Year: 2026

Christopher (Chris) Gladbach is a Partner and global co-head of McDermott Will & Schulte’s Energy & Project Finance Group and is based in Washington, DC. He counsels clients on energy mergers and acquisitions (M&A), project development, tax equity, private credit, and project finance transactions.

 

He works with energy clients to structure complex equity and debt investments, advising both buyers and sellers in the power sector on M&A, joint ventures, and the development of large-scale energy projects.

 

Chris leads a task force focused on private credit lending to energy platforms and portfolios, representing market-leading private credit funds, private equity funds, and institutional investors in portfolio and platform lending and equity transactions. He understands the unique challenges and opportunities these clients face.

 

Recognized nationally for his work in the energy sector, Chris frequently speaks and writes on topics related to M&A, private equity, and institutional investments in power assets. He has been recognized by Chambers USA for Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional (2022–2026), named a Recommended lawyer by Legal 500 US (2022–2025), and ranked by IFLR1000 for Project Development (2023).
Chris is actively involved with the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), where he holds several leadership roles. Chris contributes to industry dialogue on legal, commercial, and policy developments affecting the energy sector.

 

As Co-Leader of AIEN’s New Energies working group focused on Renewable Fuels, Chris has demonstrated leadership in developing the contracting framework for an emerging energy market. He is also an active participant in the US Chapter Committee, supporting AIEN’s programming across the US energy community. In addition, Chris served as Co-Chair of the AIEN US Regional Chapter Conference on Project Bankability held in New York, shaping discussions on the financing and legal considerations behind successful energy projects.

Cleopatra Leahu is the Deputy Managing Partner at Suciu Partners law firm in Bucharest, Romania, where she brings over two decades of legal experience in international commercial law, with a primary focus on the energy and natural resources sector and international arbitration. Cleopatra has a proven track record of helping energy companies preserve their titles and successfully navigate intricate permitting processes for major new developments, often in the face of intense public and regulatory scrutiny.

 

Her extensive practice covers M&A, energy and natural resources, environmental law, infrastructure, public procurement, and dispute resolution. Cleopatra regularly acts as the lead lawyer in complex cross-border M&A transactions and contract negotiations. Her experience includes representing major international energy groups in high-stakes arbitrations, including disputes arising out of AIEN-standard Joint Operating Agreements, complex petroleum concessions, and EPSAs. She is also a frequent speaker on energy matters at industry conferences.

 

Admitted to the Bucharest Bar in 2004, Cleopatra holds a Law Degree from the University of Bucharest. She is consistently acclaimed by leading global legal directories, having been ranked for over a decade by Chambers Europe in Energy & Natural Resources, declared a “Woman Leader” by IFLR 1000, and recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Legal 500 EMEA, where clients have described her as “arguably one of the best oil and gas lawyers in the country.” She has also been nominated by GAR 100 for her arbitration practice.

 

A dedicated member of AIEN since 2018, Cleopatra currently serves as a Member of the Europe Regional Committee and as the Women Negotiators Group (WNG) Representative. In these roles, she plays a vital part in supporting regional chapter initiatives and spearheading efforts to champion female leadership and networking opportunities across the industry.

Peter McNally is Managing Counsel for Chevron Australia, based in Perth, Western Australia. He is a member of the Chevron Australia leadership team and is responsible for legal support across the company’s upstream portfolio, including the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas developments – two of Australia’s largest LNG projects. Together, these projects account for approximately 6.5% of global LNG supply and deliver around 40% of Western Australia’s domestic gas needs.

 

Peter leads Chevron Australia’s upstream legal function, providing strategic advice on major capital projects, complex regulatory frameworks, joint venture arrangements, and high-value commercial matters. He has over 25 years of experience in the energy sector and has developed deep expertise in LNG and large-scale upstream developments in Australia and internationally.

 

Since joining Chevron in 2006, Peter has supported a broad range of upstream business activities. He also served as Law Manager in Chengdu, China, from 2017 to 2021, where he led legal support for Chevron’s upstream business activities in the country.

 

Prior to joining Chevron, Peter worked at Woodside Energy Ltd and a leading national law firm.

 

He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry and Extractive Metallurgy) from Murdoch University.

 

Peter is an active member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN) and a member of the Australia-Pacific Regional Committee, contributing to the broader energy legal and commercial community.

Gabriela Bezerra Fischer is a partner at Trench Rossi Watanabe in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, focusing on the oil and gas and energy industries. With over a decade of experience advising domestic and international clients across the upstream, midstream and downstream segments, Gabriela has built a comprehensive practice that combines deep knowledge of the sector’s business, commercial and legal/regulatory specificities with hands-on experience in complex cross-border transactions.

 

Her practice covers M&A deals, joint operating agreements, farm-in and farm-out transactions, consortium structuring, and the negotiation of the full range of industry contracts. Gabriela also provides specialized regulatory advice on matters before the National Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels agency and other Brazilian authorities, and represents clients in high-profile disputes involving the oil and gas sector, including construction and public law disputes. Building on her extensive experience in the gas and biofuels sectors, Gabriela leads and advises on a wide range of projects across the full spectrum of low-carbon solutions and emerging technologies driving the energy transition. She is also an active voice in policy-making and advocacy efforts shaping the regulatory frameworks of these emerging markets.

 

Gabriela coordinates the Legal and Regulatory Affairs Committee of the Brazilian Hydrogen Association (ABH2) and is a frequent speaker on energy and infrastructure matters at industry conferences in Brazil and abroad. She regularly advises international oil companies, national oil companies, investors and service providers on cross-border projects and transactions, working closely with counterparts across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.

 

An active AIEN member since the early stages of her career, Gabriela currently serves as the Young Negotiator Representative for our Latin America & Caribbean Chapter. In this role, she helps engage and support the next generation of energy professionals across the region. She also coordinates the new energies events within Brazil and is actively involved in the Women Negotiators Group, where she leads initiatives aimed at fostering female leadership across the industry. She has also served as a mock negotiation facilitator at AIEN’s Negotiation Skills Workshop, helping to equip the next generation of professionals with the knowledge and skills required for successful deal-making.

Aboubacar Fall is a member of the Senegal Bar and a former member of the Paris Bar. He holds a PhD from University of Rouen (France), a Master’s degree from Université Paris 1- Panthéon-Sorbonne (France) and a LLM from University of Washington in Seattle (USA). He also graduated in Petroleum Policy and Management from PETRASD Institute in Stavanger (Norway).

 

For over 10 years, he has served as Principal Legal Counsel at the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group as well as President of the Management Board of the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF). He is currently the Senior Partner at AF Legal Law Firm, a full commercial law firm, with a practice, among others areas, in Banking & Finance, Project Finance, Energy, Shipping, International Investment, Natural Resources (including, Oil & Gas as well as Mining), M&A, Private Equity, Sovereign Debt Restructuring, International Arbitration etc.

 

Dr. Fall is also the co-founder of Africa Law Alliance (ALA), a group of independent business law firms from West, Central and North Africa working with the objective of serving international clients across the African continent. He holds several positions in professional associations, such as President of the Senegalese Branch of the International Law Association (ILA), Titulary Member of the Comité Maritime International (CMI). He is a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN) as well as the Energy Advisory Group, among others.

 

Dr. Fall has been a member of AIEN for over 25 years and has attended several AIEN training programs both in Houston and outside its headquarters.

 

He is a lecturer at several local and regional universities and has published extensively on international oil & gas law related topics including Upstream Law and Regulation (edited by Prof. Eduardo Pereira & Kim Talus).

Elnara Rzayeva graduated from Azerbaijan State Economic University in 2002 and began her career shortly thereafter in a finance role within the energy industry.
She has since built more than two decades of experience in the oil and gas business, working across finance, commercial, strategy and asset management roles, gaining a well-rounded perspective on the energy value chain.

 

Her career has been primarily based in Azerbaijan, with regional responsibilities supporting the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkiye business corridor within bp, complemented by early international experience in the United Kingdom and later involvement supporting gas business operations in Oman, shaping her understanding of diverse operating and commercial environments.

 

During her time with bp, as she progressed through various finance and commercial roles, she had the opportunity to contribute to a range of key activities and gain valuable hands-on experience, including preparation of area development plans for the regions, commercial and strategic planning, and supporting the financing process for the major infrastructure asset.

 

Elnara currently works as a Joint Venture Manager on a major upstream oil asset, focusing on partner governance, commercial alignment, and the interpretation and application of complex contractual frameworks. Her role requires close coordination with legal and commercial colleagues, including support to negotiations and ongoing management of joint venture obligations with a focus on a long-term value delivery through a range of opportunities (value optimization within the PSA, non-associated gas development, electrification of processing terminal, screening of potential new opportunities).

 

Elnara is a former Fellow of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). She is also an active member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), where she values the opportunity to engage with the global network of professionals and contribute to knowledge sharing across the energy negotiation community.

 

Outside of her core role, Elnara is committed to supporting the development of younger professionals through coaching and knowledge sharing within her professional community. She is a strong advocate for the practical use of technology in business and supports the adoption of digital solutions that improve decision-making and operational efficiency. She values building professional relationships across cultures and disciplines.

Dr. Rüdiger (Rudi) Tscherning is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and a member of the Canadian Institute of Resources Law at the University of Calgary, Canada. He is also a Research Fellow in nuclear law and policy at the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary and holds a visiting Associate Professor appointment at the University of Bergen, Faculty of Law. His research and teaching focuses on the regulation of energy infrastructure development (with a particular focus on industrial decarbonization technologies and on the transportation sector), on private international law, and on alternative dispute resolution.

 

Rudi has very recently been appointed as a member of the AIEN’s education advisory board and serves on the Association’s New Energies Taskforce on Nuclear. He is a member the Government of Alberta’s Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel and participates in international working groups on nuclear energy with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s Global Forum on Nuclear Education, Science, Technology and Policy and with the International Nuclear Law Association. He holds a Ph.D. in international construction law and dispute resolution from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and LLM degrees from The Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) at the University of Dundee and from the University of Nottingham, as well as a LLB degree from Trinity College Dublin. Prior to his academic career, Professor Tscherning practiced as a solicitor in London specializing in energy and infrastructure disputes.

Suniti Kaur is the Founding Partner of Alaya Legal, a boutique law firm based in the National Capital Territory region of Delhi, India. She advises domestic and international clients on energy, infrastructure, environmental regulation, and complex commercial transactions.

 

Her practice focuses on the legal and contractual dimensions of the energy sector, including renewable energy projects, carbon markets, infrastructure development, and regulatory compliance. Suniti works closely with clients on structuring transactions, negotiating risk allocation frameworks, and navigating India’s evolving regulatory landscape in the context of the energy transition.

 

Within AIEN, Suniti serves as India Section Co-Lead and represents India in the Women Negotiators Network (WNG). She actively contributes to AIEN programming by curating and moderating discussions on energy transition, sustainability regulation, and commercial risk allocation in emerging markets.
Suniti is a graduate of the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, and is admitted to practice before the Bar Council of Delhi.

 

Alaya Legal has been recognized in recent years for its work in energy and environmental law by IFLR1000, Asialaw Rankings, India Business Law Journal, and other professional forums. Suniti has also been noted among leading women practitioners in the IFLR1000 2025–2026 edition.

Dr. Bader is a certified Lawyer and Arbitrator with over 20 years of experience and is the Managing Partner at Fahad AlSuwaiket & Bader AlBusaiyes Lawyers Co. in Al Khobar ‎since 2006. He specializes in a broad range of industries, including Energy, Maritime, Oil & Gas, Logistics, Pharmaceutical, Banking, Insurance, Tax, Aviation, and Retail. Known for his expertise in negotiation, mediation, and dispute resolution, Dr. Bader efficiently resolves conflicts in a fair and impartial manner.

 

His legal expertise covers contracts, corporate law, trade regulations, intellectual property, foreign investment, mergers & acquisitions, and commercial arbitration. Dr. Bader’s leadership and passion for resolving disputes have earned him a stellar reputation in the global legal community.

 

Dr. Bader is an active member of Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), serving as Alternate Regional Director for its MENA Chapter, and several prominent professional associations, including, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators London, ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR International Bar Association, Dubai International Arbitration Center, Abu Dhabi Global Market Arbitration Center, The European Court of Arbitration – Kuwait Chapter, European Maritime law Organization, London Maritime Arbitration Association, Energy Industries Council. He also holds leadership positions as Chairman of the Saudi Mexico Business Council and Executive Member of Saudi Business Council to the Central Asian Countries.

Elizabeth L. McGinley, Chair of Bracewell’s tax department and Chair of the firm’s energy transition practice, regularly advises clients on energy project development, with a focus on projects supported by federal tax credits including numerous carbon capture, clean fuels, low emissions power generation and clean hydrogen projects. She regularly advises on qualifications for the credits, contractual arrangements supporting the credits and tax credit monetization and financing transactions. Liz combines her knowledge of the tax credits with a detailed understanding of the assets and the commercial aspects of each project. Liz is recognized by Chambers USA among America’s leading lawyers for tax (2012–2025).

 

Liz is an active member of AIEN, an independent not-for-profit professional membership association that supports international energy negotiators worldwide. She has co-chaired AIEN regional conferences in Houston and New York and has also served as a featured speaker at AIEN events.