Kinan H. Romman

Kinan Romman represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters, including business contract disputes, securities litigation, oil & gas litigation, high-stakes employment litigation, and technology-centered cases. He regularly appears on behalf of individuals and businesses in state and federal court, as well as in international arbitration proceedings.

Mr. Romman graduated in the top 5% of his class from the University of Houston Law Center where he served as Notes and Comments Editor of the Houston Law Review and earned several academic distinctions. Following graduation, Mr. Romman joined Fulbright & Jaworski’s international disputes practice.

Mr. Romman has worked on several high-profile international cases, including some of the largest commercial and investor-state arbitrations ever filed. Mr. Romman’s international arbitration experience spans a number of arbitral institutions worldwide, such as the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA/ICDR), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, France (CAS).

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Romman worked as a software engineer and technology consultant at Hitachi Consulting. At Hitachi, Mr. Romman assisted Fortune 500 clients with the implementation of large-scale, customized software solutions.

EDUCATION

University of Houston Law Center, J.D., magna cum laude, 2007
- Order of the Coif
- Order of the Barons
- Notes & Comments Editor, Houston Law Review
- Highest Grade in the Class: Contract Law, International Commercial Arbitration, and Complex Comparative Litigation

The University of Texas at Austin, B.B.A. in MIS, with honors, 2001
- University of Texas College Scholar

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Mr. Romman is currently representing the plaintiff in an 8-figure oil and gas dispute in connection with the plaintiff’s rights to a number of corporate entities operating mineral leases in East Texas.

Mr. Romman is currently representing a quantitative research scientist in a multi-million dollar copyright and trade secret dispute concerning high-volume automated trading software.

In 2010, Mr. Romman represented a former news director of KPRC Channel 2 News in a high-stakes executive employment dispute where $3.2 Million in damages were claimed. Mr. Romman assisted in securing a total victory for his client, as all of the plaintiff’s claims were dismissed.

In 2009, Mr. Romman represented a Canadian drilling rig fabricator in a million-dollar dispute with a Texas oilfield equipment manufacturing company. Mr. Romman played a key role in negotiating a settlement where his client, the defendant, obtained significant assets from the plaintiff while securing the dismissal of all the plaintiff’s claims.

In 2009, Mr. Romman represented a Middle Eastern power plant corporation in a $25 million international tax controversy with a state-owned Latin American energy company. Mr. Romman assisted in securing a very large sum for his client, the claimant.

In 2008, Mr. Romman represented a California software company in a complex technology/securities dispute with Texas investors, which included breach of fiduciary duty allegations and myriad securities claims. Mr. Romman assisted in securing a favorable settlement for his client, the defendant.

In 2007, Mr. Romman represented a Turkish drilling rig contractor in a $10 million dispute with a Georgian oil & gas exploration company in an international arbitration before the ICDR. Mr. Romman assisted in the successful filing of an emergency application for interim relief under Article 37 of the ICDR Rules—the fourth-ever successful application of its kind. He also assisted in obtaining a favorable settlement for his client, the respondent.

Mr. Romman has acted as the Secretary to the Tribunal in a number of arbitrations, including an international sports dispute where the eligibility of an athlete to compete in the Olympics was at stake, and several complex business cases before the AAA.

PUBLICATIONS

Co-Author with C. Mark Baker, “The Role of the Institution in Taming Electronic Disclosure, ”Between East and West: Essays in Honour of Ulf Franke, 2010

“The Middle East Year in Review: Turkey,” 44 The International Lawyer 733, 2010

“Section 1782 Applications to Obtain Discovery in International Arbitration: Are U.S. Courts Beginning to Take a More Conservative Stance?,” 2009 Fulbright International Arbitration Report - Issue 2

“The Middle East Year in Review: Egypt,” 43 The International Lawyer 1148, 2009

Co-Author with C. Mark Baker, Jonathan Sutcliffe, and Kirsten Wilson, “Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards in Russia: Improving, But Still Uncertain,” Oil, Gas & Energy Law Intelligence, Vol. 7 - Issue 2, OGEL special issue on EU-Russia relations, 2009

“Applications Under Section 1782 to Obtain Discovery in International Arbitration: An Update,” 2009 Fulbright International Arbitration Report – Issue 1

Co-Author with C. Mark Baker, “Due Process Begins with the Constitution of the Tribunal: Are Parties, Counsel, and Arbitrators on the Right Track?,” International Bar Association Conference Publication, 2009

Co-Author with C. Mark Baker, “The Unequal Playing Field: Companies Subject to Section 1782 in International Arbitration,” Benchmark Litigation, 2009

“The U.S. Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007,” 2008 Fulbright International Arbitration Report

“The Middle East Year in Review: Qatar,” 42 The International Lawyer 1072, 2008

“The Google Book Search Library Project: A Market Analysis Approach to Fair Use,” 43 Houston Law Review 807, 2006 (Awarded Best Houston Law Review Student Paper on Intellectual Property by Howrey L.L.P and Best Student Paper on Computer Law by the State Bar of Texas in a state-wide writing competition in 2006)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Association
Houston Young Lawyers Association
College of the State Bar of Texas
American Bar Association
ICDR Young & International
ICC Young Arbitrators Forum

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Rotaract Club of River Oaks, sponsored by Rotary Club
Houston Bar Association, AIDS Outreach Committee Member
Houston Heights Association
The Arab American Institute

LANGUAGES

Mr. Romman is proficient in spoken Arabic

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