7TH ICC MENA CONFERENCE 2019
| Location: | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Date: | 3-4 March 2019 |
| Event Type: | Conference |
| Language: | English & Arabic |
- Practising lawyers
- Corporate counsel
- Arbitrators
- Mediators
- Business professionals and academics coming from or doing business in the MENA region
Description
Taking place on 4 March 2019, this annual conference is a "must attend" for arbitration professionals who want to keep up to date on the latest arbitration developments in the MENA region.
The conference will offer a line-up of top-class speakers, topical discussions and relevant news, but also an excellent opportunity to network.
Who should attend?
The ICC Institute Advanced Level Seminar on "Amicable Settlement of disputes" will take place on 3 March 2018.
Conference Programme
| Monday 4 March 2019 | |
| 09.00-09.10 | Welcome Address |
| Alexis Mourre, President, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris | |
| Ali Al Aidarous, Managing Attorney, Al Aidarous Advocates & Legal Consultants, Dubai; Chairman, ICC UAE Commission on Arbitration & ADR | |
| Linda Fitz-Alan, Registrar and Chief Executive, Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts | |
| 09.10-09.30 | Opening Key Note Speech |
| Yas Banifatemi, Partner and Deputy practice leader, International Arbitration Practice, Shearman & Sterling, France; Vice-President, ICC International Court of Arbitration | |
| 09.30-10.30 | Roundtable: The role of arbitral organizations in the development of international arbitral practice This roundtable will feature eminent representatives of leading arbitral organizations (ICC/IBA, UNCITRAL ICCA, CIArb and IFCAI) who will discuss the significant role played by these bodies in shaping the best practices and sustaining the attractiveness of arbitration as a fair, neutral and efficient method of dispute resolution. |
| Samaa Haridi, Vice Chair, Arbitration Committee, IBA; Partner, Hogan Lovells US LLP, United States | |
| Leonora Riesenburg, Branch Chair, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UAE Branch, Dubai | |
| Michael Schneider, President of UNCITRAL Working Group II, having revised the Arbitration Rules and the Notes on Organising Arbitral Proceedings; Partner, Lalive, Switzerland | |
| Ismail Selim, Secretary Treasurer, International Federation of Commercial Arbitration Institutions (IFCAI) | |
| Anke C. Sessler, Member, ICCA Governing Board; Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | |
| Chair Alexis Mourre | |
| 10.30-11.00 | Discussion |
| 11.00-11.30 | Coffee break |
| 11.30-12.30 | Complex arbitrations: Assessing the efficacy of ICC reforms This interactive session will take stock of ICC's vast experience in handling procedurally complex arbitral phenomena. Speakers will discuss how the practices applied under the 2012 and 2017 ICC Rules increase efficiency and help prevent delaying and disruptive tactics, while balancing due process concerns. The panel will engage in a practical analysis of how the provisions of Articles 6-10 and those of Article 12.8 of the Rules have been applied to real-lige situations, and discuss issues such as the appointment of all members of arbitral tribunal in multipolar arbitrations, the requirements for joinder of additional parties, addressing and balancing the risk of contradicting decisions and the risk of prejudgment when consolidating of two or more arbitrations, etc. Thoughts will also be shared on whether the existing framework is already giving rise to new practices which, in turn, foster the emergence of a way forward into the future. |
| José Feris, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs, France; former Deputy Secretary General, ICC International Court of Arbitration | |
| Simon Greenberg, Partner, Clifford Chance, France; former Deputy Secretary General, Court Member, ICC International Court of Arbitration | |
| Asli Yilmaz, Counsel, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris | |
| Chair Alexander G. Fessas, Secretary General, ICC International Court of Arbitration; Director, ICC Dispute Resolution Services, Paris | |
| 12.30-13.00 | Discussion |
| 13.00-14.30 | Lunch |
| 14.30-17.45 | Cross-industry overview of disputes in the MENA: landscape and disruptive trends Traditionally, the infrastructure and energy sectors have been central in generating disputes going to ICC arbitration. While they remain the leading industry sectors in the region, telecommunications and other specialized technologies have also consolidated their place as important dispute-generating industries. This afternoon session will present an opportunity to hear from practitioners in the traditional dispute-generating industries in the region on the contemporary challenges posed by such disputes, alongside experts in new technologies who will debate how these emerging trends and technologies have been reshaping the landscape of international arbitration in the MENA. |
| [14.30-15.15] | Infrastructure and Energy: old questions and new This panel will share their expertise to address topical questions of liability in construction and engineering disputes in the region, and discuss the status of energy disputes triggered by the downturn experienced lately in this sector. In so doing, the panel will also discuss the role of MENA states and state entities in infrastructure and energy disputes. In the same context, speakers will shed light on situations where infrastructure or energy-related projects give rise to claims under both investor-state treaties and contractual arrangements. The discussion will extend to the renewable energies and other and alternative energy solutions, namely how new technologies (storage technologies/smart grids etc.) revolutionize the infrastructure and energy sectors and generate new business/partnership models and what types of disputes are likely to arise in these sectors in the future? |
| Mahmoud Reza Firoozmand, former Legal Director NIOC | |
| Joseph Huse, Founding Partner, Newton Legal Group, Bahrain | |
| Michelle Nelson, Partner, Reed Smith, Dubai, UAE | |
| Chair Amani Khalifa, Principal, Khalifa, Egypt | |
| 15.15-15.45 | Discussion |
| 15.45-16.15 | Coffee break |
| 16.15-17.00 | Telecommunications related disputes and the impact of new technologies and IoT (Internet of Things) Given the high-value investments undertaken normally by telecommunication operators, arbitration appears increasingly as a preferred dispute resolution method in this sector. In this heavily regulated industry, the arbitrability of disputes is being accepted in many countries. The panel will shed light on the different forms of disputes that arise in this sector whether inter–operator disputes, disputes between operators and business partners or between foreign operators, regulators and hosting state entities. Furthermore, panelists will discuss the disruptive impact of new technologies and IoT (Internet of Things) on the infrastructure partnership agreements and the arising disputes in this sector. |
| Nadim Bardawil, Senior Associate, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates LLP, Dubai, UAE | |
| Joseph Kisrwani, Senior Legal Counsel, Etisalat Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE | |
| Simel Sarialioglu, Counsel, Paksoy, Turkey | |
| Chair Aysha Mutaywea, Resident Partner, Mena Chambers Bahrain, Bahrain | |
| 17.00-17.30 | Discussion |
| 17.30-18.00 | Closing Speech: An outlook on the future of international institutional arbitration with special focus on the Mena Region The closing speech will address the following two perspectives: first, the importance of good governance in arbitral institutions and the relevance to the MENA region of having institutions with robust and progressive governance frameworks featuring transparency, neutrality and fair process. And second, the hot question of what impact, if any, the 4th industrial (technological) revolution has had or will have on international arbitration. Will artificial intelligence, blockchain and smart contracts change the way arbitration users and arbitral institutions operate in the near or more distant future? |
| Michael Black QC, XXIV Barristers' Chambers, United Kingdom | |
| Introductory remarks Hassan Saeed, Managing Partner, ICLO, Abu Dhabi, UAE | |
| 18.00-18-15 | Concluding remarks |
| Sami Houerbi, Director for Eastern Mediterranean, Middel East & Africa, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Abu Dhabi/Tunis | |
| 18.30 | Cocktail Reception |
Conference Speakers
| Keynote speaker | |
| Yas Banifatemi | Partner and Deputy practice leader, International Arbitration Practice, Shearman & Sterling, France; Vice-President, ICC International Court of Arbitration |
| ICC Representatives | |
| Alexis Mourre | President, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris |
| Alexander G. Fessas | Secretary General, ICC International Court of Arbitration; Director, ICC Dispute Resolution Services, Paris |
| Sami Houerbi | Director for Eastern Mediterranean, Middle-East & Africa, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Abu Dhabi/Tunis |
| Asli Yilmaz | Counsel, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris |
| Speakers | |
| Ali Al Aidarous | Managing Attorney, Al Aidarous Advocates & Legal Consultants; Chairman, ICC UAE Commission on Arbitration and ADR |
| Nedim Bardawi | Senior Associate, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates LLP, Dubai, UAE |
| Michael Black QC | XXIV Barristers' Chambers, United Kingdom |
| José Feris | Partner, Squire Patton Boggs, France; former Deputy Secretary General, ICC International Court of Arbitration |
| Samaa Haridi | Vice Chair, Arbitration Committee, IBA; Partner, Hogan Lovells US LLP, United States |
| Linda Fitz-Alan | Registrar and Chief Executive, Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts, United Arab Emirates |
| Simon Greenberg | Partner, Clifford Chance, France; former Deputy Secretary General; Court Member, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris |
| Joseph Huse | Founding Partner, Newton Legal Group, Kingdom of Bahrain |
| Amani Khalifa | Principal, Khalifa, Egypt |
| Joseph Kirswani | Senior Legal Counsel, Etisalat Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Aysha Mutaywea | Resident Partner, Mena Chambers Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain |
| Michelle Nelson | Partner, Reed Smith, United Arab Emirates |
| Leonora Reisenburg | Branch Chair, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UAE Branch |
| Mahmoud Reza Firoozmand | Former Legal Director, NIOC |
| Hassan Saeed | Managing Partner, International Consultant Law Office (ICLO), United Arab Emirates |
| Simel Sarialioglu, FCIArb | Counsel, Paksoy, Turkey |
| Ismail Selim | Secretary Treasurer, International Federation of Commercial Arbitration Institutions (IFCAI) |
| Anke C. Sessler | Member, ICCA Governing Board; Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Germany |
Training Programme
| Sunday 3 March 2019 | |
| 09.00-09.15 | Welcoming address, introduction and presentation of the seminar |
| Michael Schneider | |
| Patricia Peterson | |
| 09.15-10.00 | Should arbitrators act as settlement facilitators? – The arbitrator's role: decision maker v facilitator – The parties' expectations – Settlement facilitation v mediation – An emergency transnational standard? |
| Michael Schneider, Partner, Lalive, Switzerland | |
| Sana Belaid, Senior Counsel, CISCO, United Arab Emirates | |
| 10.00-10.30 | Q&A |
| 10.30-10.45 | Coffee break |
| 10.45-11.30 | Indirect Settlement Facilitation by Arbitrators – The "Arbitrator's role continuum" – General timing issues – Specific techniques and their potential impact on settlement |
| Nagla Nassar, Partner, Nassar Law, Egypt | |
| 11.30-12.30 | Q&A and case scenarios |
| 12.30-13.30 | Lunch |
| 13.30-14.15 | Direct Settlement Facilitation by Arbitrators – General timing issues – Specific techniques – The impact of failed settlement discussions on arbitral proceedings – Introduction to the settlement conference technique |
| Catherine Kessedjian, Arbitrator and Mediator; Director of a Master programme in European Law; Deputy Director of the European College of Paris and Professor of European Business Law, Private International Law, Internatioal Dispute Resolution and International Commercial Arbitration at the University of Panthéon-Assas, Paris II, France | |
| Peter Thorp, Independent Arbitrator, Thorp Arbitration, France | |
| 14.15-15.15 | Simulation of a settlement conference – Q&A |
| 15.15 – 15.35 | Coffee break |
| 15.35 – 16.20 | Drafting an Award by Consent: ICC practice – The arbitral tribunal's powers in relation to consent awards – Procedure – Contents – Public policy and enforcement issues |
| Patricia Peterson, Chartered Arbitrator, France; Member, ICC Institute of World Business Law | |
| Asli Yilmaz, Counsel, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris | |
| 16.20 – 17.20 | Q&A and case scenarios |
| 17.20 – 17.30 | Closing remarks |
Training Speakers
| CO-CHAIRS OF THE SEMINAR | |
| Patricia Peterson | Chartered Arbitrator, France; Member, ICC Institute of World Business Law |
| Michael Schneider | Partner, Lalive, Switzerland |
| SPEAKERS | |
| Sana Belaid | Senior Counsel, CISCO, United Arad Emirates |
| Nadia Darwaezh | Partner, Clyde & Co, France |
| Catherine Kassedjian | Arbitrator and Mediator; Professor emerita, University of Panthéon-Assas, Paris II, France |
| Nagla Nassar | Partner, Nassar Law, Egypt |
| Peter Throp | Independent Arbitrator, Thorp Arbitration, France |
| Asli Yilmaz | Counsel, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris |
Registration
Please use the following code ARE-5456 when registering
| Early-bird until 31 January 2019 €489 (around AED 2 038)* |
| ICC member €569 (around AED 2 371)* |
| Non-member €712 (around AED 2 967)* |
| Advanced Seminar: Amicable settlement of disputes |
| Early-bird until 31 January 2019 €515 (around AED 2 146)* |
| ICC member €599 (around AED 2 496)* |
| Non-member €749 (around AED 3 122)* |
| Package: Seminar and Conference (20% discount) |
Logistical Notes
| Dates and venue | Dates: 3-4 March 2019 Venues: Conference: ADGM Auditorium ADGM Authorities Building Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Seminar: Zayed hearing room ADGM Auditorium Centre, Level 20, Al Maqam Tower Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Registration fees | 7th ICC MENA Conference Early bird until 31 January 2019: 489€ (513.45€ incl. VAT, around 2 134 AED) ICC members: 569€ (597.45€ incl. VAT), around 2 483 AED) Non-members: 712€ (747.60€ incl. VAT, around 3 107 AED) |
| ICC Institute Advanced Level Seminar Early bird until 31 January 2019: 515€ (540.75 incl. VAT, around 2 247 AED) ICC members: 599€ (628.95€ incl. VAT, around 2 614 AED) Non-members: 749€ (786.45€ incl. VAT, around 3 268 AED) | |
| Package: Seminar and Conference (20% discount) Early bird until 31 January 2019: 836€ (877.80€ incl. VAT, around 3 648 AED) ICC members: 973€ (1 021.65 incl. VAT, around 4 246 AED) Non-members: 1 217€ (1 277.85€ incl. VAT, around 5 310 AED) | |
| 5% VAT will be applied to these rates. Registration fees include all conference documentation, coffee breaks, lunches and a cocktail reception (for the conference). | |
| Special discounts | Group rates: Register 5 persons from the same company and pay for four. In-house Counsel, full time Academics and Government representatives may benefit from a 30% discount. Please contact events@iccwbo.org for more details. |
| Travel and accommodation | Travel and hotel expenses are not included in the registration fees. Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and hotel reservations. ICC UAE has however secured a room block at the Four Seasons Hotel with preferential rates. A link will be sent upon registration enabling participants to make their reservations directly. |
| Visa | Visa applications for entry into the UAE can take several weeks to process. If travelers from your country of citizenship require a visa to enter the UAE we highly recommend that you begin the visa application process well in advance. |
| Working language | Arabic & English |
| Cancellation policy | 50% of the registration fees will be refunded if notice of cancellation is received in writing before Friday 1 February 2019. Cancellations after this date are not refundable. Subject to agreement from ICC UAE prior to the event, the registration may be transferred to another person from the same company or organization at no extra charge. Updated registration information will be required. Please be informed that any formation of cancellation will incur a cancellation fee of 5€ + 2.75% of the registration fee which must be covered by the participant. Please note that ICC UAE reserves the right to cancel this event or to make minor alterations to the content and timing of the programme or to the identity of the speakers. In the unlikely event of cancellation, delegates will be offered a full refund. ICC UAE will not, however, be held responsible for any related expenses incurred by the participant. |
| Disclaimer | The photos and audiovisual recordings taken at this meeting/event may be used and published by ICC, its subsidiaries or affiliates, for information or promotional purposes in printed materials or online including on ICC websites and social media. Participation in the meeting/event implies agreement to such use of photos or audiovisual recordings in which the participant may appear unless ICC receives written notification to the contrary. |
Sponsorship Opportunities
This conference offers you an unrivalled opportunity to maximize your visibility to practicing lawyers, corporate counsel, business professionals, and academics coming from or doing business in the MENA region.
Click here to learn about ICC MENA Conference sponsorship opportunities.
