Mediator Resume

Commercial arbitrator and mediator; Seasoned M&A and securities attorney and advisor. Appointed to serve as a neutral for over 150 domestic and cross-border disputes. Brings to ADR practice a unique mix of legal, business and financial experience. Over 25 years of experience executing and leading domestic and international transactions and securities offerings. Legal and business lead on complex commercial matters in diverse industries including banking and finance, insurance/reinsurance, real estate and construction, technology, infrastructure, media and telecommunications, film and entertainment, healthcare, life sciences, biotechnology, food and beverage, consumer products, transportation, manufacturing and professional services.

Arbitrator, Mediator; Attorney

Founder/Managing Director, MB Corporate Advisory Partners, 2009-2022; Managing Director-Corporate Development, and Chief M&A Counsel, CIT Group Inc., 2005-2008; Associate-M&A, Corporate Finance and Financial Institutions, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, 1998-2005; M&A Counsel (Visiting) Allianz AG, 2000; Associate-Corporate, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, 1997-1998.

Diversified corporate and regulatory practice focused on structuring and negotiating domestic and cross-border transactional and securities matters. Led the legal and financial execution of commercial transactions involving a broad range of parties, including Fortune 50 companies and financial institutions, private equity and other investor groups and start-ups. In 2009, founded boutique corporate advisory firm providing strategic growth advisory services to companies and financial institutions in the US, Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Previously, practiced corporate law, advising on M&A, securities/corporate finance and regulatory matters in-house as Chief M&A Counsel at CIT Group and in private practice at Sullivan & Cromwell. CORPORATE AND TRANSACTIONAL: Significant legal and business experience in the formation and operation of business entities and structuring of complex commercial and corporate transactions. Served as advisor to corporate clients and investor groups offering financial and strategic analysis as well as legal counsel on fundraising and securities matters, JVs, mergers, acquisitions, sales and other forms of business combinations. BANKING, INSURANCE AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS MATTERS: Led and advised on domestic and cross-border mergers, combinations, divestitures, acquisitions and strategic alliances of financial institutions, including banks, asset managers, insurance and reinsurance companies, managing general agents, private equity groups and brokers. Oversaw all steps of strategic transactions: strategy formulation, deal sourcing, deal negotiation and execution, legal documentation drafting and review (including reps and warranties), financial analysis and valuations, pre- transaction corporate planning and post-deal integration and adjustments. Advised on general corporate matters, regulatory matters and complex commercial matters. SECURITIES MATTERS: Advised on US public and private offerings in a number of industry sectors, including financial services, REITs, media/telecommunications, transportation and manufacturing. Securities offered include stock, tracking stock, bonds, junk bonds, convertibles, tracking stocks and preferred shares. TECHNOLOGY: Advised founders, investors and start-up companies on general corporate and finance matters, strategic growth and private offerings/fundraising. Sectors include financial institutions/fintech, insurtech, telehealth, cybersecurity and crypto/blockchain platforms.

Appointed to serve as a mediator for over 80 two-party and multi-party domestic and cross-border disputes. Extensive experience structuring and negotiating transactions both in-house and as an advisor to corporations and investors; firsthand business understanding of the operational and financial intricacies of the most complex commercial matters. Leverages legal and business experience to dissect the facts at hand with focus, quickly identify the crux of a dispute and analyze the underlying issues with sound judgment and common sense. Brings a structured but practical and business-minded approach to mediation practice. Mediating parties have included corporations and financial institutions headquartered in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia (China, Japan and South Korea) and the Middle East. For international and multi-cultural disputes, leverages dual civil/common law training, extensive experience executing cross-border transactions and multi-cultural background and language fluency to recognize and appreciate the nuances of such disputes as well as the intangible factors that often impact the parties' negotiation posture.

Vast mediation experience, includes commercial disputes involving the following matters: • Contract disputes and general business law; • Breach of warranty, fraud and misrepresentations; • Loss of income/profit; • Valuations (business, real estate and other asset classes); • M&A (disputes involving both asset and share sales; early termination); • Post-M&A issues (reps and warranties; earnouts; post-closing adjustments; put options); • JV/Partnerships and shareholder disputes; • Business divorces, buy-outs and lock-outs; • SPACs; • Investor disputes (start-ups and established businesses); • Executive compensation and employee termination; • Estate disputes (partitions and dissolutions) • High net worth and family business disputes; • Licensing agreements and other intellectual property; • Domestic and international manufacturing, distribution, transportation and sale of goods; and • Civil/common law. Industries for which she has served as mediator include: • Commercial and residential real estate; • Commercial insurance and reinsurance (including specialty insurance and D&O insurance); • Securities, financial services and bankruptcy (including commercial lending, bank financing, financial products and structures and priority disputes); • Construction (including subcontractor, scope of work, payment, delays and defect disputes); • Pharmaceuticals, life sciences and biotechnology (including matters involving services and IT for clinical trials); • Private equity, family offices and other investment vehicles (portfolio company acquisitions, fundraising/placement agents); • Food and beverage (manufacturing, transportation and sale); • Entertainment business (partnerships and business divorces); • Professional services (including investment banking; accounting and audit, IT, legal and capital fundraising/placement agency); • IT software and hardware (professional services; manufacturing; licensing); • Defense and Security (including satellite infrastructure); and • Automotive industry (manufacturing, distribution and sale).

Views role as both a facilitator of a constructive dialogue and an active participant in the attempt to design a settlement plan with which all parties are comfortable. Level of activism is dictated by the nature of the dispute, the parties’ wishes and the evolution of the mediation session. Leverages legal, financial, and transactional experience and business acumen to brainstorm with the parties and craft solutions that may include straightforward outcomes as well as more complex, possibly unconventional options, that meet the needs and objectives of the participants. Works closely with mediating parties and their counsel to consider the financial and other positional issues and craft business-focused settlements. Encourages “outside the box” thinking to bridge real and perceived gaps, proactively supports parties in exploring creative and workable solutions, and manages the mediation to ensure momentum and commitment to the process are never lost. Emphasizes the importance of being as fully informed and prepared as possible prior to the mediation session to optimize the time the parties are together. To this end, reads pre-mediation statements closely, ramps up to the extent needed on technical and substantive matters prior to the joint session, and solicits information from the parties in advance of the mediation. Encourages counsel, and the parties themselves, to be equally prepared.

Experienced with all major online arbitration and mediation platforms (Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, and others). Chairs the NY City Bar Association AI in Arbitration Subcommittee and co-facilitated the AAA AI Bootcamp (April 2026); actively engaged in shaping practitioner standards for AI use in dispute resolution. Comfortable integrating technology tools into all phases of proceedings.

McGill University (J.D., B. Civil Law-1997). McGill University (B. Commerce, Dean's Honor List-1993). Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. CEDR-Accredited Mediator; NY State Part 146 Certified Mediator.

Admitted to the Bar: New York (1998).

President and Founding Fellow, ACT- ADR, the Association of Commercial and Transactional ADR Professionals. Founder, Salon d'Arb. (Invitation-only, forum for arbitrator roundtable discussions). Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Member, AAA Financial Services Advisory Group. Member, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN). Chair, ICC/USCIB Mediation Subcommittee of the Arbitration Committee. Chair, NY City Bar AI in Arbitration Subcommittee. Member, ICC/USCIB Arbitration Committee. Member, NY International Arbitration Center, Program Committee. Member, Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center. Member, The International Arbitration Club of New York. Member, International Bar Association (Arbitration Committee). Member, New York State Bar Association- Dispute Resolution Section (Co-Chair: Dispute Prevention Committee); Insurance Disputes Committee, Securities Disputes Committee and Cannabis Law Section. Member, CalArb. Member, International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). Member, NY City Bar (Arbitration Committee, Chair: Mediation Privilege Subcommittee). Member, American Bar Association- Dispute Resolution Group- Arbitration Committee.

Publications: "Rethinking Arbitration in the Contemporary Commercial Landscape – Enhancing Efficiency, Adaptability, and Results," NYSBA New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer (March 2026). “The Mediator's Role in Cross-Border Commercial Disputes: Navigating Three Dimensions of Culture,” NY Law Journal (October 2025). "Artificial Wisdom or Automated Folly? Practical Considerations for Arbitration Practitioners to Address the AI Conundrum," NY Law Journal (January 2025). "Arbitration: The Solution to the Cannabis Industry Regulatory Morass," NY Law Journal (March 2024). "Dispute Resolution Through the Lens of the Tech and Finance Sectors," NY Law Journal (October 2023). “Arbitrating Crypto, NFTs and Other New Technologies: Demystifying the Landscape,” NY Law Journal (April 2023). "Navigating Commercial Disputes in Mediations," New York Law Journal (Four-part series, 2022). "The Pitfalls of Conflicting Judicial Outcomes In International Arbitration," New York Law Journal (April 2022). “Drafting an Arbitration Agreement In 2022,” New York Law Journal (Four-part series, 2021-2022). “Testing the Scope of Article V(1)d of the New York Convention on Enforcement of Arbitration Awards Following the Dubai Arbitration Venue Combination," New York Law Journal (October 2021). "Dispute Prevention and Resolution Options That Can Save Start-Ups From Failure," New York Law Journal (June 2021). "The Covid-19 Case for ADR Provisions in M&A Agreements," New York Law Journal (April 2021). Speaking Engagements: Panelist, "AI in the Seat of Justice: Oversight, Transparency, and Human Accountability in High-Risk AI Use," ABA International Law Section (May 2026). Facilitator, "AAA AI Bootcamp," American Arbitration Association (April 2026). Panelist, "Friend or Foe? A Candid Conversation With In-House Counsel," ACC Westchester–Southern CT (February 2026). Chair, "Mapping the New Generation of Arbitration Laws: From China to the UK to France," Practising Law Institute (January 2026). Panelist, “From AI to Zoom: Technology Tools in Dispute Resolution,” AAA, Florida State University-Stoops Center for Law & Business (January 2026). Panelist, “The International Mediation Lifecycle: Transactional and Disputes Counsel’s Role: From Drafting to Settlement,” ICC/USCIB Chicago (January 2026). Panel Chair, “Rethinking Arbitration for the Contemporary Commercial Landscape: Enhancing Efficiency, Adaptability and Results,” New York Arbitration Week ACT-ADR, Jus Mundi, PwC, ACC-Westchester/SCT Program (November 2025). Chair, "Drafting International Arbitration Agreements- Reflecting on Current Trends," Practising Law Institute (December 2024). Chair, “Drafting Arbitration Agreements: AI and Current Trends,” Practising Law Institute (November 2024). Panelist, “Time to Retool: Unleashing the Potential of Under-Utilized ADR Tools and Techniques,” 19th ICC NY Conference (September 2024). Representative, Chartered Instituted of Arbitrators, UNCITRAL Working Group II (Dispute Settlement), New York Sessions (February 2024, February 2023). Panelist, “Contract Drafting and International Arbitration,” Oslo Center for Commercial Law/New York University (February 2024). Chair, “Four-Part Series: Drafting and Arbitration Agreement in 2023: Beyond Basics, Reflecting Current Trends and Events,” Practising Law Institute (August 2023). Faculty, “ABA International Arbitration Masterclass, Panel Chair,” American Bar Association (June 2023). Faculty, “Optimizing the Success of Commercial Mediations: The Corporate Lawyer’s Role,” Practising Law Institute (March 2023). Panelist, "The Interplay Between Mediation and Arbitration," 2022 CPR Global Conference (December 2022). Co-Chair, "From the Ground Up – Taking A Pre-Emptive View of International Arbitration Clauses," NY State Bar Association–International Section, 2022 London Global Conference (November 2022).

New York; Illinois; Ontario; Quebec.

Hourly Rate: Not provided Daily Rate: $9,500.00 Study Rate: $950.00/hr Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: 30 Days Comment:

English; French; Spanish

Lebanon; United States of America

New York, New York