BCDR and the International Treaty Forum host a conference in Bahrain on international investment arbitration in the MENA region - Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution (BCDR)

The Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution (BCDR-AAA), in conjunction with the Investment Treaty Forum (ITF) of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL), held a conference on December 10, 2015, in Bahrain on “International Investment Arbitration in the MENA Region.”

From left to right: H.E. Sh. Khalid Ali Al-Khalifa, Mr. Rashid Abdelrahman and Mr. Abdulla Albuainain

Attendees at the conference

BCDR-AAA’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nassib G. Ziadé, noted in his welcoming remarks that “MENA countries are increasingly facing investment disputes at a time when regional awareness in this field is limited. It was thus imperative to familiarize governmental lawyers and practitioners in the Region with this discipline.” He pointed out that the conference “attracted over 130 participants traveling all the way from Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Germany, Austria, the U.K. and the U.S.” Professor Ziadé pledged that he will “continue to bring similar events to the Region.”

Prof. Nassib G. Ziadé speaking at the opening address. From left to right: Dr. N. Jansen Calamita, Prof. Nassib G. Ziadé, H.E. Sh. Khalid Al-Khalifa and Mr. Timothy Lemay

The conference focused on numerous topics, including:

Avoiding and Addressing Conflicts of Interest in Arbitral Appointments
Post Award Recourse
Bilateral and Multilateral Investment Agreements in the Arab World: The Rediscovery of the Investment Agreement of the Arab League and the Islamic Conference
What’s Next for the MENA Region and Investment Treaties? Are Arab States Being Left Behind?

The opening address was attended by H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments; Mr. Timothy Lemay, Principal Legal Officer at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL); Dr. N. Jansen Calamita, Director of the ITF; and Professor Nassib G. Ziadé.

The panel at the opening address. From left to right: Dr. N. Jansen Calamita, Prof. Nassib G. Ziadé, H.E. Sh. Khalid Al-Khalifa and Mr. Timothy Lemay

The opening address

The conference was divided into four panel sessions and a closing session, which featured Professor Jan Paulsson of Three Crowns LLP.

The first session on “Avoiding and Addressing Conflicts of Interest in Arbitral Appointments” was chaired by Dr. Philippe Leboulanger, Senior Partner at Cabinet Leboulanger and Associés, and included presentations by Mr. Brooks Daly, Deputy Secretary-General and Principal Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), Ms. Fatma Khalifa, Counselor at the Foreign Disputes Department of the Egyptian State Lawsuits Authority (ESLA), and Professor Nassib G. Ziadé.

The first session panelists. From left to right: Mr. Brooks Daly, Prof. Nassib G. Ziadé, Ms. Fatma Khalifa
and Dr. Philippe Leboulanger

During the first session. From left to right: Mr Brooks Daly, Prof. Nassib G. Ziadé and Dr. Philippe Leboulanger

Ms. Fatma Khalifa speaking during the first session

Mr. Brooks Daly speaking during the first session

Prof. Nassib G. Ziadé speaking during the first session

The second session, entitled “Taking Another Bite at the Apple? Post-Award Recourse,” was chaired by Dr. Antonio R. Parra, Senior Consultant at the World Bank and Honorary Secretary-General of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), and it included presentations by Dr. Gordon Blanke, Partner at DWF (Middle East) LLP, Dr. Georgios Petrochilos, Partner at Three Crowns LLP, and Mr. Iain Maxwell, Of Counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills.

The second session panelists. From left to right: Dr. Gordon Blanke, Dr. Georgios Petrochilos, Dr. Antonio Parra
and Mr. Iain Maxwell

Dr. Antonio Parra speaking during the second session

Dr. Georgios Petrochilos speaking during the second session

The third session dealt with “Bilateral and Multilateral Investment Agreements in the Arab World” and was chaired by Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf, Director of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA). It included presentations by Professor Adnan Amkhan Bayno, Head of Mena Chambers, Dr. Nagla Nassar, Founding Partner at Nassar Law, and Mr. Dany Khayat, Partner at Mayer Brown.

The third session panelists. From left to right: Mr. Dany Khayat, Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf, Prof. Adnan Amkhan Bayno
and sitting Dr. Nagla Nassar

Dr. Nagla Nassar speaking during the third session

Mr. Dany Khayat speaking during the third session

Panelists during the third session

Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf speaking during the third session

The fourth session, entitled “What Next for the MENA Region and Investment Treaties? Are Arab States Being Left Behind?,” was chaired by Dr. N. Jansen Calamita and included presentations by Dr. Raëd Fathallah, Partner at Bredin Prat, Ms. Anne K. Hoffmann, Special Counsel at Al Tamimi & Co., and Dr. Karim A. Youssef, Head of Middle East Arbitration at Amereller Legal Consultants.

The fourth session panelists. From left to right: Dr. Karim Youssef, Ms. Anne K. Hoffmann, Dr. N. Janssen Calamita
and Dr. Raëd Fathallah