Business & International | Litigation & Arbitration

Ava Borrasso FCIArb serves as counsel and arbitrator. With over 25 years of experience, she has acted as lead counsel in complex commercial disputes before the ICDR, AAA, and ICC, as well as before state and federal courts. Before establishing the firm in 2015, she was a partner with a prominent international litigation and arbitration boutique for nearly a decade. She has represented parties in commercial disputes involving international distribution and trade agreements, financial services agreements, fraud and corruption, business torts, construction and real property disputes. Her cross-border experience includes advising and strategizing multi-jurisdictional disputes across venues, both nationally and internationally.

As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a panel member of the ICDR and the AAA commercial panel, and registered ICC member, Ms. Borrasso acts as an independent arbitrator focused on commercial disputes. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, North America Branch. Her work has been recognized by Legal500 Latin America for international arbitration, Best Lawyers in America for international arbitration–commercial and commercial litigation, and Legal Elite and Super Lawyers for international practice. Ms. Borrasso serves as sole, panel and emergency arbitrator in international and domestic arbitrations.

Sole and panel arbitrator in a number of international and domestic arbitrations.

Represented subcontractor in AAA arbitration pursuant to Construction Industry Arbitration Rules involving luxury retail store build-out & obtained prevailing party fees and costs.

Represented claimant in prosecution of contract dispute involving pre-suit escalation clause from mediation through litigation.

Represented a Fortune 50 medical equipment manufacturer and affiliates in the prosecution and defense of more than $50 million in contract claims and related disputes with a Brazilian distributor in international arbitration proceedings seated in Miami.

Co-counsel for a group of Latin American investors against a European-headquartered bank following Madoff-related investments in ICDR arbitrations seated in Miami.

Represented a European investment fund seeking to recover assets in multi-jurisdictional proceedings, including prevailing on a motion to transfer federal court proceeding as reported in Trafalgar Capital Specialized Investment Fund v. Hartman, 878 F.Supp.2d 1274 (S.D. Fla. 2012).

Represented a Caribbean government in Florida state court proceedings pursuing claims of fraud, corruption and conspiracy against former public officials, government contractors and individuals resulting in recovering several million dollars and prevailing on multiple challenges to complaint including personal jurisdiction, subject matter jurisdiction, choice of forum, choice of law, act of state doctrine and forum non conveniens.

Represented a Caribbean government in successfully defeating the assertion of the Fifth Amendment privilege by certain defendants in trial and appellate proceedings.

Co-counsel for an investment fund and related companies defending contract claims seeking up to $500 million in an expedited proceeding in New York state court that was successfully dismissed.

Represented a Fortune 50 manufacturer of power generators in contract and related disputes against a Vietnamese company involving claims exceeding $50 million in international arbitration proceeding seated in New York.

Represented a foreign guardian in probate proceeding and successfully obtained the release of over $3 million from a Spanish-headquartered bank.

Defended a gallery owner in emergency proceeding in obtaining dissolution of an ex-parte injunction on a replevin claim.

Defended a national bank in a commercial lease dispute in a jury trial in U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands that was favorably resolved during trial.

Defended a Spanish-language television network in an insurance audit dispute.

Defended an import/export company trading throughout Latin America in claims arising from forfaiting transactions in federal court.

Defended a Caribbean financial services company in a contract dispute involving a software purchase agreement.

Represented a national bank in proceeding against an accounting firm for professional malpractice and breach of contract.

Emergency Measures of Protection & Interim Measures, AAA/ICDR Roundtable, Miami, Facilitator, May 10, 2019

International Roundtable on Arbitration and Corruption, New York, Speaker, March 8, 2019

Corruption in International Arbitration, ICDR Arbitration Track, iLaw Florida Bar ILS Global Forum on International Law, Miami, Speaker, February 22, 2019

International Distributorship, Franchise & Trade Agreements: From Key Deal Terms to Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in Civil & Common Law Jurisdictions, ABA Section of International Law Annual Meeting, New York, Speaker, April 20, 2018

So You Have an Arbitration Award – Now What? (Enforcement through Litigation), ABA Section of International Law Annual Meeting, New York, Moderator, April 19, 2018

Extraterritorial Application of 28 USC 1782 to Obtain Documents from Affiliates Abroad, IFTTA North American Annual Meeting Conference, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Speaker, March 10, 2017

International Business Expansion from the United States, iLaw Florida Bar ILS Global Forum on International Law, Miami, Florida, Moderator & Speaker, February 17, 2017

Expanding Abroad from the United States – What You Don't Know May Hurt Your Business, ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting, Montreal, Canada, Speaker, April 8, 2016

The Use of International Arbitration in Resolving Cross-Border Travel and Tourism Disputes, International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates North America Section and Annual Meeting Conference, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Speaker, March 11, 2016

The Rise of Complex Cross-Border Litigation: Global Trends and Challenges Facing International Practitioners, ABA Section of International Law 2016 Americas Forum, Miami, Florida; Moderator, February 29, 2016

Chevron/Ecuador Litigation: Lessons Learned; At the Forefront: An Insider's Perspective on Environmental Enforcement & Litigation; ABA Section of Litigation's Environmental Litigation Committee; Washington DC; Speaker; July 2014 (International aspects and 28 USC §1782 discovery in aid of foreign proceedings)

Current Trends In Arbitration, International Law Section, Florida Bar Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida; Moderator & Program Co-Chair, June 2012

New Frontiers In Arbitration, International Law Section, Florida Bar Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida; Program Chair, June 2011

Forbidden Places: Tourism & Trade, International Law Section, Florida Bar Mid-year Meeting; Half-day Seminar, Miami, Florida, Moderator & Program Co-Chair; September 2010

A View from the End of the Table – A Discussion on Mediation, President's Showcase Presentation, International Law Section, Florida Bar Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida, Program Co-Chair; June 2010

International Association for Asset Recovery, Live Chat "Successful Conclusions of a Multimillion Dollar Corruption Case in Trinidad," Speaker; January 2010

The Intersection of Corruption in International Arbitration and Discovery Pursuant to 28 USC § 1782, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, July 18, 2019

Public Policy Defense Rarely Bars Arbitral Award Enforcement, Law360, January 30, 2019

Overview of U.S. Court Treatment of Interim Measures in Support of International Arbitration, Young Arbitration Review, Fall 2018

Recent US Court of Appeals Rulings on Interim Relief Pending International Arbitration Proceedings, IBA Arbitration News, October 2018

Overview of Recent Developments in Section 1782 of Title 28 of the United States Code, International Bar Association, International Litigation News, May 2018

U.S. District Courts Rule Consent Awards Fall Within New York Convention, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, April 6, 2018

International Arbitration Will Keep Thriving Despite Trump Agenda, Law360, January 25, 2018

Seeing “Reason” in Arbitration Awards, ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine, Volume 23, Issue 4, Summer 2017

Significant Developments in International Litigation By Way of 28 USC § 1782, Young Arbitration Review, Spring 2017

The Eleventh Circuit Affirms Extraterritorial Discovery to Assist International Proceedings and Production of Documents Held by Affiliates Abroad, Florida Bar ILQ, Winter 2017

Privilege and International Implications Against the Backdrop of the Panama Papers, American Bar Association, Business Law Today, July 2016

Considerations Regarding So-Called Boilerplate Clauses in Cross-Border Commercial Transactions, American Bar Association, Business Visions, March 2016

Lender Liability Issues Arising from Construction Loan Agreements; Florida Real Property Litigation; Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education, Chapter (co-author) 2016 (8th Edition), 2013 (7th Edition), 2011 (6th Edition), 2009 (5th Edition)

Getting the Deal Through, Anti-Corruption Regulation in 45 Jurisdictions Worldwide, Trinidad & Tobago; Homer E Moyer Jr (Ed.) (co-author) (2012)

Getting the Deal Through, Anti-Corruption Regulation in 51 Jurisdictions Worldwide, Trinidad & Tobago; Homer E Moyer Jr (Ed.) (co-author) (2011)

Getting the Deal Through, Anti-Corruption Regulation in 46 Jurisdictions Worldwide, Trinidad & Tobago; Homer E Moyer Jr (Ed.) (co-author) (2010)

US Securities Litigation in the Financial Crisis, Global Financial Crisis, Navigating and Understanding the Legal and Regulatory Aspects, Globe Business Publishing, Ltd. (Eugenio A. Bruno, ed.) (co-author) (2009)

United States of America, Asset Tracing & Recovery; The FraudNet World Compendium, Bernd H. Klose (Ed.) (co-author) (2009)

Lender Liability for Breach of Construction Loan Agreements and for Negligence, Florida Real Property Litigation; Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education, Chapter (co-author) 2005 (4th Edition)