Representative Matters

Represent an international lending institution in a several million-dollar arbitration involving claims of breach of contract, conversion, and fraud arising out of a stock loan transaction.

Represent a Jordanian telecommunications company in a $40 million dollar RICO and breach of contract case related to an international bid for a government license.

Represent Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan in a right of publicity, trademark infringement, and dilution rights dispute.

Represent several local, national, and international nonprofits related to Board matters, governance, and contract disputes related to confidentiality, employment, intellectual property, joint venture, and miscellaneous vendor agreements

Arbitration & Mediation

Attorney Salman Ravala trained at Harvard Law School and teaches Negotiation at New York Law School. Mr. Ravala also serves as an arbitrator, mediator, and Special Master, and is a respected neutral on various ADR rosters.

One of the countries few Appellate Circuit Mediators, Mr. Ravala serves as a Mediator for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the New York State Appellate Division, First & Second Department, The United States District Court for the Southern & Eastern District of New York, The New York State Commercial Division, New York & Westchester County, The New York State Unified Court System Part 137 Fee Dispute Panel, The New York State Small Claims Part, The CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, and FINRA. In arbitrations, Mr. Ravala has served as a sole arbitrator, as a panelist, and as a Chair of the panel.

Mr. Ravala is an American Arbitration Association Judge Higginbotham Fellow, a former Visiting Legal Scholar at the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, Trade Law Division, and a graduate of Syracuse Law School.

Primary Practice Areas

Agency & Distributorships; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Breach of Contract; Business Law; Business Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Contracts; Cross-Border Disputes; Employment Law including but not limited to Wage & Hour, Title VII, Non-Competition & Severance; Foreign Investment in the United States; Franchise Law; Import-Export Law; Intellectual Property Law, including but not limited to Copyright Infringement, Dilution, and False Endorsement; International Business & Commercial Law; International Distribution; International Joint Ventures; International Litigation; International Sale of Goods; International Treaty Law; Non-Profit & Charitable Organizations; Partnership Law; Small Business & Entrepreneurship.

Arbitrator and Mediator, International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution; Arbitrator, New York State Unified Court System, New York Civil Court, Small Claims Part; Arbitrator, FINRA; Arbitrator  & Mediator, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; Arbitrator and Mediator, New York State Unified Court System, Part 137 Attorney – Client Fee Dispute Program; Mediator, U.S. District Court, Southern District Court of New York; Mediator, New York Supreme Court, Commercial Division ADR Program; Special Master,  Appellate Division of the State of New York, 2nd Department. 

Dispute Resolution Training

American Arbitration Association, Mediator Essentials (2015); New York State Unified Court System  Small Claims Part and Attorney – Client Fee Dispute Training (2016); New York State Bar Association,  Commercial Mediation Training (2016); American Arbitration Association, Judge A. Leon Higginbotham  Program (2016); New York State Bar Association, Commercial Arbitration Training (2017); Harvard Law  School, Advanced Mediation Workshop: Mediating Complex Disputes (2019). 

Dispute Resolution Experience

Special Master, U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit; Arbitrator and Mediator, International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution; Arbitrator, New York State Unified Court System, New York Civil Court, Small Claims Part; Arbitrator, FINRA; Arbitrator & Mediator, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; Arbitrator and Mediator, New York State Unified Court System, Part 137 Attorney – Client Fee Dispute Program; Mediator, U.S. District Court, Southern District Court of New York; Mediator, New York Supreme Court, Commercial Division ADR Program; Special Master, Appellate Division of the State of New York, 1st & 2nd Department.

Selected Awards & Honors

Martindale-Hubbell® AV “Preeminent” (2016 – 2022); SuperLawyers® Rising Star, New York Metro Region (2015 – 2022); Empire State Counsel® Award, New York State Bar Association (2012 – 2017); American Arbitration Association Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Fellow (2016); Mediation Advisory Committee, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (2018 – 2020).

Professional & Civic Associations

American Bar Association; Association of the Bar of the City of New York; New York State Bar Association; Chair, Friends of the New York Bar Foundation (2017 – 2019); Life Fellow, The New York Bar Foundation (2020 – Present); Board of Directors, Scholarship America, Inc. (2019 – Present).

Arbitration Philosophy Statement

In my service as a wing and chair arbitrator, I have found that parties and counsel appreciate a decisive neutral who tailors each arbitration to the needs of their particular case. As a participant in the marketplace myself, as a litigant, as an advocate, as a neutral, as a former employee, an employer, a business owner, a founder, a professor, and a Board member, I provide a smooth case management experience that the parties find to be fair and expedient, while at the same time seeing me as “relatable” and “well-prepared.”

Mediation Philosophy Statement

I believe preparation, organization, and trust are vital ingredients to a successful mediation. Since counsels in the dispute are already well-prepared, I tend to design my mediations to first have a deep understanding of the facts, law, and key players myself, without losing the balance of my role as a facilitator of settlement. I start by having a facilitative approach to mediation, letting the parties exercise self-determination to control their process, interjecting when required. However, I do not shy away from an evaluative approach, when needed, but usually, defer that approach to a later part of the mediation. I remain open-minded throughout the process but focus on the goals of the parties, the rules of the tribunal, and the integrity of the overall mediation process.

Publications

Im-Mediate Resolution: The Role of Lawyer in Out of Court Dispute Resolution, World Bank Group, 2013

International Mediation & ADR Survey, International Mediation Institute, 2016

Interview of President of the United Nations General Assembly, American Bar Association, 2017

Navigating Mediations & Arbitrations: The Young Lawyer’s Practice Guide, ABA Practice Series, 2018

Excellence in Advocacy, Inspiring Stories of Lawyers Leading Change (Forthcoming), 2023

Selected Speaking Engagements

Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, The White House, 2012

Jumpstarting an ADR Practice: Insights from Diverse Neutrals, 2020

Turning Service into Passion: Advancing Your Career as a Non-Profit Board Member, 2020

Mediation Settlement Day, Co-Chair & Moderator, 2020