Year: 2017

Bellanne (“Belle”) Meltzer Toren, B.A.S., J.D., ICD.D has more than 32 years of experience in the petroleum industry and has worked as a general counsel as well as a lawyer (admitted in Texas and Alberta) or negotiator on projects in over 21 countries. She obtained her ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors in July 2017. “[T]he ICD.D designation represents a lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom, a desire to stay current, and to be a more effective director.”

Since 2009, she maintains her own practice as an international petroleum consultant in Canmore, Alberta, which included serving as the chief legal officer for Central European Petroleum Ltd and working on projects in Germany and Sub-Sahara Africa. From September 2006 to the end of 2008, she has worked in the Calgary office of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP on Tanzania and Mozambique projects.

Prior to moving to Canada, Toren was VP Legal of Triton Energy Ltd., listed on the NYSE and located in Dallas, which was acquired by Hess Corporation in 2001. At Triton, she worked on many projects, including projects in Europe, Ecuador, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea and Malaysia-Thailand. Also, at Hess as Director of International Negotiations, she was responsible for negotiating its entry into offshore Ghana. She developed her legal skills at Thompson & Knight LLP in Dallas.

Toren is a past Director (1995 – 2001) and President (1999-2000) of the AIPN, a member of the Executive Committee of the AIPN’s Canada Chapter and serves on drafting committees. She is an active member of the ABA, a past participant on ILEX trips to Tanzania, Rwanda, Cuba and Ecuador and is the Senior Advisor to International Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She is a director of the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation and chair of its Development Fund Committee, which operates the Town of Canmore’s arts center.

Her zest for global travel includes being an avid runner and hiker. In 2017, she ran the Marathon of Afghanistan. Click here to view photos from her trip to Afghanistan. She has also participated in numerous international treks, including Kilimanjaro.

Kim Talus is a Professor of European Economic and Energy Law at University of Eastern Finland Law School and the Director of the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law. He also serves as a Professor of Energy Law at the University of Helsinki. In January of 2018, Talus will join Tulane University as the inaugural holder of the James McCulloch Chair in Energy Law and become the founding director of the new Tulane Center for Energy Law. Talus’ extensive experience in research and consultancy has centered around international, comparative and European energy law. He has authored and co-authored articles in more than 120 publications, including the AIPN research paper “Long-Term Natural Gas Contracts and Antitrust Law in the European Union and the United States”. Talus’ work has awarded him with many recognitions, including The Willoughby Prize in 2005, for outstanding article published in the Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law. In addition to his written work, Talus frequently speaks at international conferences. He has held teaching positions at University College London, University of Houston and University of Bonn. He is the Editor-in-Chief for Oil, Gas and Energy Law (OGEL), and a member of the Editorial Board for AIPN’s Journal of World Energy Law and Business, published by Oxford University Press. He works frequently with companies, public authorities and governments in various areas of energy law and policy. His recent assignments relate to EU and international law aspects of large-scale infrastructure investments, upstream oil and gas as well as investment disputes. From 2010 to 2012, Talus served as a member of AIPN’s Australia-Pacific Chapter Organizing Committee. He has also served on AIPN’s Education Advisory Board (EAB) since 2015.

Dario G. Lamanna is an Argentinian Attorney. He has an LLM in Oil and Gas Law and an MBA in Business Administration. He holds Degrees in the Senior Management Program (PAD), and in the Management Development Program (PDD), as well as the CICA executive program at IPADE Business School, Pan-American University. He specializes in oil & gas, energy and merger and acquisitions. His practice is focused on Latin American transactions. He advised several companies on contract negotiations and regulatory matters. Mr. Lamanna served as Board of Directors Member, Latin America Regional Chapter Alternate Director   and Mexico Sub-Chapter Director of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators. He is a University professor and speaker at several congresses and conferences on oil and gas in LatAm. Author of diverse papers and publications and contributor to international newspapers and magazines, such as Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law; Oil, Gas and Energy Law (OGEL); Globe Law and Business, and Petroleum Magazine. Wrote the book: “Regime of Hydrocarbons in Latin America”, published by Editorial Ábaco de Rodolfo Depalma SRL, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2007 (prologue by Andrew B. Derman, Partner, Thompson & Knight LLP), among others. He is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA); Latin American Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA), Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN); and Member of the Board of the UEF Energy Law Review of the Centre for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law, University of Eastern Finland. Distinctions and Awards: “AIPN Member of the Year 2015-2016”, Houston, May 2016. Languages: Spanish, English and Portuguese.