to Seek Arbitration, 2012; AAA Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards (ACE001), 2009; AAA Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices for New Arbitrators, 2009.

Career: Akerman LLP – Managing Partner – Houston Office, 2016 – present; Chairman/Partner, Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, L.L.P., 1994-2016; Associate, Vinson & Elkins, 1989-94; Intern, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1989; Land, Natural Gas, and Legal Departments, Sohio Petroleum, British Petroleum, 1984-89; Petroleum Landman Intern, Union Texas Petroleum, 1983.

Overall Legal Experience: Over 30 years of experience before domestic and international tribunals such as CPR, AAA, ICDR, ICC, UNCITRAL, WIPO, including as arbitrator. DOMESTIC and CROSS BORDER / INTERNATIONAL complex commercial matters, ENERGY(upstream, midstream and downstream), oil and gas exploration, production, downhole, offshore, onshore, LNG project/charters/transportation, storage, chemicals, alternative energy, fuel, power, petrochemical, pipeline, tariff, lease, force majeure, energy marketing, well service, MSA, JOA, AMI, royalty, natural gas, capture, drilling contract, M&A issues, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (patent, trademark, copyright, trade dress, trade secret and covenant not to compete, royalty, inventorship, and license issues), complex commercial, partnership, joint venture, BREACH OF CONTRACT, supplier, contractor, plant, acquisition and divestiture agreements, securities, PRODUCT LIABILITY, MEDICAL device, toxic tort, premises liability, personal injury, wrongful death, insurance, indemnity, CONSTRUCTION, EPC projects/contracts, shipping, class action, EMPLOYMENT (FLSA, collective actions, disability, discrimination, age, ethnicity, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, harassment, confidential and trade secret information, non-competes; non-subscriber, retaliation, severance, Title VII, whistleblower, Sabine Pilot claims), ENVIRONMENTAL, REAL ESTATE, lease, landlord, license, asbestos, insurance, fiduciary, bad faith, FRAUD, shareholder, D&O, toxic TORT, and indemnity matters.

Representative advocacy experience: represented: (1) international energy consortium in arbitration regarding Colombian oil reserves; (2) international client in Russian oil interests dispute; (3) LNG company re: international transportation and shipping issues; (4) international oil services company in disputes with Middle Eastern distributor; (5) pipeline company regarding $200M acquisition dispute; (6) investors in disputes with exploration company involving foreign oil and gas fields; (7) international chemical company in $30M commercial dispute; (8) O&G company regarding allegedly defective drilling rigs; (9) exploration & production company regarding royalty disputes; (10) global industrial valve manufacturer re: trial involving counterfeiting in China (trademark infringement); (11) global German manufacturer in patent infringement trial; (12) international manufacturer regarding infringement of foreign patent; (13) automotive alteration company re: employment and trade secret trial; (14) chemical manufacturer in multi-million dollar employment, wrongful termination and environmental trial; (15) French gas company regarding process tower issues trial; (16) international manufacturer re: complex commercial contracts; (17) international pharmacy in libel and malicious prosecution trial; (18) premiere private school in property and nuisance trial; (19) international construction company in multi-million dollar suit; (20) various eminent domain jury trials; (21) general contractor in employment, construction jury trial involving liens filed by subcontractor; (22) Italian manufacturer in various cross border product liability matters; (23) Dutch equipment company regarding cross border and U.S. corporate issues; (24) international Hollywood movie producers in federal trademark infringement case; (25) investor in technical school in trial re: shareholder oppression and breach of fiduciary duty claims; (26) pipeline partnership in proceedings aimed at expanding the scope of pipeline easements; (27) international energy services company in trial against competitors for misappropriation of trade secrets, employment issues, fraud, breach of contract; (28) exotic car manufacturer in product liability, breach of warranty, consumer statute and fraud trial; (29) Australian company in cross border breach of contract arbitration; (30) Japanese global manufacturer in trade secrets, IP and contempt proceedings.

Honors, Awards, Recognitions: Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb, Fellow), the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA, Fellow), American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA, Associate); 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers; Law360, Texas Editorial Board, 2023-2024; Best Lawyers in America 2020-2025 (Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation); Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2025, 2022); Top Rated Lawyer in Alternative Dispute Resolution; American Lawyer Media/Martindale Hubbell, 2013; Texas\' \"Top Rated Lawyer,\" 2012, 2014-2016 by Martindale Hubbell; \"Texas Super Lawyer,\" Corporate Counsel Edition, 2008-2010, 2013; \"Houston\'s Top Lawyers,\" H Texas Magazine, 2007-2019; \"Texas Super Lawyer,\" Texas Monthly Magazine, 2004-2025, listed in Texas for Energy & Natural Resources; \"Houston Top Lawyers For The People,\" H Texas Magazine, 2009; \"Top 40 Texas Lawyers Under 40,\" Texas Lawyer, 2001; Houston Lawyer Award, Outstanding Legal Article of the Year, 1993; Hirsch, Glover, Robinson & Sheiness Award, Excellence in Insurance Law, 1989; Cecil Cook Award, Best Article on Real Property Law, 1988.

Professional Licenses: U.S. District Court: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals: Fifth, Eleventh and Federal Circuits; U.S. Supreme Court; all Texas state courts.

Professional Associations: General Counsel Forum (Board of Directors, Houston Chapter); Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) (Fellow); Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC); American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA); International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) (North America ICC Int\'l Court of Arbitration); London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA); American Arbitration Association (AAA); Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC); World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Institute for Energy Law (IEL) (Advisory Board); International Association of Defense Counsel (Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (Vice Chair); Business Litigation Committee (Chair, Past Vice Chair 2007-2015); American Bar Association (Technology for the Litigator Committee, Co-Chair; Membership & Diversity Subcommittee); State Bar of Texas (Intellectual Property Law Section); Houston Bar Foundation (Fellow); Texas Bar Foundation (Fellow); American Bar Foundation (Fellow).

Education: University of Texas (BBA, Business, Petroleum Land Management (1983); South Texas College of Law (JD, cum laude 1989). Board of Advocates, Order of the Lytae, South Texas Law Review; Intern, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Honorable Edith H. Jones).

Publications: Law360, Co-author, \"In Energy Disputes, Good Arbitration Clauses Are Key\" (May 2024); American Bar Association, Practice Points, Co-Author, “FAA’s Policy Doesn’t Authorize Special Rules,” June 7, 2022; The Texas Lawbook, “The Art of War – Time Tested Advice on Corporate Crisis PR Strategy,” July 2018; Law360, Co-Author, “Preparing Corporate Witnesses: A Primer,” August 2016; AAA Handbook on Arbitration Practice, Chapter 5 (2nd Ed. 2016); Law360, Rainmaker Q&A: Akerman’s Scott Marrs, November 2016; “Enforcing Arbitration Awards in Texas,” Practical Law (June 2015); Texas Lawyer, Co-author, “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: A Primer for Energy Executives,” August 2015; \"AAA, JAMS and CPR Comparison Chart, A Practical Comparison of Major Arbitration Forums in the United States\" (Practical Law Journal, 2014-2024); “Arbitration of Energy Disputes,\" Texas Lawyer (Oct. 2014); \"Arbitration Confidentiality, What You Thought You Knew Can Hurt You - A Comparison of Confidentiality (Or Lack Thereof) in Major Domestic and International Arbitration Forums\" (Texas Bar Journal, Feb. 2014); Co-Author, \"What You Always Wanted to Know About ADR,\" IADC ADR Newsletter, June 2012; Co-Author, \"What You Wanted to Know About Arbitration,\" Texas Bar Journal, Sept 2010; Co-Author, \"5 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Arbitration,\" IADC ADR Newsletter, Dec 2009; Co-Author, \"10 Major Arbitration Issues Recently Addressed By Courts,\" Dispute Resolution Journal, Oct 2009; Co-Author, \"The Art of (Litigation PR) War,\" Corporate Counsel, April 2013; Co-author, \"Sporting Events - Ticket to a Lawsuit?,\" Houston Lawyer, Aug, 2011; \"Cyber Squatters: How Can Cyber Squatters Affect My Business?,\" Texas Monthly Magazine, October 2007; \"Deadly Weapons Part I and II: How the Law Really Views the Hands and Feet of a Martial Artist,\" Black Belt Magazine, Aug and Sept 2007; \"Put On Your Parachute,\" Law Technology News, Nov 2006; \"Viral Videos Publicize - But Infringe,\" The National Law Journal, May 2006; \"The Art of War and Public Relations,\" Houston Business Journal, April 2006; \"When It\'s None of Their Business,\" Legal Times, June 2005; \"Protecting Your Company\'s Crown Jewels - What Every Corporate Counsel Should Know About Trade Secrets and Corporate Espionage,\" IP Litigator, April 2005; \"Judicial Control Over Questionable Jury Verdicts,\" Fed Lawyer, June 2004; \"Trade Secrets & Corporate Espionage, Protecting Your Company\'s Crown Jewels,\" ACCA Docket, Association of Corporate Counsel, April 2004; \"When Advertising Messages Cross the Legal Line,\" Houston Business Journal, Nov 2003; \"Protect Your Firm\'s Intellectual Capital,\" Houston Business Journal, Jan 2003; \"Inside Story On Trade Secrets,\" American Bar Journal, Oct 2000; \"Can You Keep A (Trade) Secret?,\" Corporate Legal Times, Sept 2000; \"What Insureds Should Know About Protecting Products,\" Claims Magazine, April 2000; \"Geophysical Trespass in Texas - An Overview,\" Texas Bar Journal, Feb 1995; \"Mind Over Body: The Physical Injury Requirement,\" Tort & Insurance Law Journal, Fall 1992 (referenced by the supreme courts of Florida and Alaska); \"The Legislative Continuance,\" Houston Lawyer, Nov 1992; \"Reasonable Medical Probability - Meeting the Standard,\" Houston Lawyer, July 1991.

Speaking Engagements: \"Arbitration of Energy Disputes,\" 2018 Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC); “Energy Arbitration”, Texas State Bar 2016 Oil and Gas Disputes Course (Houston); “Fifty Shades of Arbitration,” 2015 Litigation Management in a New York Minute Conference (NYC); “Arbitration – What Works, What Doesn’t, and What Some Trial Attorneys Just Don’t Get,” 2014 (San Diego); \"50 Shades of Energy Arbitration,\" 2014 Energy Law Institute (Houston, Texas); AAA Training Course, What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate, 2014; “Harness the Power of Arbitration to Obtain A Successful Award,” 2013 American Law Media (ALM) Course, High Stakes Litigation (NYC); \"Comparing and Contrasting Major European and American Arbitral Forums,\" 2013 International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Annual Meeting (Hawaii); \"Getting Your Mojo Back Regarding Arbitration,\" 2012 Trial Network Litigation Management Super Course (NYC); \"The Decision to Seek Arbitration,\" 2012 IADC Annual Meeting (North Carolina); \"Business Courts - Coming to a State Near You,\" 2009 IADC Conference (Colorado Springs); \"Legal Transformation 2020,\" 2008 Texas General Counsel Forum (Austin, Texas); \"What Should U.S. Lawyers Expect When Hiring Foreign Counsel?\"), 2008 IADC Forum (Hawaii); \"Sins of IP Strategy - Why Winning IP Cases Are Lost,\" 2007 General Counsel West Coast Conference (San Francisco); \"Amendments to the FRCP, Exploring the Day-to-Day Impact,” 2007 Trial Tactics & Technology Conference (NYC);  \"Leveraging Technology For Case Assessment,\" 2007 Legal Tech Conference (NYC); \"Corporate Lawyers - The New Whistleblower Under Sarbanes Oxley?,\" 2006 IADC Meeting (Rome); CourtTV, Guest Speaker, “Pros and Cons” (2001); CNN, Guest Speaker, “Burden of Proof,” with Greta Van Susteren (2000).