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FALL 2025

Dear Young Professional,

As the fall season winds down here in the northeastern United States, I hope this message finds you well in your corner of the globe. Thank you for being part of our Y-ADR community!

The Y-ADR Steering Committee welcomed new representatives this Fall to join the two ongoing class years and together they have been meeting monthly to diligently prepare a great line-up of programs and events for you, our Y-ADR community. Our goal is to support young professionals looking to enrich their professional experience with mediation, arbitration, and other dispute-prevention tools, and to create opportunities for meaningful connection throughout our global network.

Please send me a note to let me know how Y-ADR can help you. We would love to hear from you and hope to see you at a Y-ADR event soon.

Knar A. Nahikian, Esq.

CPR Institute - VP, Global Initiatives



Stephanie Davies

Head of Legal Weapons and 
Advanced Products

Raytheon Systems Limited

Ishaan Madaan

Associate

DLA Piper

Insper will host the 2026 CPR Institute International Mediation Competition for the third consecutive year at its state-of-the-art campus in beautiful São Paulo (Brazil).

IMC Sponsorships are available! The CPR Institute thanks our generous sponsors for their support of the 2026 CPR International Mediation Competition! 

Experienced Mediators are invited to serve as judges for the IMC, judging the written statements (no travel required) and the live mediation sessions (attend in person in São Paulo).

2026 Annual Meeting registration is now open with 7 CLE Panels.

Join us in San Diego for the CPR Institute’s 2026 Annual Meeting, "Navigating Changing Currents: Business ADR in a Global Economy," scheduled from February 11 to 13.

CLE credits will be provided in all 50 states!

Y-ADR members will receive the early bird/Y-ADR discount rate. Register today!

Please join us at the stunning Loews Coronado Bay Resort for a jam-packed 2.5 days featuring new, engaging networking opportunities and phenomenal educational programming.

On Thursday, November 13, 2025, CPR Institute held its 4th edition of the successful Y-ADR Speed Mentoring program, this time bringing the program to NYC area practitioners. Thank you to all who attended and supported this impactful mentoring event. We had such a wonderful time!

The mentoring event was packed with practical career tips from ADR professionals from in-house, law firm, mediation/arbitration, and academia backgrounds in fast-paced speed mentoring sessions, followed by a lively networking cocktail reception! We are grateful to our

Y-ADR Steering Committee and all the participating mentors for supporting young professionals seeking to advance their careers in dispute resolution.

Mentors in this session included:

Erin Klewin, Danone North America

Ishaan Madaan, DLA Piper

Lauren Friedman, King & Spalding

Mohamed F. Sweify, SJD, FCIArb, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Tatevik Kechiyants, TK Mediation

Brigitte Kiu, Hogan Lovells

Carmela T. Romeo, Arnold & Porter

Rekha Rangachari, New York International Arbitration Center

Knar A. Nahikian, Esq., CPR Institute- International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution

A special thank you to Y-ADR Steering Committee member Sara Little and her firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP for hosting us in their beautiful New York City space!

We give enormous thanks to the outstanding speakers of both Panel 1 & 2 of CPR Institute’s 3rd Annual Africa Arbitration Day – New York (AAD-NY), and hearty congratulations to Professor Lise Bosman, our inaugural recipient of the AAD-NY Award for Excellence in African Arbitration. Thanks once again to this year’s amazing host sponsor, DLA Piper, and to all our sponsors, including Debevoise & Plimpton, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, and BARBRI.

Panel 1 unpacked key findings of the 2024 Survey—from the growth of arbitration across Africa to jurisdictional trends, gender representation, and the rising role of tribunal secretaries.

Our gratitude to moderator Alice Gyamfi (DLA Piper) and speakers Godwin Omoaka, SAN, FCIArb (TEMPLARS); Lise Bosman (ICCA International Council for Commercial Arbitration / University of Cape Town); Michael Ostrove (DLA Piper); and Nancy M. Thevenin (AFSA International).

Panel 2 explored the AfCFTA’s evolving Protocols, new arbitration laws in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Malawi, and the potential for regional dispute resolution institutions.

Thank you to moderator Mohannad A. El Murtadi Suleiman, FCIArb (Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP) and speakers Juliya Arbisman FCIArb, (Reed Smith LLP); Rose Rameau, FCIArb, ArbP (Albany Law School); Hon. Hon. Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda (Attorney General, Malawi); and Dr. Jimmy Kodo, FCIArb (Kodo Law).

Thank you to our amazing Arbitrator Tribunal - Oladimeji Ojo of The World Bank, Efat Elsherif of White & Case LLP, Fortunat Nadima of ROBIC, Eleanor Erney of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, and Ibrahim Amir of Diaz Reus International Law Firm!

Thank you to our dedicated 2025 CPR AAD-NY Steering Committee: Knar A. Nahikian, Esq., Nawi Ukabiala, Alice Gyamfi, Mohannad A. El Murtadi Suleiman, FCIArb, Shayda Vance, Prince-Alex Iwu, and Tiwalade Aderoju LLM,MBA,MSC,FCIArb(UK), FICMC, FPD)

Each person contributed their time and expertise to make this event possible. We thank everyone for supporting the next generation of professionals and furthering the development and promotion of arbitration across Africa. 

Photos can be found here.

In these interviews, we speak with attorneys and others in the conflict management field, from in-house corporate counsel to ombuds. Each interviewee is asked to share their perspectives on dispute resolution mechanisms and their advice for young practitioners.

This series is part of Y-ADR’s goal of educating the next generation of leaders on the full spectrum of dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms and to provide an insider’s view into how CPR’s community of corporate counsel, law firm counsel, and other experts in the field are using dispute prevention and resolution techniques to manage conflict to enable purpose.

Selecting rules that are tailored to your specific dispute can save you valuable time and resources. That’s why CPR Dispute Resolution Services offers Specialty Rules crafted by industry experts and real-world users who understand the challenges.

CPR Dispute Resolution Services also offers industry-specific rules for complex sectors such as employment, construction, and intellectual property.

It’s just one more reason why businesses choose CPR Dispute Resolution Services: 

practical, efficient solutions that reflect the real world of dispute resolution.

The CPR Institute is grateful to our members and law student interns for their valuable contributions!

PLI Chronicle: Insights and Perspectives for the Legal Community (October 2025)

Article 2: The Quiet Power of Conflict Coaching for Today’s In-House Attorney

By: Ellen Kim (Workday, JAMS, Santa Clara University)

SCOTUS Review: Can Federal Courts Exercise Jurisdiction on Arbitration Awards After Staying a Case? (November 2025)

By: Sasha Hill

Alternatives has moved!

All CPR members receive a free subscription to Alternatives.

NEW! Alternatives is now available to CPR members directly through the CPR website at cpradr.org/alternatives-newsletter. Members need to be logged in to the CPR website, cpradr.org, to access each issue starting with March 2024.

For assistance setting up your log-in credentials, please email Micah Seigel, Programming & Membership Manager, at mseigel@cpradr.org.

Alternatives has moved from Wiley and can now be found on the CPR website here.

Not a member? Join CPR today.