Chaffetz Lindsey Moves to 505 Fifth Avenue

August 2011 – After completing the renovation of its new office space, Chaffetz Lindsey has relocated to 505 Fifth Avenue, as of August 1, 2011. While its old premises at 1350 Avenue of the Americas provided a perfect platform for launching the firm in May 2009, subsequent growth made a move inevitable.

After looking at various options, the firm’s partners decided to stay in Midtown and to relocate to a space that provided room for further expansion. Gregg Espach and Douglas Levine of UGL Services – Equis Operations aided the firm in finding the new space. The office is convenient for New York-based clients and is close to several hotels for international visitors.

505 Fifth Avenue is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, diagonally across from the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. Information about the building is available here. Please click here for directions to the new office.

All other contact information for the firm remains unchanged.

December 2009 — Our administrative and paralegal staff has grown since we launched in May 2009 with two staff members. The team now includes Douglas Gibson, Amy Wilkins, Andrew Schlesinger, Sophia Mutungi, and Pamela Schwartz:

Douglas Gibson, our Firm Administrator and Paralegal Manager, is an original member of the Chaffetz Lindsey team. Doug has more than 15 years of law firm experience. He spent 6 years as a case manager at Clifford Chance and prior to that he was with Herrick Feinstein LLP and White and Case LLP. Doug received a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Washington. He received an M.A. from Columbia University in Anthropology.

Amy Wilkins also joined the firm when we opened. Amy joined after more than 8 ½ years at Clifford Chance. She has more than 12 years experience as a legal secretary and paralegal. She received her Associates Degree in Applied Science, Paralegal Technology, from Brookdale Community College.

Andrew Schlesinger joined the firm in May 2009. Andy graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University in 2008, where he received the David B. Truman Alumni Award and earned Honorable Mention in the competition for the Louis Sudler Prize in Arts. Andy graduated with B.A. degrees in both Urban Studies (Economics Specialization) and Creative Writing.

Sophia Mutungi joined Chaffetz Lindsey in December 2009. Sophie grew up in Kenya and moved to the United States in 2000. She graduated from Smith College in May 2009 with a Major in Government (Concentration in International Relations and Comparative Politics) and a Minor in Sociology.

Pamela Schwartz also joined us in December 2009. Pam graduated with a dual major in English and History from New York University in May 2009. She was a paralegal assistant at Morrison & Foerster, LLP just prior to joining Chaffetz Lindsey. She has worked as a Court Observer for the Detainee Working Group of the NYU National Lawyers Guild.

July 2010 – Chaffetz Lindsey is pleased to announce the addition of two new associates:  Boris Ayala and Erin Valentine.

Boris Ayala joins Chaffetz Lindsey from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where he worked as a litigation associate since October 2006.  Boris has substantial experience representing clients in complex litigation matters.  Prior to law school, from 1999 through 2003, he worked in various positions at the United Nations.  Boris is fluent in French and Spanish.  He is a 2006 graduate of New York University Law School, where he was a Notes Editor of the New York University Law Review.  He graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1999.

Erin Valentine was previously an associate with the International Justice Network, where she represented clients in habeas proceedings at both the trial and appellate court level.  Erin was a summer associate with Clifford Chance LLP.  She graduated in 2009 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was a James Wilson Scholar, a Senior Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, and the recipient of the Blank Rome Alvin Ackerman Prize.  Erin graduated in 2004 from the University of California – Irvine.

July 2011 – Chaffetz Lindsey associate Matthew Draper has been appointed a member of the Steering Committee of the Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF), a division of the Arbitration Committee of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB). Matthew and other members of the YAF Steering Committee focus on developing programs for young arbitration professionals (40 years and under) to enhance their arbitration skills, learn from experienced practitioners and explore current issues in international arbitration

 March 2011 – Chaffetz Lindsey co-sponsored the second Columbia Arbitration Day, which was held on March 25, 2011 at Columbia School of Law. The conference focused on “Complex Arbitrations” and featured prominent practitioners, academics and judges from the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.

The conference addressed the legal and practical challenges in arbitrations involving multiple parties, multiple contracts and parallel proceedings. Four panels addressed such issues as appointment of repeat arbitrators and conflicts of interests; res judicata, lis pendens and forum non conveniens in parallel proceedings; the respective roles of the arbitral institutions, national courts and arbitral tribunals in managing complex arbitration; and the challenges arising from enforcing or vacating awards in complex arbitrations.

Please see here for more information on the program and speakers at the 2011 Columbia Arbitration Day.

February 2011 – Chaffetz Lindsey has been shortlisted for the Small Firm of the Year award by the Global Arbitration Review. The winner will be announced at the GAR Annual Awards Dinner in Seoul, Korea, which will take place on March 3, 2011, on the eve of the International Bar Association’s 14th Arbitration Day. Partner James Hosking will be travelling to Seoul to attend the awards dinner.

The shortlists for most awards were generated by a focus group that included the GAR editorial board and around 20 other senior figures. Others were created by a public nomination process. See here for other nominees.

September 9, 2010 –  International arbitration boutique Chaffetz Lindsey is proud to be supporting the inaugural International Arbitration Charity Ball to be held at the Royal Courts Of Justice on September 9, 2009.  It will bring together hundreds of the top European and global international arbitration practitioners.  Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Save the Children Fund.  Chaffetz Lindsey partners Peter Chaffetz, David Lindsey, James Hosking and Charlie Scibetta will attend together with invited guests from London.

July 2010 – Chaffetz Lindsey is pleased to announce the addition of two new associates:  Boris Ayala and Erin Valentine.

Boris Ayala joins Chaffetz Lindsey from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where he worked as a litigation associate since October 2006.  Boris has substantial experience representing clients in complex litigation matters.  Prior to law school, from 1999 through 2003, he worked in various positions at the United Nations.  Boris is fluent in French and Spanish.  He is a 2006 graduate of New York University Law School, where he was a Notes Editor of the New York University Law Review.  He graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1999.

Erin Valentine was previously an associate with the International Justice Network, where she represented clients in habeas proceedings at both the trial and appellate court level.  Erin was a summer associate with Clifford Chance LLP.  She graduated in 2009 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was a James Wilson Scholar, a Senior Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, and the recipient of the Blank Rome Alvin Ackerman Prize.  Erin graduated in 2004 from the University of California – Irvine.

January 2010 – The Chaffetz Lindsey team continues to grow. After launching in May 2009 with nine people, our full-time team is now comprised of five partners, four associates, and five administrators and paralegals. New associate Omar Farah starts work with the firm on February 1.

Omar Farah was a litigation associate with Clifford Chance since October 2007. He has represented clients in litigation, investigation and arbitration matters. Prior to commencing his legal career, Omar worked as an Assistant Vice President at UBS | Paine Webber Inc. Omar is conversant in Arabic and has lived and studied throughout the Middle East and Africa. He graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2007 and from Columbia University in June 1999.

Omar joins current associates Karen Baswell, Andreas Frischknecht, and Yasmine Lahlou.