Nancy M. Thevenin is an international arbitrator and mediator based in New York City. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, an adjunct professor of the International Commercial Arbitration course at St. John's University School of Law, a past chair of the New York State Bar Association’s International Section, and is designated by the Republic of Haiti to serve on the Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
Ms. Thevenin also serves as an external general counsel for the United States Council for International Business (USCIB/ICC USA), the U.S. national committee to the ICC International Court of Arbitration© and manages its Arbitration & ADR Committee, which, inter alia, provides assistance in the nomination of U.S. arbitrators, makes referrals to parties seeking arbitration practitioners and arbitrators, and serves as a resource for the U.S. business community about the ICC’s dispute resolution services. Aside from general corporate counsel duties, Ms. Thevenin also manages requests for USCIB to participate in amicus brief filings on issues of relevance to USCIB’s membership.
Ms. Thevenin was an adjunct professor of the Arbitration Practicum course at Fordham Law School responsible for helping prepare Fordham’s Vis Moot teams in Hong Kong and Vienna, and was also a special counsel in and global coordinator of Baker & McKenzie’s International Arbitration Practice Group. Before joining Baker & McKenzie, Ms. Thevenin was deputy director of arbitration and ADR for North America for the ICC International Court of Arbitration© in New York. Ms. Thevenin started her career practicing international litigation and arbitration at a boutique law firm in Miami, Florida.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
Ms. Thevenin also advises on arbitrations, mediation strategy, dispute boards, expertise and expedited proceedings, ad hoc cases and use of pre-arbitral referee as well as and emergency arbitration procedures. Her extensive experience includes arbitrations under various institutional rules, including the ICC, ICDR, UNCITRAL and ICSID and advising on early resolution of matters that would otherwise become formal disputes. Ms. Thevenin’s areas of experience include international commercial litigation and arbitration, creditor’s rights and business torts. She has handled disputes for multinational companies and governments in the construction and engineering, financial services, commercial real estate and aviation industries, often involving issues concerning mergers and acquisition, sales, distribution, licensing, technology transfer and leasing agreements.
Bar Admittance
Education
Professional Affiliations
Board Membership
Presentations
Ms. Thevenin frequently speaks on different aspects of international dispute resolution at seminars and conferences worldwide. She has also been a guest lecturer at Cornell Law School, Fordham Law School, the University of Miami Law School and the Washington College of Law, among others.
Training Engagements
Ms. Thevenin has designed arbitration training and mediation advocacy training programs for the International Chamber of Commerce, the Arbitration Committee of the United States Council for International Business, the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section, in-house counsel in Brazil and government officials in Tanzania.
Recent Publications
Languages
English, Spanish, French and Haitian Creole.
Ms. Thevenin also serves as an external general counsel for the United States Council for International Business (USCIB/ICC USA), the U.S. national committee to the ICC International Court of Arbitration© and manages its Arbitration & ADR Committee, which, inter alia, provides assistance in the nomination of U.S. arbitrators, makes referrals to parties seeking arbitration practitioners and arbitrators, and serves as a resource for the U.S. business community about the ICC’s dispute resolution services. Aside from general corporate counsel duties, Ms. Thevenin also manages requests for USCIB to participate in amicus brief filings on issues of relevance to USCIB’s membership.
Ms. Thevenin was an adjunct professor of the Arbitration Practicum course at Fordham Law School responsible for helping prepare Fordham’s Vis Moot teams in Hong Kong and Vienna, and was also a special counsel in and global coordinator of Baker & McKenzie’s International Arbitration Practice Group. Before joining Baker & McKenzie, Ms. Thevenin was deputy director of arbitration and ADR for North America for the ICC International Court of Arbitration© in New York. Ms. Thevenin started her career practicing international litigation and arbitration at a boutique law firm in Miami, Florida.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
Ms. Thevenin also advises on arbitrations, mediation strategy, dispute boards, expertise and expedited proceedings, ad hoc cases and use of pre-arbitral referee as well as and emergency arbitration procedures. Her extensive experience includes arbitrations under various institutional rules, including the ICC, ICDR, UNCITRAL and ICSID and advising on early resolution of matters that would otherwise become formal disputes. Ms. Thevenin’s areas of experience include international commercial litigation and arbitration, creditor’s rights and business torts. She has handled disputes for multinational companies and governments in the construction and engineering, financial services, commercial real estate and aviation industries, often involving issues concerning mergers and acquisition, sales, distribution, licensing, technology transfer and leasing agreements.
- Arbitrator and mediator in international commercial disputes, the most recent of which includes:
- Chair of ICC arbitration with French and Argentine parties involving the aviation industry
- Chair of AAA arbitration involving the equestrian industry
- Co-Arbitrator in ad hoc dispute involving an infrastructure project in the Caribbean
- Co-Arbitrator in multimillion-dollar FINRA disputes
- Mediator of disputes between Haitian and U.S. parties involving the hospitality industry
- Counsel and advisor representing:
- Contractors in multimillion-dollar dispute concerning the construction of power plants in an EU country.
- Investors in an arbitration concerning claims under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties.
- Eastern European government in arbitrations concerning claims under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties.
- Multinational corporations, financial institutions, and government entities involved in significant litigation and arbitrations in North America and Latin America.
- Financial institutions in recovering assets and funds domestically and internationally.
- Financial institutions in litigation involving negotiable instruments, bank deposits and collections, and letters of credit.
- International fashion houses in trademark infringement disputes involving extensive interaction with U.S. Customs Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- Multinational and international companies in commercial disputes involving sales, secured transactions, business torts, agreements for the purchase of real property, construction contracts, and commercial landlord/tenant disputes in federal and state court.
- Creditors in prejudgment proceedings, including obtaining writs of replevin, attachment and garnishment.
Bar Admittance
- New York
- Florida
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
Education
- Tulane Law School, Juris Doctor
- Certificates in European Legal Practice and Commercial Arbitration
- University of Paris at Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France
- Studies in the French Legal System and European Community Law
- Cornell University, Bachelor of Arts
- Double major in History and Spanish Literature
- Cornell Junior Year Abroad Program
- Institute of European Studies, Madrid, Spain
- Studies in International Relations, Spanish Law, and Spanish Literature
Professional Affiliations
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Fellow
- Approved CIArb Faculty for:
- Module 4 Award Writing (International Arbitration) - Tutor/Examiner/Moderator
- Accelerated Route to Membership (International Arbitration) – Examiner
- Accelerated Route towards Fellowship (International Arbitration) - Examiner/Moderator/Assessor
- Chair, Communications Committee of the New York Branch (2013 - 2017)
- New York State Bar Association - International Law Section
- Chair (2017 - 2018)
- Chair-Elect and Chief Information Officer (2016 - 2017)
- Senior Vice Chair of Chapters (2015 – 2016)
- First Vice Chair (2013 - 2014)
- Committee Member of Seasonal Meeting in Vienna, Austria (2013 - 2014)
- Secretary (2012)
- Program Co-Chair of the Section Annual Meeting (2010)
- Co-Chair, International Arbitration and ADR Committee (2006 - present)
- Executive Committee Member (2006 – present)
- American Bar Association – International Section
- Vice-Chair of the Latin American and Caribbean Committee (2006 - 2008)
- Editor of Caribbean contributions to Committee's "Latin American Legal Developments" (2006 -2012)
- American Bar Association - Section of Litigation
- Co-Chair of the International Human Rights Award Subcommittee (2010 - 2012)
- Inter-American Bar Association
- Vice-Chair of Committee XVIII, International Arbitration Law (2003 - 2014)
- Chair, New York Chapter (2009 -2010)
- American Branch of the International Law Association
- Good Governance and Best Practices Committee member (2015 – present)
- Executive Committee Member (2008 – present)
- Co-Chair of 2007 International Law Weekend
- Steering Committee member of 2004 and 2006 International Law Weekend
- International Chamber of Commerce
- U.S. Member of Commission on Arbitration and ADR (2004 - 2008)
- Florida Bar - International Law Section
- Executive Council member (2004 -2009)
- Vice-Chair of Administration, International Litigation & Arbitration Committee (2001-2004)
- ArbitralWomen
- Founding Member (2005 - present)
Board Membership
- American Branch of the International Law Association (2019)
- New York International Arbitration Center (2017 - 2018)
- Jamaica International Arbitration Centre, Advisory Board (2016 - present)
- R.E.A.L. - Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers, Steering Committee (2017 to present)
Presentations
Ms. Thevenin frequently speaks on different aspects of international dispute resolution at seminars and conferences worldwide. She has also been a guest lecturer at Cornell Law School, Fordham Law School, the University of Miami Law School and the Washington College of Law, among others.
Training Engagements
Ms. Thevenin has designed arbitration training and mediation advocacy training programs for the International Chamber of Commerce, the Arbitration Committee of the United States Council for International Business, the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section, in-house counsel in Brazil and government officials in Tanzania.
Recent Publications
- “Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards – Recent Notable U.S. Decisions,” American Bar Association, 2022 Litigation Section Annual Conference, May 2022
- “Use of the ICC’s Emergency Arbitrator Provisions,” ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine, vol. 28, No. 2 (April 2022).
- “The Importance of Diversity in ADR,” ICLE 12th Annual Arbitration Institute Program Materials, March 2019.
- CIArb New York News, Issue #3, Sept. 2016, designer and editor.
- “The Role of Mediation in Resolving U.S. Claims Against Cuba,” ABA International Section Spring Meeting, April 2016; publication pending.
- CIArb New York News, Issue #2, Sept. 2015, designer and editor.
- CIArb New York News, Issue #1, Sept. 2014, designer and editor.
- “Caucusing and the Cross-Cultural Divide,” in Contemporary Issues in International Arbitration and Mediation: The Fordham Papers (Martinus Nijhoff 2012).
- “The International Arbitration System: How the Pieces Interrelate: International Arbitral Institutions,” New York State Bar Association's Inside (Spring/Summer 2011).
- 2010 to 2014 The Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook, a compilation of international commercial arbitration developments from 35 jurisdictions, Executive Editor (Juris 2010 -2014).
- “Sak Vid Pa Kanpe: The Impact of U.S. Food Aid on Human Rights in Haiti,” (December 2010), member of research and writing team.
- “Dispute Boards: An Effective Tool for Dispute Reduction and Prevention,” New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer, vol. 3, no. 2 (Fall 2010).
- “Increasing Efficiency in International Arbitration: Use of Common Law Dispositive Motions,” IBA Arbitration Newsletter (March 2010).
- The 2009 Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook, a compilation of international commercial arbitration developments from 26 jurisdictions, Editor (Kluwer, March 2010).
- “The CISG and Its Impact in Latin America,” ABA Section of International Law, 2009 Fall Meeting (October 2009).
- The 2008 Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook, a compilation of international commercial arbitration developments from 28 jurisdictions, Executive Editor (Kluwer, February 2009).
- The Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Newsletter, Editor (2008 to 2012).
- “The International Arbitration System: How the Pieces Interrelate,” Baker & McKenzie, October 2008, updated October 2010.
- “A Little Known Secret: The ICC International Court of Arbitration’s Internship Program For Young Attorneys,” American Bar Association, International Law Quarterly, Issue 4, Volume 23 (Summer 2007).
Languages
English, Spanish, French and Haitian Creole.
