Founder & President, CIICA
Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
Partner, Rana Ijaz & Partners (Law firm)
Advocate High Court, Pakistan
Member, New York Bar
Member, Approved Faculty List (AFL) of CIArb
LL.M. Columbia University, New York
Member, Panel of Arbitrators, European Court of Arbitration (Irish Branch)
Member, Panel of Arbitrators, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA)
Arbitrator, Hangzhou Arbitration Commission (HAC)
CAREER SUMMARY
Rana Sajjad is a dual-qualified lawyer (licensed in New York and Pakistan) having over 15 years’ experience of practicing law in Pakistan and the U.S. in the practice areas including contracts, cross-border transactions, commercial litigation and domestic and international arbitration. He has acted as co-counsel on international arbitration proceedings including international arbitration proceedings under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) – London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). He has also advised and represented clients in connection with court proceedings involving enforcement of international arbitration agreements.
Sajjad has advised clients in the energy, technology, telecom, manufacturing and construction sectors and has also represented clients before courts and arbitral tribunals in matters involving contractual, commercial and investment disputes.
Sajjad is one of only two practising lawyers in Pakistan who have attained fellowship of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). He is also the only lawyer in Pakistan who is a member of the Approved Faculty List (AFL) of CIArb for domestic and international arbitration law, practice and procedure.
Before joining the Lahore-based law firm of Rana Ijaz & Partners in September, 2008, Sajjad worked in the U.S. for some leading large law firms including Fulbright & Jaworski. His practice areas in the U.S. included international commercial arbitration, securities & capital markets, antitrust law and mergers & acquisitions.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- “Arbitration Serving Belt and Road Finance and Infrastructure Construction”, Belt and Road Arbitration Institutions Roundtable Forum, Beijing, China, November 2019
- “Global Investment and Cross Border E-Commerce Trade Under the “Belt and Road” Initiative: Dispute Resolution Mechanism”, The 3rd Cross Border E-Commerce and “the Belt and Road” International Trade Dispute Resolution Forum, Hangzhou, China, October 2019
- “The Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators 5th Annual Law Review & Conference”, Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 2018
- “Vision for Justice: 2027”, 3rd Provincial Judicial Conference, Sindh Judicial Academy, Karachi, January 2018
- “Innovation and Improvement in the Service of E-Commerce Dispute Settlement”, The 2nd Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Summit, Hangzhou, China, November 2017
- “Roundtable Conference on Arbitration 2016”, Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore, December 2016
- “Comparative Study on Legal Education and Ethics in Two Islamic Neighbor Countries: Current Situation and Future Perspectives”, International Legal Ethics Conference VII 2016, Fordham University, New York, July 2016
- “Contracts in International Trade and Commerce”, Karachi Chamber of Commerce, Karachi, September 2015
TRAINING WORKSHOPS/COURSES
- “Global Experience in Commercial Dispute Resolution”, Capacity Building and Training Workshop for Commercial and Overseas Court Judges organized by Punjab Judicial Academy in collaboration with the World Bank Group and P&D Department (PIU), Punjab Judicial Academy, Lahore, September 2020
- “Introduction to International Arbitration”, Introductory lecture organized by the University College Lahore (UCL) in collaboration with ADR ODR International and ADR Initiative, UCL, Lahore, October 2019
- “Handling Domestic and International Arbitration”, Training workshop on domestic and international arbitration, NUST, Islamabad, May 2019
- “HR Confluence 2018”, Workshop on negotiation strategies and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Methods, LUMS, Lahore, April 2018
- “Arbitration and Legal Drafting” Lahore High Court Bar Association training workshop, Lahore High Court, Lahore October 2017
- “Written Advocacy in International Arbitration”, Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) training workshop, LUMS, Lahore, April 2017
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- “Pakistan’s $6 billion mistake” (The Nation, August 2019)
-
Pakistan’s Experience in International Investment Arbitration and Corruption Claims Legal Framework for International Arbitration and Seminal Judgments of the Supreme Court” (International Journal of Arab Arbitration Volume 11 – No. (2) 2019;
- BRI and CPEC: Dispute resolution mechanisms” (Tribune, March 2018)
- Pakistan’s Legal Framework for International Arbitration and Seminal Judgments of the Supreme Court” (International Journal of Arab Arbitration Volume 9 – No. (2) 2017;
- “CPEC: ABCs of commercial investment dispute resolution” (Tribune, November 2017);
- “The disaster of international arbitration of RPPs” (Tribune, September 2017);
- “Reko Diq case” (Dawn, April, 2017);
- “Legal ramifications of India’s unilateral withdrawal from IWT” (Tribune, Oct 2016);
- “Reko Diq arbitration: Can there be a settlement?” (Tribune, Aug 2015);
- “Importance of international arbitration” (Tribune, May 2015);
- “Amending laws to allow Chinese investment” (Tribune; Jan 2014);
- “Reko Diq: the other side” (Dawn, Feb 2013);
- “Reko Diq muddle” (Tribune, Feb 2012)