With almost 20 years of experience working in Hong Kong, New York and London, Chiann Bao practises exclusively as an arbitrator and mediator and is a member of Arbitration Chambers.
Chiann is listed on the panel of the major arbitration institutions and has served as tribunal chair, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations under the ICC, UNCITRAL, SIAC, HKIAC, KCAB, CIETAC, and SCIA rules. She also serves as emergency arbitrator. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a CEDR-accredited mediator.
Prior to becoming an independent arbitrator and mediator, Chiann worked in private practice where she focused on complex international arbitration and litigation, acting as counsel for corporates, state-owned enterprises and states in a range of disputes in various sectors. Chiann has served as counsel in cases arising from construction projects, intellectual property, licensing, shareholder agreements, joint venture agreements, real estate projects, financial services agreements and other contractual disputes. She advised clients on all aspects of the arbitral process under the major arbitral rules, including UNCITRAL, ICC, HKIAC, SIAC, and CIETAC.
Chiann currently serves as a vice president of the ICC Court of Arbitration and is the chair of the ICC Commission task force on arbitration and ADR. She is also a member of the ICC Belt and Road Initiative Commission. From 2010 to 2016 she served as the secretary general of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre where she managed hundreds of arbitrations before tribunals in Asia. During her tenure, HKIAC was recognized as the most frequently used arbitral institution outside of Europe, most improved institution and ranked as the third best arbitral institution worldwide by the 2015 International Arbitration Survey, conducted by Queen Mary University of London.
Chiann is listed on the panel of the major arbitration institutions and has served as tribunal chair, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations under the ICC, UNCITRAL, SIAC, HKIAC, KCAB, CIETAC, and SCIA rules. She also serves as emergency arbitrator. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a CEDR-accredited mediator.
Prior to becoming an independent arbitrator and mediator, Chiann worked in private practice where she focused on complex international arbitration and litigation, acting as counsel for corporates, state-owned enterprises and states in a range of disputes in various sectors. Chiann has served as counsel in cases arising from construction projects, intellectual property, licensing, shareholder agreements, joint venture agreements, real estate projects, financial services agreements and other contractual disputes. She advised clients on all aspects of the arbitral process under the major arbitral rules, including UNCITRAL, ICC, HKIAC, SIAC, and CIETAC.
Chiann currently serves as a vice president of the ICC Court of Arbitration and is the chair of the ICC Commission task force on arbitration and ADR. She is also a member of the ICC Belt and Road Initiative Commission. From 2010 to 2016 she served as the secretary general of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre where she managed hundreds of arbitrations before tribunals in Asia. During her tenure, HKIAC was recognized as the most frequently used arbitral institution outside of Europe, most improved institution and ranked as the third best arbitral institution worldwide by the 2015 International Arbitration Survey, conducted by Queen Mary University of London.
Perenami is a Partner within the Firm’s Dispute Resolution, Labour and Employment and Insolvency Practice Groups. She is regularly involved in high stakes, commercial disputes resolution before arbitral tribunals and superior courts.
She is part of the labour and employment advisory team at ǼLEX where she provides and oversees the provision of legal services on a vast array of issues including employment of expatriate employees, employee benefits, pension, workplace health and safety, out-sourcing, collective bargaining, immigration, and employee issues arising from corporate restructurings and take-overs. She led the team that recently advised an international oil and gas company on its proposed amendment to its gratuity payment plan for its employees.
She renders advisory services to financial institutions, corporate organizations, and multinational companies on insolvency, restructuring and turnaround of companies, mergers and acquisitions, schemes of arrangement and compromise, winding up, voluntary liquidation, receivership, and bankruptcy. She is currently advising an international carrier on the cross-border insolvency issues arising out of the carrier’s administration process.
Perenami was part of the team of experts that reviewed the Insolvency and Business Rescue provisions in the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020. In 2019, Perenami received a Special Recognition Award from the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Professor Yemi Osinbajo for her involvement with the Insolvency and Business Rescue reforms in Nigeria.
She is part of the labour and employment advisory team at ǼLEX where she provides and oversees the provision of legal services on a vast array of issues including employment of expatriate employees, employee benefits, pension, workplace health and safety, out-sourcing, collective bargaining, immigration, and employee issues arising from corporate restructurings and take-overs. She led the team that recently advised an international oil and gas company on its proposed amendment to its gratuity payment plan for its employees.
She renders advisory services to financial institutions, corporate organizations, and multinational companies on insolvency, restructuring and turnaround of companies, mergers and acquisitions, schemes of arrangement and compromise, winding up, voluntary liquidation, receivership, and bankruptcy. She is currently advising an international carrier on the cross-border insolvency issues arising out of the carrier’s administration process.
Perenami was part of the team of experts that reviewed the Insolvency and Business Rescue provisions in the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020. In 2019, Perenami received a Special Recognition Award from the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Professor Yemi Osinbajo for her involvement with the Insolvency and Business Rescue reforms in Nigeria.
Ugonna is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Dispute Resolution, Corporate/Commercial and Tax Practice Groups.
He has represented a broad range of clients in actions arising from commercial transactions, employment and labour disputes, taxation, real estate, criminal law and matrimonial matters. Currently, he is part of the legal team representing the contractor parties to a production sharing contract in a dispute on tax over-lifts, as well as in an appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the applicable fiscal regime to an oil mining lease. In addition, he is actively involved in advising an international oil company on an appeal regarding additional tax assessments for tertiary education tax.
Ugonna routinely advises clients on corporate matters, complex commercial transactions as well as employment and labour issues. Additionally, he provides legal advice and support to clients in the structuring of their investments and participation in construction and other infrastructure projects in Nigeria.
Oluwaseun is a Senior Associate in the arbitration practice group of the firm with over10 years’ dispute resolution experience.
She regularly provides legal advice on commercial disputes and has appeared as counsel in LCIA, ICC, UNCITRAL and domestic arbitrations. She advised an international oil and gas company (IOC) on the enforcement of an arbitral award against the assets of a sovereign in the United Kingdom. She was a member of the legal team that represented an IOC in a claim filed by the host community for damages for the pollution arising from the operations of the IOC and recently represented an IOC in an arbitration for the termination of a gas supply agreement. She is also represented a multinational oil and gas company in arbitration for a dispute arising out of a breach of a production sharing contract.
In 2016, she was appointed a director of the Lagos Court of Arbitration-Young Arbitrators Network (LCA-YAN) for a term of 2 years and in 2018, was appointed a Co-chair of the LCA-YAN.
She regularly authors publications on arbitration and speaks at arbitration events.
She regularly provides legal advice on commercial disputes and has appeared as counsel in LCIA, ICC, UNCITRAL and domestic arbitrations. She advised an international oil and gas company (IOC) on the enforcement of an arbitral award against the assets of a sovereign in the United Kingdom. She was a member of the legal team that represented an IOC in a claim filed by the host community for damages for the pollution arising from the operations of the IOC and recently represented an IOC in an arbitration for the termination of a gas supply agreement. She is also represented a multinational oil and gas company in arbitration for a dispute arising out of a breach of a production sharing contract.
In 2016, she was appointed a director of the Lagos Court of Arbitration-Young Arbitrators Network (LCA-YAN) for a term of 2 years and in 2018, was appointed a Co-chair of the LCA-YAN.
She regularly authors publications on arbitration and speaks at arbitration events.