Welcome to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
North America Branch

Montserrat Manzano

Mexico City

Montserrat Manzano is a partner in the dispute resolution practice of Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C. She is part of the ESG and Energy & Natural Resources practice groups. She co-leads the firm's Diversity & Inclusion and Ethics Committees. Ms. Manzano acts as counsel in international commercial and investor-state disputes. She has experience in a broad range of sectors, including construction, energy & natural resources, and technology. In particular, she has experience in disputes arising from investment and infrastructure projects in Latin America. Ms. Manzano also sits as an arbitrator to international commercial disputes and is specializing to arbitrate investor-state disputes. She is a Member to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR. She graduated (with honors) from Universidad Iberoamericana and holds an LLM University of Cambridge. She is former Chair of the Americas Initiative of ITA.

Rodolfo C. Rivas, FCIArb

Geneva, Switzerland, and Guadalajara, Mexico

Rodolfo is an expert in legal advice, negotiation and public policy with 21+ years of experience. He serves as Chief of Staff for WTO Affairs at the Mission of Israel to the UN, where he is a frontline negotiator with proven track record, having negotiated six intergovernmental agreements and currently being involved in negotiating the dispute system reform at the WTO. He has served as Arbitrator/Panelist, represented complainants, respondents, and third parties in International Trade Disputes, and worked in the secretariats administering disputes at the WTO and WIPO. Rodolfo is an Associate Professor of Law teaching International Economic Law at Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara. He holds an LL.B. from Universidad Panamericana, an LL.M. from Stanford Law School and Universitat d’Alacant, and an MBA from the University of London. Rodolfo is also the producer, creator, and host of “The Rodolfo Rivas Project” podcast.

Thomas J. Weigand, FCIArb

Chicago, Illinois

Tom relies on many years litigating complex commercial disputes across the country for both plaintiffs and defendants, first at the large international firm Winston & Strawn and now at a leading litigation boutique, MoloLamken, where he continues to try cases. Tom also relies on the ADR lessons from his early mentor Professor Roger Fisher, author of Getting to Yes, while working at the Harvard Negotiation Project and Fisher’s for profit consulting firm. In addition to being a Fellow of CIArb, Tom is a past-President of the 7th Circuit Bar Association, is currently the Co-Chair of the CPLR Committee in New York, teaches advanced mediation, and sits on several court referee and mediation rosters.

Charles Woode

Judge Woode was first appointed as a Washington State Administration Law Judge in 2008 and subsequently appointed as a United States Administrative Law Judge in 2011. Over the past 16 years, Judge Woode has adjudicated and issued thousands of decisions in adversarial and non-adversarial proceedings. Prior to being appointed a judge, he litigated cases before Washington state and federal courts. He also participated in arbitrations and mediations of cases. Judge Woode is a member of the Washington State bar association and Ghana bar association. He is also a public arbitrator with FINRA. Judge Woode has spoken at international arbitration conferences in Accra, Ghana, and Diani Kenya. He has published articles in the area of international arbitration. His recent article, “The Impact of Smith v. Spizzirri on Enforcement of International Arbitration Agreements and Awards Falling Under The New York Convention in The United States” will be published in the Spring of 2025. The citation and a link to the article and will be made available to the public at that time. Judge Woode holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from The American University, Washington College of Law; a Juris Doctorate degree (J.D.) from Seattle University School of Law; Qualifying Certificate of Law (Q.C.L.) from the Ghana School of Law; and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the University of Ghana.

Bruce W. Bennett, Esq., CPA

Atlanta, Georgia

Bruce is a Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has been a full-time arbitrator and mediator for over twelve years. He is a distinguished neutral for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution, the American Arbitration Association, and the American Health Law Association. He was a financial executive at two Fortune 500 companies before practicing law independently and providing services as a neutral. He has mediated numerous complex cases and served as a chair, wing, or solo arbitrator on matters involving commercial, employment, franchise, healthcare, and international disputes.

Mary Barzee Flores

Miami, Florida

Mary Barzee Flores, FCIArb, is a retired Florida Circuit Court Judge who brings over 30 years of judicial and legal experience to complex commercial, construction, employment, and healthcare disputes. She serves as an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association (since 2015), the International Center for Dispute Resolution, and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution. She has frequently served as the sole arbitrator or as chair of the Tribunal and has managed a wide range of arbitration matters. She is a Fellow in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.