Mr. Cao is a senior partner of Hui Zhong Law Firm and currently practices at its Beijing office.

Professional experience
Mr. Cao specializes in the areas of commercial arbitration and litigation. Mr. Cao is an arbitrator with the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Committee (CIETAC) and a member of its expert panel, a mediator with CCPIT/CCOIC Mediation Center, and a mediator with US-China Business Mediation Center. He has represented both Chinese and foreign clients in over a hundred arbitrations and litigation commercial cases before Chinese and international arbitral tribunals as well as PRC courts at various levels up to the Supreme People’s Court. As a senior arbitrator approved by CIETAC, Mr. Cao has handled hundreds of arbitration cases over thirty years of practice. In the majority of the cases, he acts as the presiding arbitrator and is highly appraised for his professionalism. A number of cases in which Mr. Cao acts as presiding arbitrator are very influential and have been selected as demonstration cases by CIETAC. Further, Mr. Cao used to be an associate professor of the University of International Business & Economics. He was also a visiting scholar of the Law School, Loyola University from 1990 to 1991. From 1984 to 1985, 1991 to 1993, he studied at the Queen’s University, Canada and obtained his LLM degree.

Sumeet Kachwaha is the founding partner of Kachwaha & Partners, having a leading dispute resolution and arbitration practice. He has handled many landmark and high-stake matters and cross-border disputes.

Sumeet has been appointed sole arbitrator by the High Court of Delhi in several arbitrations. He has also served as amicus curiae to the High Court of Delhi in two matters and has stood in as an expert witness on Indian law in the courts of England and Singapore.

Mr Kachwaha has been ranked in Band 1 in the arbitration section of Chambers Asia since 2009. He is named as a “leading individual” in The Legal 500: Asia Pacific for dispute resolution. He features in the arbitration, asset recovery, construction, government contracts and procurement titles of Who’s Who Legal.

Mr Kachwaha currently serves as vice president of the Asia-Pacific Regional Arbitration Group (APRAG). He also serves on the six-member advisory board of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA) now known as Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC). He served as the chair of the dispute resolution and arbitration section of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) for three years.

Publications include: “The White Industries Australia Limited: India BIT Award – A Critical Assessment”, Arbitration International, Vol 29, Issue 2, pp 275–293 (2013); “Interim Relief: Comments on the UNCITRAL Amendments and the Indian Perspective”, Yearbook on International Arbitration, Vol III, pp 155–161 (2013); “Enforcement of Arbitration Awards in India”, Asian International Arbitration Journal, Kluwer (2008); “The Indian Arbitration Law: Towards a New Jurisprudence”, International Arbitration Law Review, Sweet & Maxwell (2007); and “Arbitration Law of India – A Critical Analysis”, Asian International Arbitration Journal, Kluwer (2005).

Mr. Kachwaha had served in the Panel of Arbitrators of AIAC (formerly KLRCA); SIAC; CIETAC; HKIAC; Singapore Institute of Arbitrators; Indian Council of Arbitration and Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration.

Nigel N. T. Li received LL.M. degrees from Harvard in 1983 and National Taiwan University in 1980, after obtaining an LL.B. degree from Soochow University in 1977. In addition to his role as a practicing attorney specializing in dispute resolution and arbitration, media law, human and civil rights, international litigation and constitutional law, he is also an adjunct professor at both the Graduate School of Law of Soochow University and the Department of Political Science of National Taiwan University. He teaches Constitutional Law, Human Rights, ADR and International Arbitration.
Serving as Chairman of the Arbitration Association of Chinese Taipei from 2007 to 2014, Nigel has made considerable effort in raising the quality of transnational arbitration and has contributed greatly to cross-strait and international exchanges. At the same time, he is also registered as an arbitrator of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission.
Over the years, Nigel has dedicated himself to pro bono work. He was President of the Taipei Bar Association and sits on the Board of the Judicial Reform Foundation. His determination to preserve human rights and justice has led to his ardent involvement in numerous cases applying for the Grand Justices' interpretation of the Constitution and his appointment as a Member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Human Rights.

David W. Rivkin is Co-Chair of Debevoise & Plimpton’s International Dispute Resolution Group and Immediate Past President of the International Bar Association (IBA). Mr. Rivkin is consistently ranked as one of the top international dispute resolution practitioners and international lawyers in the world. He has handled international arbitrations throughout the world and before virtually every major arbitration institution, and he has won some of the largest investment treaty and commercial arbitration awards. Subjects of these arbitrations have included long-term energy and natural resources concessions, investment treaties, joint venture agreements, financial issues, insurance coverage, construction contracts, distribution agreements and intellectual property, among others, and they have involved common law, civil law, and Islamic law systems. He also represents companies in transnational litigation in the US, including the enforcement of arbitral awards and arbitration agreements. He was the first American to serve as IBA President in 25 years. He has authored many articles and frequently spoken about international arbitration and litigation, and in his role as IBA President about such topics as business and human rights, judicial integrity, climate change justice and the important role of lawyers in preserving the rule of law. Mr. Rivkin has served in leadership roles in arbitration institutions on five continents, including formerly the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, and he sits on many arbitration panels. In 2012, the American Lawyer’s Am Law Litigation Daily named Mr. Rivkin one of two “Global Lawyers of the Year.” In 2011, the National Law Journal named him one of the country’s “Most Influential Attorneys.”

Mary Thomson, Chartered Arbitrator, Barrister, Mediator and Adjudicator, Former Solicitor of Pacific Chambers, Hong Kong, 36 Stone Chambers, London & Singapore.

Mary started her career in London. After qualifying as a barrister, she worked in the transport and insurance industry before returning to private practice and requalifying as a solicitor. She practiced at solicitors’ firms in London and Hong Kong for 25 years and has conducted litigation in the High Courts of England and Hong Kong including to the highest appeal courts. Mary’s extensive experience spans the financial, insurance, transport, energy, commodities, construction, IT and manufacturing sectors. In 2013, Mary joined the Hong Kong Bar and rejoined the English Bar to become self-employed and independent as she was increasingly being appointed as an arbitrator and mediator.

Mary has been involved in arbitration since her early years in London, conducting ad hoc as well as institution administered arbitrations including LMAA, ICC, Uncitral, HKIAC, SIAC, SCMA, SCMA and CIETAC Rules. She has been appointed arbitrator since 1996, including pursuant to “commercial men” clauses. She is on the panel of arbitrators of CIARB, LCIA, SIAC, DIAC, HKIAC, CIETAC, KCAB, KLRCA, CAA, HKMAG, APRAG and SCMA. She regularly sits in arbitrations in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Mary regularly judges at Vis East international arbitration moots including at the Finals in 2015.

Mary has mediated large international commercial disputes in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai.

Mary is the current Chair of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (East Asia Branch), Chair of ARIAS Asia, Member of ICC Commission on Arbitration and member of the Advisory Committee on the promotion of Arbitration, Hong Kong Department of Justice.

Mr. Philip Yang has been a full-time arbitrator for well over 30 years, mainly in international trade, shipping and commercial disputes. He has published/issued over 600 arbitration awards as a sole or co-arbitrator. Mr. Yang is the Honorary Chairman of the HKIAC, the member of the International Advisory Board of CIETAC, the member of the International Advisory Board of Asian International Arbitration Centre, the Committee Member of International Arbitration Committee of KCAB, the member of the General Committee of SCMA, the immediate past Vice-Chairman of the BIMCO Documentary Committee, the Past President of the APRAG, and the past Hong Kong Representative of ICC International Court of Arbitration. He has published many books and a lot of articles on international trade, shipping and arbitration related topics/matters.