María Belén Espiñeira is a lawyer graduated from the Universidad Católica Argentina (2005). She obtained a master’s degree in International Maritime Law with distinction from the University of Wales, United Kingdom (2007). She has a postgraduate diploma in Maritime and Aviation Law from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, and graduated from the Summer Academy of International Foundation of the Law of the Sea, in Hamburg. She is the Director of the Postgraduate Specialization Course on Management of the Marine Environment Protection, offered by the Instituto Universitario Superior, dependent on the Prefectura Naval Argentina. She is also a lecturer on Maritime Law at the Escuela Nacional de Náutica “Manuel Belgrano”, where she trains masters, pilots, and chief engineers.

She has previous experience as in-house lawyer in an important international shipping company and as senior associate lawyer in a boutique maritime law firm, and stands out in providing preemptive legal support, and handling administrative, mediation, judicial, and arbitration proceedings. She has extensive experience in handling cases concerning: major incidents, salvage, general average, pollution to the environmental, issues related to the carriage of goods by sea and contracts for the use of vessels, customs and port concerns, cargo claims, marine insurance, offshore and, oil and gas related matters.

In recognition to her academic and professional skills, achievements, and high moral values, in 2014 she was honoree of the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award given by the International Bar Association in Tokyo. She is founding and current president of WISTA ARGENTINA, and member of the International Bar Association, Argentine Maritime Law Association, and Iberoamerican Institute of Maritime Law.

Alejandro D. Schmilinsky E. is a lawyer from Venezuela, graduated from the Rafael Belloso Chacín University (URBE). He obtained a Master’s degree in Labor Law from the Santa María University, with postgraduate studies in Civil Procedural Law at the Experimental University “Rómulo Gallegos" and a Diploma in Hydrocarbons Law at the Hydrocarbons National University. He is currently finalizing the equivalency program for the degree as Argentinian Lawyer at the John F. Kennedy University. Besides, he is an outstanding professor and lecturer in the area of Procedural Law. He has fluent command, both oral and written, in English language, including technical legal language.

He has an extensive experience, having practiced law for over fifteen (15) years. He excelled in the administration of justice after an impeccable career within the Judiciary, were he was appointed in various positions, including the positions of Judge of First Instance and Judge of The Court of Appeals. Subsequently, he moved forward with his career as a litigator in diverse fields and particularly, in the area of Oil and Gas and the Maritime Law, being appointed as Head of Litigation of an important Group in the area of exploration, production, and trade of hydrocarbons, with over 100 subsidiaries worldwide, where he was in charge of international litigation, both in court, as well as in commercial and maritime arbitration regulated under ICC; LMAA; LCIA CABC, and UNCITRAL rules, and also large investment arbitrations under ICSID.

He has also been part of legal teams in domestic litigation in different jurisdictions, such as Courts in the USA , including the Supreme Court of Justice; Courts of England, including the Supreme Court of Justice; Courts in the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles; Portugal, and Ecuador. He experienced in international contractual matters, from the simplest MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and Charterparties, to the most complex EPC (Engineering; Procurement and Construction Contracts). He joined IT&L Legal Consultants in 2019.

Doctor Javier Ocampo is a lawyer, graduated from the Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora in 2002. He obtained a Postgraduate Degree in Maritime and Aeronautical Law from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in 2008. He is also a seafarer, graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Náutica "Manuel Belgrano" (1988), ranked as Captain in 1995. As a master, he gained 10 years of experience embarked on domestic and foreign vessels. Since 2000, he has provided nautical and legal advice to the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) of the Rio de la Plata, dependent on the Prefectura Naval Argentina. At the moment, he works as a professor of Maritime and Aeronautical Law at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Lomas de Zamora, and in training institutes dependent on the Prefectura Naval Argentina.

He also works as a professor in Escuela Nacional de Náutica, and in the postgraduate course on Maritime Interests offered by the Argentine Navy. He has been a member of the Argentine Maritime Law Association since 2005 and Chairman of the Maritime Law Studies Committee of the Transport Law Institute of the Lomas de Zamora Bar Association. He is a notable lecturer and coordinator of numerous events related to the academic, legal, and operational aspects of maritime and fluvial transport. Doctor Javier Ocampo is recognized as a leading consultant in Maritime Law and Transport matters.