Fachspezifische Fremd-sprachenausbildung (FFA)

Professor Christopher Bisping, LL.M. (Edinburgh)

Christopher Bisping holds a Chair for Comparative Private Law, in particular Consumer Law at Bucerius Law School Hamburg, and is Dean of the Master of Law and Business Program there. Prior to joining Bucerius Law School he has taught in England at the Universities of Warwick and Leicester. Christopher Bisping has worked as a researcher at the Max-Planck-Institute for foreign and international private law in Hamburg and he was a member of the “Study Group on a European Civil Code”. His research interests lie on the fields of consumer law, contract law and comparative law.

Christopher Bisping has been a member of our FFA-Team since 2012. He is responsible for the course “English Vocabulary for Law: Legal Research” in our first semester.

“As a German jurist who is teaching and doing research abroad, I want to give future jurists the opportunity to gain first experiences in the dealing with foreign law. Moreover, to think “outside the box” contributes to a better understanding of the own system. The collaboration with the highly-motivated students of the FFA is great fun to me and it surprises me every time to see the progress that the students achieve in a short period of time.”

Selected Publications:

Christopher Bisping (2020) ‘What does a lawyer need to know? Should law students learn about foreign languages and foreign legal systems’, Bonner Rechtsjournal Sonderausgabe, 37-40
Christopher Bisping (2019) ‘Energy Price Cap – A Disservice to Consumers’ (together with T Dodsworth), 8 Journal of European Consumer and Market Law 53-64
Christopher Bisping (2020) ‘Preparing for withdrawal from the European Union in the United Kingdom (together with C Twigg-Flesner), in Kramme/Baldus/Schmidt-Kessel, Brexit. Privat- und wirtschaftsrechtliche Folgen (ed. 2), § 27, 688-708
Christopher Bisping (2019) Consumer Protection and the Regulation of Mobile Phone Contracts A Study of Automatically Renewable Long-Term Contracts Across Jurisdictions (mit T Dodsworth), (2019) 42 Journal of Consumer Policy 349-375
Christopher Bisping (2014) Wenn der Studienanfang schon beinahe das Ende ist – das schnelle Jurastudium in Groβbritannien, in Pilniok and Brockmann, Studieneingangsphase in der Rechtswissenschaft, 206-228
Christopher Bisping (2012) 'Consumer Protection and Overriding Mandatory Rules in the new Rome I Regulation' in European Consumer Protection Theory and Practice, 239 - 256, Editors: James Devenneyand Mel Kenny, Cambridge: CUP
Christopher Bisping (2012) 'Conquering the Legal World ? The Use of English in Foreign Courts' European Review Of Private Law 20 (2), 541 - 570
Christopher Bisping (2011) 'The Case Against Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 in Credit Card Transactions' Journal Of Business Law (5), 457 – 474
Christopher Bisping (2012) 'Avoid the Statutist Trap: The International Scope of the Consumer Credit Act 1974' Journal of Private International Law 8 (1), 35 - 62
Christopher Bisping (2011) 'Turbulence Ahead ? of Volcanic Ash, Frustration and EC Passenger Rights' Lloyds Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (4), 546 - 564

Keith Calhoun-Senghor, attorney at law (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia) and solicitor in England and Wales, is a freelance American lawyer and consultant in the fields of corporate law and international private law for U.S., German and global firms in Munich. He has worked as senior counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright in Munich for seven years beforehand. He entered the law office after having practised as an in-house general counsel and freelance attorney in corporate and international private law for American and German industry and technology companies for nearly three decades. Calhoun-Senghor has worked for the U.S. government (department of commerce) in the sector of satellite and space politics as well.

Keith Calhoun-Senghor studied at Harvard Law School as well as at Standford University. Before having started his legal studies, he had been a Fulbright scholar at the University of Bonn. He is fluent in English (first language) and German.

Keith Calhoun-Senghor is a lecturer at our FFA-programme since 2012. He teaches the courses “International Commercial Law” (3. semester), “Civil Litigation in the U.S.” as well as “Constitutional Law in the U.S.” (both 2. semester).

Selected publications and lectures:

Keith Calhoun-Senghor, Co-author, "Zusammenfassung des 2009 U.S. Konjunkturgesetzes: Geschäftsmöglichkeiten für deutsche Firmen/A Summary of the 2009 U.S. Recovery Act: Business Opportunities for German Firms," published in German and English in the German-American Chamber of Commerce Newsletter, March 2009
Keith Calhoun-Senghor, "An Overview of Egypt's Anti-Money Laundering Law and Regulations," Complinet.com, 2008 (submitted)
Keith Calhoun-Senghor,"An Overview of Egypt's Law Establishing Economic Courts," GAT Magazine, 2008 (submitted)
Keith Calhoun-Senghor, "Implementing a Phased and Integrated Strategy Toward Space," Cosmos Club Journal, Fall 2004
Keith Calhoun-Senghor, Editor, “Trends in Commercial Space”, online publication providing analysis of emerging business areas and commercial space trends, 1996 – 1999
"The U.S. Legal System and the Common Law: A Legal System as a Precursor to National Success," Guest lecturer, University of New York in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic, June 2011
"Germany's View of the U.S.: A U.S. Business Lawyer's Perspective from Munich," Guest lecturer, Worrell Honors Program for Study Abroad, Virginia Intermont College, Munich, Germany, June 2011
"Business Opportunities Under the U.S. Recovery Act: How to Avoid Pitfalls/Geschäftsmöglichkeiten im Rahmen des U.S. Konjunkturprograms: Wie sich Juristische Fallstricke vermeiden Lassen," Speech in German at U.S. Energy Market Seminar, Erneuerbare Energien, IHK Dresden und Wirtschaftsföderung Sachsen, Dresden, Germany, October 2010
"Insurance and Consumer Protection Provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act/Versicherungs- und Verbraucherschutzbestimmungen des Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform und Verbraucherschutzgesetz," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. web seminar presentation in German, September 2010
"Provisions of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act as they Relate to German Music Instrument Manufacturers/Bestimmungen des U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Gesetzes in Bezug auf deutsche Musikinstrumente," Speech in German to the Federal Organization of Music Instrument Manufacturers/Bundesverband der deutschen Musikinstrumenthersteller, Nürnberg, Germany, August 2010
"Doing Successful Business in the U.S.A.: How to Avoid Traps – Concluding Successful Agreements with U.S. Partners/Erfolgreiche Geschäfte in den USA: Wie sich Fallstricke vermeiden lassen - Erfolgreiche Verträge mit U.S. Partnern," Fulbright & Jaworski on-line web seminar presentation in German, May 2010
"The Buy American Provisions and Financial Incentives in the U.S. Recovery Act; Business Opportunities under the U.S. Recovery Act: Infrastructure, Renewable Energy and More/Die 'Buy American' Bestimmungen und Finanzielle Anreize im amerikanischen Konjunkturpaket," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. web seminar presentation in German, March 2010
"Green Public Private Partnerships - A Transatlantic Market of Ideas: The U.S. Approach - Incentives for Voluntary Action," Munich, Germany 2009

Sylvia DeTar, Attorney at Law (California), is a lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in Cologne, where she advises clients primarily in the areas of competition law, ESG litigation and pro bono work. She also lectures at Phillips University in Marburg. Before practising as a lawyer, she worked as a law clerk to Judge Grewal in the Northern District of California. Sylvia DeTar studied at Berkeley Law School, the University of Washington and Simon Fraser University. She speaks English, German and French.
Sylvia DeTar has been active in our FFA programme since 2024. She teaches the course ‘Core Subjects of Common Law’.

Selected publications and lectures:

“Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action opens consultation on competition and sustainability in Germany and the EU", Cleary Antitrust Watch, March 27, 2023.
“CMA Consults on Environmental Sustainability Agreement Guidelines" Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, March 17, 2023 (co-author with Jackie Holland, Maurits Dolmans, Ranulf Outhwaite, Wanjie Lin, and Clara Cibrario Assereto).Panel speaker at the Berkeley Journal of International Law’s Riesenfeld Symposium, “Antitrust Enforcers: A New Era of Global Regulation,” February 2022.
“The California Bar Exam: An Experience Report,” DAJV, July 30, 2021 (co-author Martin Metz).
"The Unified Theory of Yousafzai", 1/2020 Marburg Law Review 12 (2020).
Presentation for the Pro Bono Studentische Rechtsberatung Freiburg e.V.’s BSRB Symposium, “Law Clinics, Pro Bono, USA und Deutschland: Ein Vergleich,” October 2016.
“German Federal Constitutional Court Confirms Liberal View On Service Of Process Under Hague Convention,” January 7, 2016 (co-authors Richard Kreindler, Rüdiger Harms, and Johannes Schmidt).
“Fueling Responsibility: Rocky Mountain Farmers Union V. Corey,” 41 Ecology Law Quarterly 605, 2014.
“Federal Circuit Review of International Trade Commission Determinations After City of Arlington,” ITC-TLA 337 Reporter, Volume XXXVI (2013) (co-author Evan Brewer).
“Review of Adjudication In Religious Family Laws: Cultural Accommodation, Legal Pluralism, And Gender Equality In India,” By Professor Gopika Solanki, 30 Berkeley Journal Of International Law 650, 2012.

Courtney Lotfi has lectured on US Civil Litigation at the FFA-program since 2018.  As an active practitioner, Courtney focuses her scholarship at the FFA on the practical aspects of litigation practice, which culminates in a mock trial at the end of the semester.  

Away from the FFA, Courtney focuses her practice on international dispute resolution and acts as counsel, arbitrator and consultant across all sectors with particular emphasis in energy, construction and industrial engineering, and life sciences matters.  Her corporate work extends to post-M&A, joint venture and shareholder disputes.  

In addition, Courtney is a co-founder of the Berlin Dispute Resolution Days, is a member of the VIAC’s energy expert focus group and was a member of the ICC's Task Force on Disability Inclusion in Arbitration, which published its Guide to Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration and ADR in 2023. 

For this work, Courtney has been recognized by Who's Who Legal / Lexology Index (Future Leader, Most Highly Regarded Future Leader, and Recommended), the Global Arbitration Review, Legal 500 (DACH Powerlist and Rising Star), Best Lawyers and Handelsblatt, among others.  For the past two years, Courtney has also been named to the Virginia Bar Association’s Pro Bono Honor Roll.

Courtney obtained her BA with highest distinction from Franklin College Switzerland in Lugano, Switzerland and her JD cum laude from Pace University School of Law in New York, where she was the CISG book editor of the international law review, Vis moot court team member, and a research assistant to Professor Darren Rosenblum.  She is licensed in the United States (Virginia) and is a registered foreign lawyer in Germany (Frankfurt). She works in English and German and speaks some Italian. 

A selection of Courtney’s recent publications and lectures include: 

·         Co-editor and contributing author, International Arbitration in Practice (forthcoming Kluwer 2025 publication).

·         Author of Kluwer Practical Insight on “Set Aside in International Arbitration” (forthcoming 2025 publication).

·         Keynote speaker, “Learning from Each Other to Forge a Better Future”, University of Bonn FFA awards ceremony (December 2024).

·         Moderator of a panel discussion entitled “Putting the ‘International’ in International Arbitration, Berlin Dispute Resolution Days (September 2024).

·         Co-author of Persuasion by Design: Crafting Memorable Advocacy in Arbitration, Harvard Arbitration Review (June 2024).

·         Moderator of a moot-style debate on “reasonable accommodation in international arbitration,” jointly supported by the ICC, MAA, and MyAbility (March 2024). 

·         Author of Document Production in International Arbitration – a Practical Guide, Lexis Nexis Practice Note (February 2024).

·         Moderator of a debate on “reasonable accommodation:  between efficiency, procedural fairness and inclusiveness; is a clash inevitable?,” ICC Poland Conference on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration:  Make Arbitration a Better Place (December 2023).

·         Report on the ICC Guide on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration and ADR, Mute Off Thursdays (virtual, November 2023).

·         Co-author of Party and Counsel Ethics in the Taking of Evidence, in The Guide to Evidence in International Arbitration (Global Arbitration Review 2023, 2nd edition).

·         Speaker on “from awareness to action:  fostering diversity and inclusion in the practice of international arbitration,” Columbia Arbitration Week (September 2023).

·         Speaker on “opening statements,” DIS40 Frankfurt (March 2023).

·         Co-author of Shareholder and Corporate Claims in Investment Arbitration:  An Avenue to Bring ESG-related Claims?, in Austrian Arbitration Yearbook 2022.

·         Moderator of a panel discussing “the European energy market today, its challenges, opportunities, and what’s on the horizon,” Arb|Aut and YAPP Annual Meeting and Joint Conference (December 2022).

·         Speaker on “insolvency in arbitration,” Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration / Chartered Institute of Arbitrators International Arbitration Conference 2022 (November 2022).

·         Speaker reporting on “the work of the Task Force on Disability Inclusion in Arbitration,” ICC Commission Meeting, Miami (October 2022).

·         Speaker on “efficient dispute management tools for protecting investments,” 4th Dispute Resolution Forum:  Navigating Through Crises – Speeding Up the Energy Transition (October 2022).

·         Author of The Role of Arbitration in the Evolution of European Gas Prices and Pricing, special edition of Der Gesellschafter in Festsheft für Günther J. Horvath zum 70. Geburtstag (October 2022).

·         Speaker on “did discovery / document production ever lead to the truth?,” DIS Autumn Conference (September 2022).

·         Co-author of Arbitrators’ Independent Research in Arbitration:  Permissible or Problematic?, SchiedsVZ (July/August 2022).

·         Co-author of Case Note:  The Case of the Curious Arbitrator, in SchiedsVZ, 47 (January/February 2022). 

Allison Torline

Allison Torline was born and raised in the United States. She completed her legal education in Washington, D.C. at the George Washington University Law School and is admitted to the New York Bar. After studying abroad in Freiburg im Breisgau and Milan, she began working in Germany in 2015. Before joining Busse Disputes, Allison Torline practiced as an attorney in two international law firms in the field of international dispute resolution. Fluent in German, Allison Torline is well-suited to advise in cases involving German and non-German entities due to her international education and native English skills.

In addition to her counsel work, Allison Torline acts as arbitrator as well as secretary to arbitral tribunals. She has extensive experience in international arbitration, including proceedings conducted under the ICC, ICSID, DIS and HKIAC rules in addition to UNCITRAL and other ad hoc proceedings. In 2022, she was admitted to the Thailand Arbitration Center's Panel of Arbitrators. In 2023, she was selected to serve on the Steering Committee of Young ArbitralWomen Practitioners (YAWP) for the 2024-2025 term. She is also a member of the Editorial Team of the Transatlantic Law Journal.

She represents clients inter alia from the trade, shipbuilding, construction, infrastructure, energy and service sectors. A particular focus of her practice is on the representation of States and investors in public international law disputes arising out of investment treaties. Furthermore, she is also frequently involved in post-M&A disputes and construction and infrastructure disputes based on FIDIC contracts. She has also represented clients in several CISG-related cases.

Selected Expertise
· Appointed as Sole Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a German and South Korean entity.
· Appointed as Co-Arbitrator in a DIS arbitration between a German and U.S. entity.
· Served as Administrative Secretary in an ICC arbitration between an Italian company and an East-European country related to a large-scale infrastructure dispute.
· Represented a U.S. industrial company in an ICC arbitration with a Czech company in a dispute arising out of a CISG-contract.
· Represented a German industrial company in an ICC arbitration with an Eastern European state-owned entity in a dispute with claims arising out of a FIDIC contract.
· Successfully defended a U.S. company against DIS arbitration claims filed against it by a German company concerning an alleged breach of earn-out protection rules stipulated in an SPA.
· Representing international investors in an ICSID arbitration against the Hellenic Republic based on viola-tions of the investment treaty concluded between Lebanon and Greece.

Memberships
DIS | DAJV | Arbitral Women | ICC YAAF | Young ICCA | RAI | ICDR Y&I | DIS40
Rankings
WWL – Arbitration – Future Leaders: Non-Partners (2022, 2023, 2024); “Rising Star” (Commercial Arbitra-tion, Germany) by Euromoney’s Expert Guides/IFLR1000 (2022); Best Lawyers, International Arbitration and Arbitration/Dispute Settlement/Mediation (2022, 2023); Best Lawyers, Arbitration and Mediation (2021, 2022, 2023)
Credentials
Busse Disputes Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, Frankfurt, Germany March 2019 – Present
Counsel (March 2022) / Senior Associate (May 2019) / Associate (March 2019)
Represent clients inter alia from the shipbuilding, construction, energy, and pharmaceutical sectors in proceed-ings conducted under a variety of institutional rules. Serve as arbitrator and administrative secretary to arbitral tribunals.
Allen & Overy, Frankfurt, Germany November 2016 – March 2019
Associate
Represented clients in international arbitration cases under the ICC, ICSID and DIS rules in post-M&A, foreign investment, shipbuilding, and general commercial disputes.
McDermott Will & Emery, Frankfurt, Germany September 2015 - November 2016
Associate (February 2016) / Postgraduate Trainee (September 2015)
Represented clients in international arbitration cases subject to the ICC, ICSID and HKIAC rules as well as in ad hoc proceedings in disputes related to energy, construction, and foreign investment.

Education
The George Washington University Law School, J.D., May 2015
Activities: Rapporteur for the International Law in Domestic Courts Journal, Board Member of the Society for European Law Students
Exchange: Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Milan, Italy, Fall 2014
Indiana University, B.A. with academic distinction, May 2012
Majors: Political Science and International Studies with minors in German, West European Studies and Psychology
Honors: Awarded departmental honors in Political Science for the completion and successful defense of an original thesis, Spring 2012
Exchange: Albert-Ludwigs Universität, Freiburg, Germany, Academic Year 2010-2011
Admissions
New York | Member of the Frankfurt Rechtsanwaltskammer (§206 BRAO)
Languages
English (Native) | German (Fluent) | Spanish (Basic)

Publications
"The New York Convention: Future Challenges", Annual Compilation of Articles, International Court of Arbi-tration in Affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2018;
Co-Author of "Starkes Jahr für den Court; Unternehmen schätzen faire ICC-Streitbeilegung", ICC Germany Magazin (9. Ausgabe, 2019);
"Looking Back While Looking Up: A Review of Space Arbitration Topics", Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 22 Febru-ary 2023; and
Co-author of "The New, Friendlier Space Race: An Overview of Transatlantic Competition/Cooperation and Applicable Legal Regimes", Transatlantic Law Journal, Issue 1/2023, August 2023.
Speaking Engagements
Panellist for an International Conference on the New York Convention and its Interaction with Domestic Laws of the Central Asian Countries, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on 30 November 2018;
Moderator of a Young ICCA Skills Training Workshop ("How to draft arbitration clauses and how to start a career in international arbitration") in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on 27 May 2019;
Panellist for a DIS40-Frankfurt Webinar ("From Counsel to Arbitrator") on 31 March 2022;
Moderator of a virtual panel for Paris Arbitration Week ("Space Arbitration: Solving Disputes Over Satellites and More") on 29 March 2022;
Panellist for the DIS40 Spring Conference ("Gut, schnell und billig!?! - Ideen für mehr Effizienz unabhängig vom Streitwert") in Frankfurt, Germany on 20 June 2022;
Panellist for an ICC YAAF Conference (“The Future of International Arbitration”) in Athens, Greece on 18 Oc-tober 2022;
Panellist for the Annual MAA International Commercial Law & Arbitration Conference ("Splitting the Baby in Arbitration: Are Stay and Bifurcation Requests Guerilla Tactics?") in Vienna, Austria on 31 March 2023;
Moderator of a YAWP virtual panel ("Meet the Arbitral Institution: ICDR") on 12 April 2023;
Moderator of an ICDR hybrid panel ("The Attractiveness of Germany as an Arbitral Seat in View of Recent Developments") on 31 August 2023; and
Panellist for a PLI virtual panel on investment arbitration and space law ("Investor-State Disputes & Emergent Issues in Space and Cyberspace: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Beyond") on 7 November 2023.
Teaching
Guest Lecture on U.S. Agency Law, Grundzüge des US-Amerikanischen Wirtschaftsrechtssystem, University of Jena (2021, 2022, 2023); and
Guest Lecture on International Arbitration, FRS Amerikanisch: Contract Law, Civil Procedure and Property Law, Humboldt University of Berlin (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)