Why Parties Choose Jim Reiman — An Arbitrator With Dual Careers in Law and Business
Jim Reiman, FCIArb, is a commercial arbitrator whose career path sets him apart from the majority of practitioners in the field.
Jim spent nearly two decades as a commercial litigator and transactions attorney in Chicago before building and running domestic and international public and private companies as CEO and board director.
Parties and counsel evaluating arbitrators for complex commercial disputes can contact Reiman ADR to discuss how Jim's dual-career background applies to an upcoming matter.
How Jim Reiman's Dual Career Benefits Parties in Arbitration
Most commercial arbitrators built their careers entirely within law firms or corporate counsel offices. Jim Reiman's career followed a different trajectory.
After 18 years of private practice in commercial litigation and transactions at Chicago law firms, Jim moved into executive leadership — serving as CEO, chairman, and board director of public and private companies across four countries.
Jim's arbitration and business experience spans nearly four decades of combined legal and executive leadership. The table below summarizes the career phases that inform Jim's work in the hearing room.
| Career Phase | Role | Duration |
| Commercial Litigation & Transactions | Partner, Practice Section Chair, and Of Counsel in Chicago law firms | 1980–1998 |
| E-Commerce & Digital Retail (NASDAQ) | EVP, Spectrum Group International — e-commerce operations, JVs with Amazon and eBay | 1999–2002 |
| International Retail (LSE AIM) | CEO & Chairman, EBT Digital Communications — grew revenue from $2.25M to $275M+, 35 to 400+ stores across China | 2002–2011 |
| Aerodynamics & Patents | CEO & Managing Member, Aerofficient LLC — co-inventor of 19 U.S. and foreign patents; products won 2 major industry awards | 2001–2015 |
| Arbitration & Dispute Resolution | Principal, Reiman ADR — Chicago and New York | 2015–Present |
Jim's fluency in both legal doctrine and business operations allows him to grasp the business metrics and legal issues underlying a commercial dispute, focus quickly on determinative facts, ask precise questions during hearings, and deliver well-reasoned awards grounded in commercial reality.
Parties represented by counsel who speak "legalese" and parties whose executives speak "business" both find that Jim understands their language and their priorities.
International Business Experience in the Hearing Room
Jim Reiman built and ran a company in China that he took public on the London Stock Exchange's AIM Market, growing EBT Digital Communications Retail Group from $2.25 million in revenue to more than $275 million with over 400 retail stores.
Jim also served as a negotiator and instructor at TCA Limited, a UK-based China advisory firm, from 2015 to 2021, and has been part of the faculty of the Oxford University Saïd School of Business’ Oxford Programme on Negotiation since 2014 which enrolls students from around the globe.
Jim's international experience equips him to navigate cultural differences and business customs that frequently arise in cross-border arbitration proceedings.
Jim serves on international panels including the ICDR, ICC International Court of Arbitration, SIAC, and AIAC — roster listings that reflect institutional confidence in Jim's ability to preside over disputes involving parties from different legal systems and commercial traditions.
Arbitration Credentials and Institutional Recognition
Jim Reiman earned his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1980 and his Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia University in 1977. He earned his Fellow status from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2014 and serves as a Programme Director for CIArb's international arbitration qualification programs. Jim co-chaired the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Section’s Arbitration Committee from 2024 - 2026, and its International Committee from 2023 - 2024..
Jim holds panel listings across 10+ institutions. The table below lists Jim's primary arbitration panel memberships.
| Institution | Panel Designation |
| American Arbitration Association (AAA) | Large/Complex Cases, Commercial, M&A/Joint Ventures |
| International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) | Panel of Arbitrators |
| ICC International Court of Arbitration | Arbitrator |
| CPR International | International, Real Estate, Insurance, General Commercial |
| Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) | Reserve Panel |
| Asian International Arbitration Center (AIAC) | Commercial Arbitrators' Roster |
| FINRA | Public Arbitrator |
| AHLA | Neutrals Roster |
Jim's full curriculum vitae and professional leadership history provide complete details on all panel appointments, publications, and committee service.
Select Mediation and Dispute Prevention Services
Jim Reiman's practice centers on arbitration, but Jim accepts select mediations involving complex commercial disputes.
The American Arbitration Association appointed Jim to its Master Mediator Panel — a designation reserved for top-rated mediators as evaluated by counsel and selected by a committee of advocates and in-house counsel. Jim is also an accredited International Mediator, a designation earned from the London based Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).
Jim also works as a dispute prevention practitioner with parties in ongoing business relationships — joint ventures, M&A integrations, and licensing agreements — anticipating and resolving differences before they escalate into formal proceedings.
Jim's experience executing multiple cross-border transactions as a CEO and board director, and his negotiation teaching at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School directly inform this preventive approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does business experience matter when choosing a commercial arbitrator?
Commercial disputes involve financial metrics, operational decisions, and contractual obligations that business executives navigate daily. They also involve industry customs and practices. An arbitrator with direct CEO and board-level experience can identify and understand the commercial drivers behind a dispute more readily and with greater sensitivity than one whose career has been limited exclusively to legal practice.
How does Jim Reiman's litigation background benefit parties in arbitration?
Jim Reiman spent 18 years as a commercial litigator at Chicago law firms, handling breach-of-contract claims, joint-venture disputes, and transactional matters. Jim's litigation experience means he understands evidentiary standards, procedural fairness requirements, and the legal doctrines that govern complex commercial disputes from direct practice.
What international business experience does Jim Reiman bring to cross-border arbitration?
Jim Reiman served as CEO and Chairman of EBT Digital Communications Retail Group in China, leading the company's public listing on the London Stock Exchange's AIM Market and growth (much of which was through M&A transactions) from 33 stores to over 400). Jim also created and ran as Managing Member a US and Canadian manufacturing and industrial products company.
How does Jim Reiman manage efficiency in complex arbitration proceedings?
Jim Reiman manages each proceeding by continuously balancing time, cost, and procedural fairness. Jim limits the number of his active matters to assure his ability to timely schedule evidentiary hearings, promptly hear motions, and issue prompt rulings.
What industries has Jim Reiman worked in outside of legal practice?
Jim Reiman has held executive leadership roles in e-commerce and digital retail at a NASDAQ-listed company, international consumer electronics retail in China, and industrial manufacturing and aerodynamic device design, where Jim co-invented 19 United States and foreign patents. He has also currently serves or has served on the boards of directors of public and private companies in the energy, insurance, manufacturing, trucking, and for profit education industries. Jim's cross-industry background informs his understanding of diverse commercial disputes.
Does Jim Reiman teach or train other arbitration practitioners?
Jim Reiman serves as a Programme Director, tutor, and past exam grader for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators' international arbitration qualification programs. Jim also teaches arbitration and mediation skills in American Arbitration Association education programs, and negotiation to senior executives, government officials, and professionals at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School through the Oxford Programme on Negotiation. He also guest lectures at bar and business association programs and business and law schools in the US and other countries, presenting topics addressing negotiation, arbitration, mediation, and dispute prevention.
How does Jim Reiman handle cultural differences in international arbitration?
Jim Reiman's experience building and running a company in China with over 400 retail locations and managing cross-border joint ventures exposed Jim directly to differing business customs, communication styles, and commercial expectations. Jim applies that firsthand cultural fluency when presiding over international arbitration proceedings involving parties from different jurisdictions.
What book did Jim Reiman write about negotiation?
Jim Reiman authored Negotiation Simplified: A Framework and Process for Understanding and Improving Negotiation Results, published by Amplify Publishing in 2022. The book received the Nonfiction Authors Association Gold Award, the NYC Big Book Award, and the Independent Press Association Gold Award..
