Managing-Partner
Bertha
Cooper-Rousseau
Bertha has been recognised as pioneering efforts for arbitration legislative reform in The Bahamas and alternative dispute resolution capacity building throughout the Caribbean in collaboration with institutions such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID”) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
Bertha has advised clients for almost three decades on complex corporate, finance, insurance, maritime, real estate, and trust matters, and was counsel for a leading international bank for twelve years. Most notably, she has been appointed as an arbitrator for several ICSID annulment proceedings
Education and qualifications
Certified Investor-State Mediator, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
Successful on General Securities Representative Examination (Series 7 exam), US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
LL.B. (Hons.), University of London
Maritime law, Université de Bretagne Occidentale
B.A. and M.A., Institut Libre d’Etude des Relations Internationales
French language studies, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Admissions
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
England & Wales
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
Languages
English
French
Appointments
Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Council member, responsible for the Caribbean and the Americas (2019-2021)
International Bar Association, Officer of the Mediation Committee, Newsletter Editor (2017-2018)
Consultant to The Bahamas Ministry of Financial Services on the legislative and institutional development of international and domestic arbitration in The Bahamas (2015-2016)
Director of The Bahamas Maritime Authority (2012-2016)
Panels
Main Panel for Senior Arbitrators & Panel of Emergency Arbitrators, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC).
Arbitrator & Conciliator at The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Nominated by the Govt. of The Bahamas.
The Insurance Commission of The Bahamas Arbitral Tribunal
British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre Panel of Arbitrators
Selected as one of fifteen arbitrators pursuant to CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Panels of Conciliators and Arbitrators
Affiliations and membership
London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA)
Miami International Arbitration Society (MIAS)
International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA)
Founding Member of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (Bahamas)
International Bar Association (IBA)
Master of the Bench at The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
Founding Chair of The Bahamas Chapter & Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association, (WISTA) – Bahamas Chapter Vice President
Academy for Professional Family Mediators (APFM)