The Association is managed by a President, Treasurer, Secretary General and two other Directors. They form the Board of Directors.
The Association also periodically holds general assemblies of all members.


Anne-Marie Witters
Anne-Marie Witters, Secretary General

Current activities:
Judge at the Court of appeal of Brussels (section Market Court) since March 2019
President of the Dutchspeaking section (21N) responsible for conciliation and ADR in general at the Court of appeal of Brussels
Deputy to the First President of the Court of appeal of Brussels
European coordinator of AECLJ (association for judges specialised in competition law)
Co-President of GEMME Belgium (association of judges promoting ADR)

Previous professional activities:
Judge at the Enterprises Court of Brussels, Belgium (from March 2013 until March 2019)
Member of the Federal Mediation Commission (2009-2013)
Certified Mediator in civil, commercial and social matters (2006-2013)
“VWEW” now “Tilia” (October 1993 – March 2013) Partner, Lawyer, Member of the Brussels bar


Caroline Verbruggen
Caroline Verbruggen,
Board Member

Born in Brussels in 1971. Master in law, ULB, 1993 (Summa con laude, Prix René Marcq): LLM, Duke University, U.S.A, 1994 (Fulbright scholar).
First career as a lawyer in a global law firm in Brussels, teaching assistant at the ULB (law of obligations and law of contracts), certified mediator in civil, commercial and social matters (2008-2013), trained in procedure before the Supreme Court (« Certificat d’aptitude au contentieux devant la Cour de cassation ») (2003 – 2007).
Becomes a judge in 2013 with the Court of first instance of Brussels and is appointed to the Court of appeal of Brussels in 2017.
Currently sits at the section Market Court, presides the French-speaking section (21F) responsible for conciliation and ADR in general at the Court of appeal of Brussels, and sits at a contract law section (5F) of the same Court.
Member of GEMME Belgium, member of the Editorial board of b-Arbitra (Belgian review on arbitration) and author of various publications in the fields of arbitration, ADR, and others.
 
 


Joao Ferreira Pinto
Joao Ferreira Pinto,
Board Member

Data Protection Officer (DPO) appointed to the Portuguese Supreme Court of Justice.
Lawyer in Portugal with almost 25 years’ experience, 13 of which dedicated to Digital Law, particularly eCommerce, digital marketing, protection of personal data, ePrivacy, cybersecurity and legal project management.
Attaché for Digital Affairs in Brussels, at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union (REPER), during the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union (PPUE21).
Invited lecturer at Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa (Lisbon Law Faculty):
Guest Speaker at ERA Academy of European Law (Trier, Germany):
Master’s degree in „Information Security and Cyberspace Law“ at Instituto Superior Técnico da Universidade de Lisboa (Lisbon University).
Law degree at Universidade Lusíada (Lisboa).
 
 


Jean-Philippe Rageade
Jean-Philippe Rageade, Board Member

Born in Paris in 1970. Baccalaureate in 1988. Studied in French and German Law at the University Paris-X Nanterre. LL.M. at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster (1993). D.E.A. in Business Law at the University Paris-I Panthéon-Sorbonne (1994).

Following various traineeships in law firms and large companies, lecturer in Economic Criminal Law at the University of Paris-IX Dauphine (1996/1998) and in French Law at the University Bielefeld (1997/1998). Preparation of a study for the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations concerning professional ethics in German banking and securities law (1996-1998).

Academic assistant at the Institute for International and Comparative Law of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich – Chair of Professor Hans Jürgen Sonnenberger (1998/2003).

Lawyer at the law firm Arendt & Medernach in Luxembourg (2003/2005).

ERA Deputy Director from October 2005 to December 2020. Director since January 2021. Various publications mainly in (comparative) law of obligations and law of capital markets.