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Ava J Borrasso C.Arb

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Ava J Borrasso, P.A.
 

Ava Borrasso is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is a Panel member of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the AAA Commercial Panel, the AAA Panel for Large, Complex Cases, CIArb Presidential Panel of Arbitrators, BVI International Arbitration Centre, the Court of Arbitration for Art, ICC listed and LCIA member. Ms. Borrasso has served as emergency, sole, chair and panel arbitrator and counsel in a variety of commercial and international disputes.

With 30 years of experience rooted in business litigation, her practice is built on representing parties as lead counsel in complex commercial disputes before arbitral tribunals, 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. Her representative experience spans a breadth of commercial disputes involving international distribution and trade agreements, financial services agreements, franchise agreements, business torts, construction and real property disputes. Her cross-border experience includes advising and strategizing multi-jurisdictional disputes across venues, both nationally and internationally. 

She is a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, North America Branch and sits on the Editorial Board of the ABA’s Dispute Resolution Magazine. Her work in arbitration has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal, Legal500 Latin America, Best Lawyers in America and Best Law Firms.

 

 

Representative Arbitration Matters

ICDR-appointed Emergency Arbitrator in dispute involving international distribution and franchise agreements.

Emergency Arbitrator in international trade dispute between Swiss and Ecuadorian companies.

Arbitrator in international financial services dispute between Panamanian and French parties.

ICDR-appointed Emergency Arbitrator in international dispute involving internet sales agreement.

Panel Arbitrator in sports agreement dispute between U.S. and Korean parties.

Arbitrator in multiple international and domestic commercial arbitrations.

Counsel to 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.

Counsel in international dispute that resulted in obtaining attorneys' fee award in excess of $1 million. 

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

Counsel to 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. 

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

 

Representative Litigation Matters

Represented international investors in commercial dispute and obtained judgments in excess of $3 million affirmed on appeal.

Represented European investment fund in multi-jurisdictional proceedings.

Represented Caribbean government in fraud, corruption and conspiracy claims filed against former public officials, government contractors and individuals resulting in recovery of several million dollars. 

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

 

Representative Speeches | Seminars

International Arbitration Skills Masterclass, ABA International Law Section, Virtual, June 22, 2023.

Women in ADR: Reflections on Unique Experiences, Perspectives, and Challenges, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, North America Branch, Webinar, March 15, 2023

Alternative Dispute Resolution 2022: A Year in Review, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Webinar, Feb. 28, 2023

“The Evolution of Dispute Resolution” Federal Bar Association, Virtual, December 1, 2021

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators : Women in ADR Interview, March 2021

8 Innovative Arbitration Trends: A New Practice And Ethical Landscape, ABA Dispute Resolution Virtual Spring Conference, May 21, 2020

Corruption in Arbitration and the Arbitral Tribunal's Limits, CAM-CCBC Arbitration Congress, São Paulo Arbitration Week, Speaker, October 21, 2019

Welcome to Miami or São Paulo? Discussing Arbitration in Latin America, YAR 2.0, Lisbon, Speaker, October 10, 2019

A Debate: Best Practices and Pitfalls in Mediation and Arbitration, IADC Regional Meeting Miami & São Paulo, Speaker, September 27, 2019

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

 

Representative Publications

Reversing Course: The Eleventh Circuit Holds Domestic Vacatur Statute Applies to International Arbitration Awards in Primary Jurisdiction Cases, Lexology, April 27, 2023

What Now? Preliminary Thoughts on Obtaining Evidence in the U.S. under Section 7 of the Federal Arbitration Act in the Aftermath of ZF Automotive, Young Arbitration Review, Ed. 45, Jan. 2023

Puppies and Kittens and Developments in International Arbitration, ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine , Volume 28, Issue 2, April 2022

Recent Developments in Third Party Funding Disclosures, Lexology reprint, February 24, 2021

Recent Developments in Third Party Funding Disclosures: A Concrete Move Towards Greater Transparency in Commercial Arbitration, ABA Dispute Resolutions - Arbitration Committee Newsletter, Winter Issue 2021

One Size Does Not Fit All: US Circuit Court Declines To Apply Domestic FAA Vacatur Clause to International Award, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, October 16, 2020

Third-Party Funding: Relationships, Relevance and Recent U.S. Court Analysis, ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine, Fall 2020  

Champerty Re-emerges: an Overview of Recent US Circuit Court Rulings on Third-Party Funding, IBA, International Litigation Newsletter, May 2020

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

Professional Recognitions

Selected Who's Who Legal
    • Arbitration, Florida 2020

Selected, "Best Lawyers in America"
    • International Arbitration – Commercial,
      2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
    • Commercial Litigation,
      2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019

Selected, Best Law Firms
    • International Arbitration, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
    • Commercial Litigation, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
    • Arbitration, 2024

Selected, "Legal Elite," Florida Trend Magazine
    • International, 2016
    • Commercial Litigation, 2015

Selected, "Super Lawyer," Super Lawyer Magazine
     • Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2023 
     • International, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019,
      2018, 2017, 2016
    • Business Litigation, 2015

 
Education

JD, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, 1990
    • Law Review, 1998 - 90

BA, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 1984
    • Rome, Italy, Study Abroad

 
Admissions

Florida Bar, 1994

Illinois Bar, 1990 (inactive)

 
Memberships & Associations

Arbitral Women

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Chartered Arbitrator & Fellow

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators North America Branch 

  • Executive Committee (Vice Chair Membership) (2020-current)
  • Board of Directors (2019-current)

American Bar Association 

  • Editorial Board, Dispute Resolution Magazine (2020–current)
  • International Law Section
  • Dispute Resolution Section

Florida Bar, International Law Section
    • Steering Committee, iLaw Conference, 2017
    • Former Chair, ILS Meetings Committee; 2010-12

Organization of Women in International Trade, South Florida Chapter
    • Board Member, Secretary 2012-15
    • Chair, Nominations Committee of International
       Business Women of the Year
Awards, 2011-12

 
 
 
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