JAYA SHARMA

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Attorney Sharma earned her Juris Doctor and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Additionally, Attorney Sharma holds a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from Oxford University under the auspices of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), is a Mediator accredited by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) and serves on the American Arbitration Association Panel of Commercial and Construction Neutrals. She also received mediator and arbitrator accreditation from Construction Dispute Resolution Services (CDRS).

She has over 20 years of experience working with private and various public sector entities at the Local, County, State and Federal levels. She currently has consultant contracts with various public sector agencies to provide advice on public procurement policies and compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations as it relates to construction issues. Attorney Sharma also has substantial experience in dispute resolution working with businesses in the private sector. She has assisted small contractors performing in the highway construction sector and also provided advocacy and dispute adjudication services to small home owners and home builders and has arbitrated and mediated numerous claims related to design and construction defects, delay and warranty issues.

Attorney Sharma assists clients in resolving disputes using alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques. Rather than pursuing traditional courtroom litigation which is public, time consuming and costly, ADR offers confidentiality and a cost effective and efficient resolution of a variety of disputes.

Specializing in servicing the dispute resolution needs of small business contractors in the construction industry, she has successfully assisted clients in resolving disputes with a focus on time efficiency and cost savings. With a knowledge and understanding that disputes often are detrimental to the financial solvency of a business, Attorney Sharma’s assistance has allowed small business entities to remain operating as viable business enterprises. Additionally, she has also focused on the needs of home owners and has acted both in the capacity as a neutral arbitrator and an advocate during mediation and arbitration proceedings.

Recently, Ms. Sharma was selected to arbitrate claims brought against the Ford Motor Company by class action plaintiffs alleging defective design and product liability issues.

2011
Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration, Keeble College, Oxford University, U.K.

2007
Public Private Partnership Specialist Training, The Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Inc. Washington D.C. & Water, Engineering and Development Centre of Loughborough University, U.K.

1996
J.D. University of Wisconsin, School of Law, Madison, Wisconsin

1986
Master of Arts Public Administration, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Robert Lafollette Institute of Public Policy, Madison, Wisconsin.

1977
Master of Science Physical and Cultural Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.

• Accredited Mediator, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, London U.K.
• American Arbitration Association, Construction & Non-commercial Panels of Neutrals
• Accredited Mediator & Arbitrator, Construction Dispute Resolution Services
  

TRAINING

2018
Accredited Mediator and Arbitrator Training, Construction Dispute Resolution Services, Santa Fe, New Mexico

2017
Advanced Arbitration Institute, American Bar Association, Chicago, Illinois

2015
Advanced Training Electronic Discovery and Arbitration, American Arbitration Association, New York, New York

Elder Care Mediation Training, Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

2014
Advanced Mediator Training, International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, New York, New York

International Arbitration Workshop & Training, Transnational National Institute of Arbitration, Dallas Texas

AAA-ICDR, ICC, ICSID Joint Colloquium: The Frontiers of Arbitration, Washington D.C.

2011
Advanced Mediation Institute, American Bar Association, Boston Massachusetts

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

2018
Speaker “ADR: A Mechanism for Construction Dispute Resolution: A Worthwhile Alternative”, State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Conference, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. June 21. 2018.

Speaker “Resolution of eDiscovery Disputes” 20th American Bar Association Annual Dispute Resolution Conference, Washington D.C. April 9, 2018.

2017
Speaker “Implicit Bias Fact or Fiction: Effects on Mediator Neutrality and the Mediation Process” 19th American Bar Association Annual Dispute Resolution Conference, San Francisco, California. April 19, 2017.

2016
Speaker “Practice Tips for ADR Professionals” State Bar of Wisconsin, Annual Meeting & Conference, Green Bay, Wisconsin. June 2016.

Speaker “Hitting the Lavender Ceiling: Exploring Issues of LGBT & Gender Diversity in the Mediation Profession” American Bar Association 18th Annual Dispute Resolution Conference, New York, New York, April 18, 2016.

2015
Speaker & Moderator “Peace in the Valley: Best Practices in the Dispute Resolution of Major Contractor Claims & Owner Counter Claims Including Mediation” International Bar Association Annual Conference, Vienna, Austria. October 6, 2015

Speaker “Practice Tips for Effective International Mediation” American Bar Association 17th Annual Dispute Resolution Conference, Seattle, Washington, April 18, 2015.

Speaker “Public Policy & Government Mediation” American Bar Association Asia Mediation Summit, New Delhi, India, February 14, 2015.

Speaker “How to Develop an ADR Practice” 2015 American Bar Association Asia Mediation Summit, New Delhi, India, February 14, 2015.

2006
Chair and Speaker “Public Private Partnerships The U.S. Perspective: Variations of A Theme” 2006 International Bar Association Annual Conference Chicago, USA. September 19, 2006

Speaker “Public Private Partnerships and Mega-Projects: Implications For the Disadvantage Business Enterprise Program” Mississippi Valley Transportation Conference, Chicago, USA. July 14, 2006.

Speaker “Public Private Partnership in the US” International Bar Association, Annual Conference, Chicago, USA. October 2006.

Speaker “A Comparative Analysis of Public Private Partnership Procurement Regulations and Laws” Biennial Conference International Bar Association, Section on Energy, Environmental, Resource and Infrastructure Law, Rome, Italy. March 2006.

2005
Co-Chair and Moderator, “PPP Procurement in the EU” International Bar Association Annual Conference Prague, Czech Republic. October 2005.

2004
Co-Chair and Moderator “Electronic Procurement in Various Jurisdictions”, International Bar Association Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand. October 2004

2003
Chair “Electronic Construction Management”. International Bar Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, USA. October 2003.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

2016
Co-Chair, Diversity Committee, American Bar Association, Section of Dispute Resolution Chair, Board of Directors, State Bar of Wisconsin , Dispute Resolution Section

2015
Chair Elect, Board of Directors, State Bar of Wisconsin, Section of Dispute Resolution

2014
Member, Board of Directors, State Bar of Wisconsin, Section of Dispute Resolution

Co-Chair Diversity Committee, American Bar Association, Section of Dispute Resolution

2009-2011
Co-Chair, International Bar Association, International Construction Projects Committee

2007-2009
Co-Vice Chair, International Bar Association, International Construction Projects Committee

2005-2007
Chair, Sub-Committee on Procurement, International Bar Association, International Construction Projects Committee

1996-2010
Board Member, Unemployment Appeals Clinic, Madison, Wisconsin

COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

2017
Co-Chair Conference Planning Standing Committee, American Bar Association, Section of Dispute Resolution.

2007
Member Planning Committee, International Bar Association PPP Latin American Conference June 21-22, 2007 San Paulo, Brazil

2006
Member Planning Committee, International Bar Association 2006 PPP Latin American Conference, Mexico City, May 2006

2005
Member Public Private Partnerships Task Force International Bar Association, International Construction Projects Committee.

PUBLICATIONS

Sharma, Jaya (2009) Public Private Partnership Projects in the United States In R. H. Garcia (Ed.), International Public Procurement: A Guide to Best Practice (pp 401-414) London: Globe Law and Business

AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Fellow American College of e-Neutrals
• Member International Bar Association
• Member Construction Industry Forum, American Bar Association
• Member Section of Dispute Resolution, American Bar Association Advisory Council Member, Institute of Transnational Arbitration
• Member Wisconsin Bar Association
• Member Wisconsin Association of Mediators
• Member Dispute Resolution Board Foundation