Selected to the American Arbitration Association Panel: Expanding an Arbitration Practice in Energy and Oil & Gas Disputes

This week I am in Dallas attending the American Arbitration Association’s “Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices” program: a two-day intensive training for new members of the AAA panel of arbitrators.

For me, this is both a professional milestone and a personal honor.

The American Arbitration Association (AAA) is one of the leading dispute resolution organizations in the world. The organization receives many more nominations for its arbitrator panels than it ultimately accepts. Admission to the panel reflects both professional experience and subject-matter expertise, and I am deeply honored to have been selected.

The Dallas program represents the final step in the process before formally serving as a panel arbitrator.

The training itself is rigorous and highly practical. Over the course of two days, participants work through the entire lifecycle of an arbitration proceeding from the initial appointment through the issuance of the final award. The curriculum addresses the arbitrator’s authority and responsibilities, ethical obligations and disclosure requirements, conducting preliminary hearings, managing evidentiary hearings, and drafting enforceable arbitration awards.

What makes the program particularly valuable is its emphasis on the practical management of disputes. Arbitration is designed to provide a fair, efficient alternative to courtroom litigation, and the arbitrator plays a central role in ensuring that the process works as intended. Effective arbitration requires neutrality, preparation, procedural judgment, and a commitment to fairness for all parties.

For attorneys who have spent decades litigating complex disputes, the transition to serving as a neutral is both natural and deeply rewarding. The role of the arbitrator differs fundamentally from that of an advocate. Instead of advancing a client’s position, the arbitrator manages the process impartially and ultimately renders a thoughtful, well-reasoned decision based on the evidence and the governing law.

My own arbitration and mediation practice focuses primarily on disputes involving upstream oil and gas matters. These disputes often involve technical issues, industry practices, and complex contractual relationships. Arbitration allows the parties to select a neutral with relevant industry experience, which can help ensure that the dispute is resolved efficiently and with a practical understanding of the underlying business issues.

That ability to combine subject-matter expertise with structured dispute resolution is one of the reasons arbitration continues to grow as a preferred method of resolving commercial conflicts.

I am grateful to the American Arbitration Association for the opportunity to participate in this program and to join a distinguished roster of neutrals committed to fair, efficient, and professional dispute resolution.

For me, this milestone represents an important step in the continuing evolution of my practice, with a growing focus on mediation, arbitration, and expert testimony in complex upstream oil and gas related disputes.