James MacPherson

James MacPherson is CEO of the BCDR-AAA (The Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution's joint venture with the American Arbitration Association). With over seventeen years experience, James has specialized in conflict resolution for corporate and governmental organizations, including designing and directing international, multilingual arbitration and mediation programs.

Prior to launching the BCDR-AAA, James' extensive experience in the Middle East included serving as a Country Director with the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative, focusing on judicial and legal reform programs within the Bahrain Ministry of Justice and delivering ADR training programs to judges and lawyers in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Syria. James has advised businesses and government agencies in the Middle East, North Africa and North America on ADR systems design and training as well as legislative policy.

A bilingual (English and French) mediator, James has mediated hundreds of disputes including numerous banking (e.g. Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion Bank and Canadian Business Development Bank), insurance (e.g. AXA, Progressive and Zurich) and other commercial and employment disputes (e.g. McDonald's, Toyota and US Marine Corps & Navy). James holds a BA in history and political science from Bishop's, University of Toronto and an LLB from the University of Edinburgh.