Willem C. Vis Moot

Joining the Willem C. Vis Moot team at FIU Law offers several compelling reasons:

1. International Exposure: The Vis Moot provides a unique opportunity for FIU Law students to engage with peers from around the world. You’ll meet students from diverse legal backgrounds, learn about their legal cultures, and build lasting connections.
2. Career Advancement: Many Vis Moot participants secure internships at leading international law firms. By participating, you gain practical experience in arbitration, which can be a great head start for your legal career. You’ll also have exclusive access to behind-the-scenes insights from experienced lawyers.
3. Networking: The Vis Moot is one of the largest social events for law students globally. During the week of oral hearings in Vienna and Hong Kong, you’ll have the chance to network with fellow students, coaches, and arbitrators. These connections can open doors for future opportunities.
4. Skill Development: As part of the Vis Moot team, you’ll learn to resolve international commercial disputes through arbitration. You’ll hone your advocacy skills, engage in legal research, and gain practical insights into contract-related sales transactions.
5. Invaluable Experience: Whether participating as an oralist or a researcher, the Vis Moot offers an intensely rewarding experience. It empowers you to grow, connect, and improve within the field of arbitration.

So, if you’re passionate about international arbitration, international law, oral advocacy, legal research and comparative law, and want to enhance your legal career, consider joining the Willem C. Vis Moot team at FIU Law! As a participant, you’ll engage in rigorous research, oral advocacy, and teamwork!

At the helm of the Willem C. Vis Moot team at FIU Law are dedicated coaches who bring practical insights and enthusiasm to our program. Their commitment to fostering excellence in arbitration advocacy has helped our students succeed in the Vis Moot competition and professionally.

• Professor Manuel Gómez is a renowned expert in international commercial arbitration. With years of experience, he has participated in complex cross-border disputes and has contributed significantly to the field. His guidance and mentorship have been invaluable to our Vis Moot team throughout the years. He is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Global Engagement at Florida International University College of Law. He specializes in international dispute resolution, comparative civil procedure, and complex litigation. Professor Gómez is a founding Board Member of the Miami International Arbitration Society (MIAS) and leads the Law School Liaison Committee of the International Law Section (ILS) of the Florida Bar.  He leads the Latin America & Caribbean Group and is a member of the Initiative on International Arbitration, Mediation and Blockchain-Based Transactions of the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC) and a member of the Academic Council at the Institute of Transnational Arbitration (ITA).  Professor Gómez is the Editor-in-Chief of the World Arbitration and Mediation Review (WAMR) and serves on the editorial board of other prominent journals. Professor Gómez is the author, editor or co-editor of numerous publications in the field of dispute resolution and governance and the globalization of the legal profession.
• Marc R. Labgold, Ph.D. is a registered U.S. patent attorney with over 30 years of experience as lead counsel in patent litigations and international commercial arbitrations. His expertise spans both legal domains, making him a valuable asset to clients in complex disputes. Labgold specializes in patent litigation, representing clients in cases related to patent infringement, theft of trade secrets, unfair competition, and breach of contract. He has handled more than 60 patent cases, including trials in Federal District Courts across the United States. His experience extends to appellate arguments before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Ninth Circuit, as well as practice before the U.S. International Trade Commission.  Dr. Labgold serves as lead counsel in international arbitration proceedings. He has achieved awards as high as US$475,000,000 for his clients. His work involves arbitrations in various global cities, including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and New York. These arbitrations cover a wide range of agreements, such as OEM agreements, EPC contracts, industrial construction contracts, distribution agreements, license agreements, and joint development agreements.  Beyond counsel work, Dr. Labgold is also an independent international commercial arbitrator. He is listed on panels of various institutions, including the ICDR Panel of Arbitrators, AIAC Panel of Arbitrators, THAC Panel of Arbitrators, WIPO List of Neutrals, and AIPLA List of Arbitrators and Mediators. His expertise extends to disputes involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, and misappropriation of trade secrets.  Dr. Labgold is an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University, College of Law (FIU), where he teaches international commercial arbitration, serves as a Coach for FIU’s International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team, and publishes on issues pertinent to international arbitration.
• Megan C. Labgold is a registered U.S. patent attorney specializing in patent litigation and international commercial arbitration. Her expertise spans both legal domains, making her a valuable asset to clients in complex disputes. Megan counsels multinational clients on issues related to freedom-to-operate, infringement, invalidity, and enforceability. She actively participates in cases before United States District Courts and appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Her experience in patent litigation includes handling more than 60 patent cases, including trials across the U.S. and appellate arguments.  Megan’s unparalleled experience extends to international commercial arbitration. She has served as counsel in arbitration proceedings under various institutional rules, including the ICC, FAA, and HKIAC, as well as ad hoc proceedings. She has played substantive roles in numerous high-value international arbitrations, participating in hearings seated in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and New York. Additionally, she has served as a Tribunal Secretary in a complex arbitration involving claims of patent infringement, breach of confidentiality, and misappropriation of trade secrets.  Megan actively supports the international commercial arbitration community. She is an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University, College of Law (FIU), where she teaches international commercial arbitration, serves as a Coach for FIU’s International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team, and publishes on issues pertinent to international arbitration. She earned her J.D. from FIU, graduating cum laude, and holds a B.A. in Biology from West Virginia University.  Her contributions to the legal field and commitment to excellence make her a respected figure in the legal community.

• Megan C. Labgold is a registered U.S. patent attorney specializing in patent litigation and international commercial arbitration. Her expertise spans both legal domains, making her a valuable asset to clients in complex disputes.  Megan counsels multinational clients on issues related to freedom-to-operate, infringement, invalidity, and enforceability. She actively participates in cases before United States District Courts and appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Her experience in patent litigation includes handling more than 60 patent cases, including trials across the U.S. and appellate arguments.  Megan’s unparalleled experience extends to international commercial arbitration. She has served as counsel in arbitration proceedings under various institutional rules, including the ICC, FAA, and HKIAC, as well as ad hoc proceedings. She has played substantive roles in numerous high-value international arbitrations, participating in hearings seated in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and New York. Additionally, she has served as a Tribunal Secretary in a complex arbitration involving claims of patent infringement, breach of confidentiality, and misappropriation of trade secrets.  Megan actively supports the international commercial arbitration community. She is an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University, College of Law (FIU), where she teaches international commercial arbitration, serves as a Coach for FIU’s International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team, and publishes on issues pertinent to international arbitration. She earned her J.D. from FIU, graduating cum laude, and holds a B.A. in Biology from West Virginia University.  Her contributions to the legal field and commitment to excellence make her a respected figure in the legal community.
• Kristin Drecktrah Paz is a litigator with more than a decade of experience focusing on international commercial arbitration under the auspices of all major arbitral institutions and pursuant to diverse rules, investment arbitration, domestic arbitration, and international and complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. Having tried cases from inception to trial and final hearing in arbitration, she is committed to helping her clients navigate their complicated issues with strategic vision and acumen. Kristin has experience handling complex international and domestic disputes in a wide range of industries, among them energy and natural resources, construction, financial services, and technology. She counsels clients in their matters involving sophisticated contract disputes, business torts, partner and shareholder disputes, and deceptive and unfair trade practices. She has experience prosecuting and defending claims against sovereign states and state-owned enterprises in arbitration and federal court. Kristin has experience counseling clients and working on matters in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.  As one of 35 attorneys, among them only 5 women, board certified by The Florida Bar in International Litigation and Arbitration, Kristin currently serves as Chair of the International Litigation and Arbitration Certification Committee. She is a Past President of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (MDFAWL), in addition to holding active roles in the Executive Council of The Florida Bar International Law Section.
• William O. Diab is an associate on the firm's Dispute Resolution Team and Construction Law practice. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and construction litigation in state, federal and appellate courts, as well as institutional arbitration. William represents institutional clients and investors in business frauds, partnership disputes, and breaches of fiduciary duties. William also represents developers, design professionals and general contractors in claims for construction defects and delays, design professional liability, government bid protests, and appeals. He is regularly called to use his foresight in litigation and risk mitigation to counsel clients throughout the various phases of construction projects and advise on the drafting and negotiation of complex, multi-tiered construction contracts, modifications, and other project emergencies.
• Adam G. Gutin is a shareholder at Nason Yeager. Mr. Gutin works primarily in the real estate and lender representation practice groups. His practice includes representing local, state and national owners and developers in all aspects of the purchase and sale, financing, due diligence review, land planning and development of real property; representing local, state and national landlords and tenants in all aspects of leasing; preparing and negotiating all types of land planning and use documents, including declarations of covenants, access agreements and easements; and preparing and negotiating construction contracts and other real estate related business and corporate contracts. Prior to obtaining his Juris Doctor degree, Mr. Gutin worked for Banyan Realty Advisors, LLC, a pension fund advisor specializing in real estate investment and property management. While there, Mr. Gutin analyzed multifamily, office, retail, and fractional ownership real estate transactions on behalf of private and institutional clients; assisted in providing asset management services to several properties throughout the United States; and negotiated commercial leases.
• Christopher Kokoruda is is a member of the Public Health Trust section of the Miami Dade County Attorney’s Office. Chris advises the Public Health Trust on general counsel-type matters relating to a broad range of issues including health care compliance, the Physician Self-Referral Law (Stark Law), the False Claims Act (FCA), the Anti-kickback Statute (AKS), the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, antitrust, hospital and hospital program licensure, Certificate of Need (CON), Medicare and Medicaid, complex physician practice arrangements and affiliations, issues relating to academic medical centers, among others.  Chris also advises on physician medical staff and quality of care issues, policy matters and regulatory requirements, including credentialing, peer review, as well as adult and pediatric bioethics. Prior to joining the County Attorney's Office, Chris was in private practice where he focused on complex commercial litigation and international arbitration, representing both U.S. and foreign multinational companies.  As a Dean's Scholar Scholarship recipient, he earned his J.D. summa cum laude and graduated first in his class from Florida International University College of Law. While in law school he served as Editor-in-Chief of the FIU Law Review and was the recipient of the College of Law's Outstanding Contribution for Publications Award. As a law student, Chris received CALI Book Awards for Excellence in International Commercial Arbitration, Contracts, Legal Research and Writing, Evidence, Pre-Trial Advocacy, Bankruptcy, Federal Courts, Insurance Law, Land Use Law, U.S. Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, and Florida Constitutional Law.
• Laura Maxwell is a member of the Real Estate Practice in Greenberg Traurig’s West Palm Beach office. She represents clients in virtually all aspects of real estate, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing, leasing, and development and has handled land acquisitions for home building. Prior to joining the firm, Laura worked for the captive law firm of a national, private equity real estate investment firm, and while attending law school, Laura worked in-house as a corporate and securities paralegal for a publicly traded national home builder.
• Marcus Antonio Nielsen is a Florida native whose practice focuses on commercial litigation and arbitration. Mr. Nielsen’s past legal experience includes commercial litigation, international arbitration, bankruptcy, transactional business law, personal injury, insurance insolvency, and insurance coverage. Prior to law school, Mr. Nielsen served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army, Infantry. After graduating from United States Army Airborne School, and Ranger School, Mr. Nielsen served during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.  After serving in the U.S. Army, Mr. Nielsen attended Florida International University College of Law and Business where he obtained both a Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration. During his time at FIU, Mr. Nielsen was a senior member of the International Commercial Arbitration team and competed in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in both Vienna, Austria and Hong Kong. He was a founding member and editor of the FIU World Arbitration and Mediation Review. He also was elected by the student body as the President of the Student Bar Association. While attending FIU, Mr. Nielsen gained experience clerking in positions involving personal injury, commercial litigation, immigration law, transactional business law, and criminal law.
• Katherine Sanoja is Counsel at GST, LLP. She graduated magna cum laude with a J.D. from Florida International University College of Law. Her practice concentrates on international dispute resolution through international arbitration and litigation. She primarily advises States and State entities in matters before ICSID and its additional facility, as well as before commercial arbitration institutions, including AAA, ICDR, ICC, etc.  She has served as counsel or acted as secretary to tribunals in arbitrations administered by international arbitral institutions, including the ICC, ICDR, LCIA, ICSID, and PCA, in proceedings conducted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.  Sanoja also has represented clients before state and federal courts throughout the USA representing individuals and companies in various types of commercial litigation, including litigation related to the enforcement of arbitration awards and 1782 discovery requests, and in all stages of trial and appeal.
• Ana R. Ulseth is an associate in Reed Smith’s Global Commercial Disputes Group. She focuses her practice on international dispute resolution across a myriad of sectors. Her practice encompasses complex litigation matters in state and federal courts as well as international commercial and investment arbitrations. Ana has experience with international arbitrations under various institutional arbitral rules including but not limited to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Prior to joining Reed Smith, Ana practiced international dispute resolution as an international litigation and arbitration associate for top-ranked Am Law firms; she worked in the business and legal department of a mass media and entertainment company; and she developed and taught college-level public speaking workshops focused on international relations concepts for a local public university. Ana served as a guest lecturer at Florida International University’s College of Law, where she taught courses on various complex, international dispute resolution topics. She also served as arbitrator for the university’s Vis Moot arbitration team practices. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Ana is a native Spanish speaker.
• Andrea Vega Travieso is an associate attorney at Kennedys Law LLP’s Miami office. She advises and litigates different types of matters, including commercial litigation, data privacy and security (including breach response, compliance under such laws as CCPA, HIPAA), commercial general liability, contractual indemnification, property damage, bad faith, and insurance coverage matters in these areas including media and cyber liability. Andrea also litigates actions in state and federal courts nationwide involving a variety of substantive and procedural issues and has substantial experience in defending commercial and personal injury matters. Andrea was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. At 18 years-old, Andrea moved to Miami, Florida to later graduate cum laude with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Florida International University. Later, she worked for several years as an HR Associated in Paris, France; and as a Recruiting Manager and General Manager for businesses in Florida.  Following her undergraduate studies, Andrea obtained her Juris Doctor from Florida International University School of Law in 2018 and was admitted this same year into the Florida Bar. During law school Andrea was involved in numerous activities such as being the Vice President of the International Dispute Resolution Club, attending direct and cross examination in the arbitration setting, and a lead-member of the International Commercial Arbitration Team competing in one of the biggest competitions, the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna and Hong Kong, as well as competing in Spanish for the “Competencia Internacional de Arbitraje” in Argentina. Andrea also interned as a law clerk for an international trade law firm and for FIU’s Community Lawyering Clinic and served as a Research Assistant for FIU’s Associate Dean of International Studies.