Member Profiles

Mr. Md. Ashraful Islam Khan a retired Judge obtained LLB (Hons) and LLM degree from the University of Dhaka in 1981 and 1982 respectively. Mr. Khan also obtained LLM with distinction on International Maritime Law in 1996 from International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), Malta. Mr. Khan also obtained Diploma on Public International Trade Law from International Development Law Organization, Sydney Australia in 2007. He did advance training course from Institute for legal Development, Stockholm Sweden in 1994. He also did advance training course on different law from Bangladesh Institute for Law and International affairs, Dhaka, Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI), Dhaka, also did advance training course on Judicial Information Technology Training Course from the same institute, and also did training course on Arbitration from Bangladesh International Arbitration Centre (BIAC) Dhaka. Mr. Md. Ashraful Islam Khan was enrolled as an advocate on 4th September 1983 and joined at Pabna District Bar and practiced there under strict supervision of his father, KMA Abdul Momen who was one of the most renowned Lawyer of Pabna District bar Association. Mr. Khan joined in Judiciary of Bangladesh on 22nd February 1984 as an Assistant Judge. He was in charge of an independent Civil Court and dealt with only Civil and Family Court cases including disputes relating to marriage, dower, divorce, maintenance and guardianship of minors. Mr. Khan was promoted to the post of Senior Assistant Judge in 1990 and remained in charge of an independent Civil Court dealing with same Civil suits and Family suits with higher pecuniary Jurisdiction. Mr. Khan was posted to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in 1992 on deputation as Senior Assistant Secretary and worked there for about six years. Here he dealt with administrative control of judicial offices of all over Bangladesh. He also dealt with amendment of different rules and regulations, drafting of new rules and regulations. Mr. Khan was promoted to the post of Joint District and Sessions Judge and posted in Chittagong in 1997. He dealt with Civil, Money Suit with unlimited pecuniary jurisdiction. Lastly he was posted as Special Tribunal judge, Sylhet. He dealt with Criminal cases and cases under Special powers Act 1974. As a Joint District and Sessions Judge he was appellate judge of Assistant Judge and Senior Assistant judge. He heard and disposed of appeals arising out of the Judgment of Assistant Judges and Senior Assistant Judges. Mr. Khan voluntarily retired from Government Service on 2nd September 2014. Now a retired Judge having more than 30 years of experience in Civil and Criminal Justice delivery process as well as experience in Artharin Adalat Ain, Company law, International Trade Law, Maritime Law, Income Tax Law and International Commercial Arbitration. He is one of the few experts in International Maritime Law in Bangladesh. He was trainer and resource person at the Continuing Legal Education Programme (CLEP) under Bangladesh Bar Council. He was a member Secretary for the workshop on Review and Implementation of Bangladesh Laws relating to Children at social risk and juvenile justice in the light of the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) organized by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs, Government of Bangladesh with the Assistance of UNICEF, Dhaka in 1996. Mr. Khan is now Head of Chambers of ‘THE TWELVE TABLES’, A Chambers of Barristers, Advocates and Consultants. Now he dealt with Civil Matter as well as Criminal matter. In dealing with Maritime law related matters he is in close connection with Professor P.K Mukherjee, Now professor at Dalain International Maritime University, China and with Mr. Fazlur Rahman another renowned maritime Law expert. Practice Areas: Civil law, Criminal Law, Corporate & Commercial Law, Maritime Law, Family Law, Company Law, International Joint Venture, IP law, International Trade Law, and Arbitration.

She has been admitted to practice in Barbados, Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and has had legal attachments to law firms in Jamaica, Washington DC, USA and the Turks and Caicos Islands. She began her legal career in Barbados in the Chambers of the late Rt. Hon. Errol Walton Barrow QC later joining Epworth Chambers in 1993 with Sir J. S. B Dear Q.C. Mrs. Woodstock Riley QC has extensive experience in civil litigation, in the High Court and Court of Appeal, insurance law, personal injury, labour and employment law, maritime law, construction law, conveyancing and family law. Clients have included regional and extra regional institutions, insurance companies, airline owners, ship owners, media institutions, hotels, architects, electrical contractors. She has experience in arbitration proceedings and, practical management of contractual and construction disputes. In 2009 she was honored to be appointed as a Queens Counsel and has acted as a Judge of Supreme Court of Barbados in 2009 and 2010. Currently is the Chairperson of the Barbados Bar Association Disciplinary Committee. Mrs. Woodstock-Riley QC was President of Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland. She has travelled extensively in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom , Europe, Africa and Asia and has spoken in various forums on a variety of issues. She has been President of the Queens College PTA and a member and legal adviser of the Barbados Cancer Society Breast Screening Committee. Between 2010 – 2012 Mrs. Woodstock-Riley Q.C. was Chairperson of the National Advisory Council on Family Matters.

Nigel Bennett is an attorney-at-law and member of Barbados Bar Association and the Law Society of England and Wales (Int’l. Division). His primary practice areas include Corporate and Commercial Law, Int’l. Financial Services, Real Estate, Property Development and Banking, Governance, and Regulatory matters. He previously taught business law at BIMAP. Nigel previously served as Legal Officer (Governor’s office) at the Central Bank of Barbados as well as Legal Counsel to an int’l. subsidiary of RBC Royal Bank of Canada with responsibility for legal, corporate secretarial and governance matters. More recently, Nigel worked in the capital markets department of a “magic circle” law firm in London, England, prior to resuming private practice in Barbados. LANGUAGES: English & French JURISDICTIONS CALLED: Barbados Bar Memberships Barbados Bar Association Law Society of England and Wales (Int’l. Divsn.) Articles “Legal issues relevant to property transactions in the Caribbean” A Place in The Sun Magazine “Legal issues relating to the sale & purchase of property in the Caribbean” The Good Property Guide – London, England “Financial services regulation in B’dos.-the changing dynamic” Business B’dos 2007 “Int’l. insurance developments in B’dos.-SCC’s” Offshore Finance Canada “Offshore banking in the Caribbean” BWIA Caribbean Beat magazine “VAT & real estate transactions” Broad Street Journal “Quality first–the evolution of offshore banking in B’dos.” Offshore Finance Canada

Karen has over 28 years’ experience as a practicing Attorney at Law, in the Caribbean. She spent her first seven years in the field of law in her native country, Guyana, South America at the law firm deCaries Fitzpatrick and Karran where she became a partner. In the year 2000, she migrated to Barbados and joined the law firm Aequus Chambers in Bridgetown Barbados where she specialized in banking, property, offshore and trust and estate matters. She then merged with Hastings Attorney-at-law until 2011 when she started her own firm, Perreira Law that in 2015 rebranded and is now known as InterCaribbean Legal. Karen has developed a very large commercial litigation and international business practice. She has attracted a clientele of individuals, family businesses and private and public companies. She works for various financial institutions advising on banking law and loans for both domestic and offshore borrowers and private investors. Her portfolio of clients includes international insurance companies, large construction companies, property developers, and HNWIs seeking investment opportunities in Barbados. Her area of specialties are Trust and Estate Planning, Compliance (AML), Securities; Private Banking; Loan Documentation; Mergers & Acquisitions; Real Estate Transactions and Construction Contracts; Intellectual Property; Commercial Contracts; Procurement; Commercial and Trust Litigation; Licensing (regulatory and compliance); Maritime Law and Arbitration and Mediation. She obtained a Diploma in International Trust and is currently the only practicing Attorney in Barbados who can boast of holding a STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes. This invaluable qualification has equipped her with the expertise to advise and safeguard international clients and investors in the preparation of trust instruments, structuring and administration of trusts. She is also a certified anti-money laundering specialist with the Association of Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS) and has obtained a Fellowship CIArb membership. She is a member of the International Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, and an executive Committee member of the Barbados Branch. She joined the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists and The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In 2015 she also became a member of the Barbados International Business Association and the Barbados Bar Association.

Alain Strowel is a member of the Brussels Bar Association since 1988 and a Senior Partner, member of the Intellectual Property & IT law department, at Pierstone Brussels. He is also a Professor at University Saint-Louis – Brussels since 1993 and at UCLouvain since 2013. Alain is a native French speaker and is fluent in English, German and Dutch. Professional experience: As avocat at the Brussels bar since 1988, Alain provides legal advice, drafts contracts and litigates in intellectual property, technology and media law matters. From 2001 to 2014, he was of Counsel with a U.S. leading firm, Covington & Burling LLP. During his years at Covington, he closely followed the European legal developments in IP/IT law and advised several major clients in the tech and software industry on law reforms throughout Europe. Prior to Covington, Alain worked as counsel in the IP department of NautaDutilh (1996-2001). As sole practitioner (2014-2020), he focused on legal advice and worked jointly with other law firms for litigation matters. In 2020, he joined Pierstone Brussels as Senior Partner. His practice focuses on digital copyright and tech law. Academic experience: Alain is professor at UCLouvain and at University Saint-Louis – Brussels, where he teaches several courses in intellectual property, tech and media law. He also gives courses in two advanced masters in IP and IT law at the KULeuven and at the Munich IP Law Center. Since the 1990s, he has conducted several studies for the European institutions in the field of intellectual property and the digital economy. He is an arbiter for the domain names dispute resolution system run by the WIPO and the CEPANI. He has been appointed as a trustee of the European Law Academy (ERA, Trier, 2012-2019) and was elected to the Academia Europaea in 2012. Since 2019, he chairs the Intellectual Property working group of All European Academies (ALLEA) to which he contributed since 2012. Today his research focuses on the regulation and governance of data, artificial intelligence and online platforms. Education: Alain graduated in law, economics and philosophy at the UCLouvain and the University of Amsterdam. He holds a PhD in Law from UCLouvain. Publications: He has authored more than 250 articles and a few books including : Droit des médias et de la communication (with F. Jongen & E. Cruysmans, Larcier, 2017, 896 p.) ;Quand Google défie le droit (De Boeck-Larcier, 2011, 238 p.) ;Droit d’auteur et copyright, Convergences et divergences (Bruylant and L.G.D.J., 1993). He has directed several collections of essays including: Des voitures autonomes à l’intelligence artificielle. Entre droit, politique et éthique (with C. Lazaro), 2020, 258 p ;Les droits intellectuels, entre autres droits. Intersections, interactions et interrogations (with Cabay), Larcier, 2019, 304 p. ;Net Neutrality in Europe – La neutralité de l’Internet en Europe, Bruylant, 2013, 178 p.;Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Secondary Liability in Copyright Law, Edward Elgar, 2009;Of Authors and Origins (with B. Sherman), Cambridge UP, 1991.