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Current position: International Counsel, Mediator and Arbitrator. Mediations are primarily in the international commercial area. Have also advised host government on mediation of investor-state claims. Served as official delegate to signing events for the UN Convention on International Settlements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Convention), Singapore, August 2019.
As a Brazilian resident I am in Brazil regularly so am available to conduct mediations there. My wife Prof. Nazareth Serpa, the first private mediator in Brazil, is available for co-mediations if requested.
Fluent in English and Portuguese, business proficient in Spanish and have mediated in these languages. Russian and French are intermediate, with an understanding of Russian history & culture and experience working with Russian parties in mediations and official and private negotiations. Basic Italian.
Background: Private practice and 15 years as in-house counsel as follows:
Of Counsel, Veirano Advogados, Rio de Janeiro/São Paulo/Brasília and Diaz Reus, Miami.
Director, Legal & Government Affairs/Latin America & Canada, 3Com, Santa Clara, CA, and Miami, FL, USA. Geographic responsibility also included Western Europe (UK, France, Netherlands, Spain) on selected large projects.
Legal Director/Latin America, Oracle, Redwood Shores, CA and Miami, FL, USA
Director, Legal & Government Affairs/Latin America/Caribbean and Senior Legal Adviser for Russia, Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, MA and South Florida, USA.
Legal Adviser, Bank of Boston Law Dept., International Group, Boston, MA, USA
Attorney pro bono, Environmental Division, Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, Boston, MA, USA
More information at http://www.paulemason.info
Arranged and participated in the world’s first international mediation by videoconference in 2006, for an ICDR case resolved successfully between Brazilian and U.S. multinational parties.
September 2020: Mediated AAA aviation case via Zoom.
- 2018: Mediated dispute between Brazilian multinational and Central American seller in the agribusiness sector (ICDR/Miami).
- 2018: Mediated dispute between Japanese, Taiwanese and U.S. companies in the personal care products distribution sector (ICDR/Los Angeles).
- 2017: Mediated settlement of dispute between Russian and British companies in the aviation sector (Florida courts/Miami).
- 2013 and 2014: Co-mediated several Brazilian domestic disputes in Portuguese with successful outcomes.
- 2011: Mediated settlement of aircraft charter dispute between Costa Rican and U.S. companies (ICDR/NY).
- 2010: Mediated settlement of shipping dispute between Russian agribusiness and U.S. shipping companies. Mediation conducted in English with Russian and Ukrainian documents.
- 2009: Mediated settlement of multimillion dollar complex arbitration on business interruption reinsurance for loss of use of large electrical generators in Central America. We had 11 participants from six different companies and countries. Mediation conducted in Spanish and English (ICC/Paris).
- 2007: Mediated multimillion dollar post - M&A arbitration case on oil spill and tax liabilities between Brazilian mining company and large U.S. oil company. Partially settled with the remainder going to arbitration. Mediation conducted in Portuguese and English (ICDR/NY)
- 2006: Acted as counsel in mediation of Brazilian energy project financing dispute. Case settled by mediation using videoconferencing at my initiative as counsel. This was the first successful international commercial mediation conducted by videoconference, with sites in Brazil and the U.S. (ICDR/NY)
- 2005: Mediated multimillion dollar reinsurance case on bond for Argentine government contract between large U.S. and Argentine reinsurance companies. Settled successfully. Mediation conducted in English and Spanish. (U.S. Federal Court/Miami).
- 1988 - 1994: As in-house counsel, conducted numerous informal internal mediations in disputes between departments and groups of large multinational company in Latin America, Russia and U.S.
- 1983: Mediated settlement of U.S.$50 million case involving environmental liability for underground gasoline spill between eight large multinational oil companies and local community.
Flexibility is a key to successful mediation, listening to the parties' input and having them participate actively in the process. I use a combination of styles, depending on the situation.
Specialize in complex international commercial cases, several over U.S. $1 million, some with multiple parties. Sectors include agribusiness, aviation, energy (oil & gas, electrical, etc.), environmental, food, insurance & reinsurance, public bids, shipping, technology, art & cultural property, travel. Parties from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras, Germany, Japan, Nicaragua, Panama, Russian Federation, Taiwan, U.K., U.S. Several mediations conducted bilingually in English, Portuguese and Spanish, with understanding of the cultural issues involved. Mediated international commercial cases for the ICC/Paris, ICDR/New York and U.S. Federal Court in Miami.
Extensive experience with international commercial arbitration as well, primarily as arbitrator and occasionally as counsel. Arbitrated first international dispute in 1986 between Spanish and U.S. companies. Arbitrated or acted as counsel in arbitrations in these sectors: Aerospace, oil & gas, energy, project finance, medical technology, financial markets & investments, mergers & acquisitions, reinsurance, construction, product import-export and distribution (steel, sophisticated wood products etc.), telecommunications, information technology, internet & e-commerce, intellectual property, outsourcing, and sports marketing. Parties from Argentina, Australia, Brazil (numerous), Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Honduras, India, Malaysia, Norway, Panama, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela.
Conducted arbitrations under the auspices of the ICC, LCIA, ICDR and WIPO/Geneva. This arbitration experience is helpful for mediation because many international commercial contracts have combined med-arb clauses whereby disputes not settled by mediation then go to binding arbitration. A mediator who understands how international arbitration works will be able to help guide the parties in mediation with a better understanding of their BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) via arbitration if they do not settle in mediation.
Quotation upon request
Founder and former Co-Director, IMI-Brazil; Mediator, Singapore International Mediation Centre; Florence International Mediation Chamber (FIMC); Panels of Mediators and Arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Art (CAfA) of the Netherlands Art Institute; AAA and ICDR Panels of Mediators; ICC/Paris Mediator and Arbitrator; WIPO/Geneva General Intellectual Property Panel of Neutrals and ICOM/WIPO Panel on Art & Cultural Property Disputes; Mediator and Member of Mediation Commission, Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce/São Paulo,