Leonora Riesenburg is a seasoned, Independent Arbitrator and Accredited Mediator, registered on arbitration and mediation panels worldwide including notably with AIAC, CRCICA, DIAC, ICC, LCIA, MIAC, SCCA and SIAC, from the UK and in the UAE since 2007. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), and a Certified ADR Practitioner and Fellow of the Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AIADR), practising in arbitration, mediation, conflict management and conflict resolution.A female figurehead in the Adr community and pioneer of excellence in Adr in International Arbitration & Mediation, Barrister in England & Wales, Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales, Advocate DIFC Courts, Honourary Member of the of the DIFC Courts Arbitration Working Group DIFC Courts, Leonora holds coveted honourary roles as a Global Advisory Member with a number of Global Arbitral Institutions including in developing and emerging markets.

Leonora has held leadership roles for the CIArb, including as Branch Chairman CIArb UAE and Independent Member of Board of Management CIArb UK. She is celebrated for her marked contributions to the promulgation and further development of Adr in the UAE and MENA Region having pioneered and facilitated strategic partnerships with the judiciary, arbitral institutions, educational institutions, economic free zones in region. Leonora is a lead trainer in International Arbitration and Commercial Mediation, fully approved for all CIArb courses and accelerated routes in Arbitration and Mediation, and a Regional Pathway Leader for the CIArb MENA Region. During her chairmanship for the CIArb UAE Branch, she introduced mediation to the UAE in 2017 with the introduction of the 40 hour Commercial Mediation Training and Assessment, ran successfully for 3 years, and in 2020 co-developed and lead the Virtual Module 1 Mediation Course for CIArb London, running since. Leonora is also a trainer and assessor for the expert witness testimony certificate for Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK and MENA.

Prior to setting up her independent practice INTADR in DMCC Dubai, Leonora worked in private practice as a Senior Consultant and Advocate with a top ranking UAE legal firm in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and in-house as Group Head of Legal / General Counsel of a Dubai headquartered public investment conglomerate. Leonora is decorated with many prestigious awards, voted ‘Adr Specialist of the Year Middle East’ (Acquisition International 2021 Legal Awards), ‘Best Female ADR Specialist Middle East’ (Acquisition International 2020 Legal Awards),‘Outstanding Woman of the Year’ by the International Arbitrators and Engineering Experts Community in the UAE (2019 IAEE UAE Awards), ‘Most Influential Woman in ADR in the Middle East’ (Acquisition International 2019 Legal Awards), ‘Mediator of the Year in the UAE’ (Acquisition International 2018 Dispute Resolution Awards), and ‘Arbitrator of the Year in the UAE’ (Acquisition International 2017 Dispute Resolution Awards) to name a few. Whilst in private practice, she was rated by Legal 500 Global in Dispute Resolution, and Banking & Finance. She is regularly invited to speak at conferences and events throughout the globe, including in Asia, Australasia, Europe, MENA and UK.