Mahnaz Malik

Barrister and arbitrator at Twenty Essex

• Mahnaz has extensive expertise in advising governments, corporations and international organisations on international disputes. Mahnaz has acted as counsel on behalf of both investors and states in several investment and commercial disputes including ICC, ICSID, LCIA and PCA administered arbitrations.
• Mahnaz’s appointment as an arbitrator in EuroGas Inc and Belmont Resources Inc v Republic of Slovakia makes her one of the youngest ever appointed to an ICSID Annulment Committee since records began, and the youngest woman.
• She serves on the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators and was on the editorial board of the ICSID Review.
• She is routinely sought for her expertise in a range of common law systems across Asia and Africa. Mahnaz is particular adept in dealing with states and state entities as parties to international arbitration proceedings.

Publications

• International Law Protections for Foreign Investment in Pakistan [Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2019].
• Expropriation Regime under the Energy Charter Treaty [Energy Charter Secretariat 2012] (co-author).
• ‘IISD Model International Agreement on Investment for Sustainable Development: Background and Progress’ in Sustainable Development in International Investment Law’ [Kluwer 2010].
• International Law Protections for Foreign Investment in Pakistan [Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry].
• ‘SAARC & ASEAN Bilateral Investment Treaties’ presented at the conference on ‘Multilateralism and Regionalism in Global Economic Governance’ held by the Asian International Economic Law Network (AIELN) at the University of Tokyo (3 August 2009).
• UNDP Issues Paper, ‘IIAs signed by CEMAC and ECOWAS Countries: An Exploration of critical linkages with investment provisions in EPAs’ (2008).
• ‘The innovations introduced by the COMESA Common Investment Area (CCIA) with respect to investor protection in IIAs, including the investor-state arbitration process’ in Arbitration and Mediation in the ACP-EU Relations, containing papers from a conference held by the Association for International Arbitration (AIA) in Brussels, May 2008.
• ‘Time for a Change – Germany’s Bilateral Investment Treaty Programme and Development Policy’, Occasional Paper No 27, FES Geneva, November 2006.
• Report on Bilateral Investment Treaties between EU member states and Pacific countries for the Commonwealth Secretariat, 2006.
• Report on Bilateral Investment Treaties between EU member states and Caribbean countries for the Commonwealth Secretariat, 2006.

Awards

• Awarded ‘The Financial Times Legal Innovator of the Year 2007
• ‘Wig & Pen Pro Bono Award’ at the Law Society’s Young Solicitor Group Pro Bono Law Awards (2005)
• Award for ‘The National Trainee Solicitor of the Year’ presented by The Law Society of England and Wales’ Trainee Solicitor Group (2001)
• Award for ‘The National Trainee Solicitor Most Likely to Succeed On The International Stage’ presented by The Law Society of England and Wales’ Trainee Solicitor Group (2001)

Education

• Georgetown University, USA: Georgetown Leadership Programme, School of Foreign Policy (2010)
• University of Cambridge: BA and MA in Law (1998)