BRG Adds to Energy & Climate Disputes and International Arbitration Capabilities with Managing Director Laura Hardin in Houston

Global expert services and consulting firm BRG announced today the expansion of its Energy & Climate practice and international arbitration and cross-border disputes capabilities with the addition of Laura Hardin as a managing director in Houston. A well-known practitioner in the international arbitration community, Hardin has been recognized as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal several times.

“Laura’s experience in international energy arbitration will add significant depth to the services our practice provides clients,” said Chris Goncalves, chair of BRG’s Energy & Climate practice. “I’m eager to work alongside Laura on sophisticated and high-stakes global matters.”

For over 30 years, Hardin has provided business valuation, damages quantification and forensic accounting services as an expert witness in arbitrations, with an emphasis on oil and gas, power generation and metals and mining, as well as financial institutions, agribusiness, real estate and telecommunications. She has been engaged on numerous cases brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC), International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), SCC Arbitration Institute, Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Fluent in Russian, Hardin has particular experience testifying in Russian courts and has worked extensively on engagements involving entities in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“Laura is an elite practitioner and thought leader who is well known in the energy disputes and international arbitration communities,” said Tri MacDonald, principal executive officer and president of BRG. “Parties, their counsel and the tribunals in some of the largest and most significant arbitrations in the world increasingly seek advice from BRG’s experts and consultants. We’re thrilled to welcome another leading expert to the team to expand our capacity to support these critical matters.”

Commenting on her appointment, Hardin said: “I’m thrilled to join the talented team that Chris Goncalves and others have built at BRG,” said Hardin. “Between the firm’s strength across the energy industry and in cross-border disputes more broadly, its global platform and impressive client base, BRG was the right choice as I sought to continue scaling my practice.”

Hardin is a frequent speaker on international arbitration-related topics such as damage theory and valuation, specifically of energy assets. She has written articles on valuation and working with expert evidence. Before joining BRG, Hardin was a managing director at a top-ranked business management consulting firm.

Hardin holds an MBA from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in Russian language and literature from Wesleyan University. She is also a certified valuation analyst (CVA) with the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts.