News & Events

JANUARY, 2018

 

CIICA’s President, Mr. Rana Sajjad, invited to speak on institutional arbitration at the 3rd Provincial Judicial Conference organized by the Sindh Judicial Academy

 

Mr. Rana Sajjad’s talk/presentation covered institutional arbitration and how it could enhance access to justice and facilitate litigants.  The conference was part of the Sindh Judicial Academy’s “Vision for Justice: 2027” project aimed at bringing together all stakeholders of the justice sector to find ways to facilitate litigants. All provincial Chief Justices and the Chief Justice of Pakistan participated in the conference:

 

 

 

 

 

DECEMBER, 2017

 

World Justice Project (WJP) chooses CIICA as one of the leading organizations in Pakistan working towards civil justice

 

WJP is the world’s leading database on rule of law. Civil justice is one of WJP’s Rule of Law index factors that recognizes the value of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms and measures the accessibility, impartiality and efficiency of mediation and arbitration systems that enable parties to resolve civil disputes:

 

https://worldjusticeproject.org/leading-organizations?geography=175&factor=2648&name&=Search

 

 

CIICA’s President, Mr. Rana Sajjad, recommended as Pakistan’s international arbitration expert by Global Law Experts (GLE)

 

GLE is the only organization that recommends just one legal expert in each key practice area and country:

 

http://www.globallawexperts.com/CompanyProfile.aspx?PID=5252&country=116&practicearea=0&pagenum=

 

 

 

NOVEMBER, 2017

 

CIICA President’s op-ed on the importance of effective dispute resolution methods under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework:

 

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1561445/6-cpec-abcs-commercial-investment-dispute-resolution/

 

 

OCTOBER, 2017

 

October 26-27, 2017

 

THE 2nd GLOBAL CROSS-BORDER E-COMMERCE SUMMIT, HANGZHOU, CHINA 

 

At the Second Global E-Commerce Summit in Hangzhou, China, Mr. Rana Sajjad, President of CIICA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CIICA and the Hangzhou Arbitration Commission.

 

Hangzhou is often referred to as China’s Silicon Valley because of the high number of technology/internet companies located within the Hangzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone. Hangzhou Arbitration Commission is one of the key dispute resolution bodies in eastern China and its MoU with CIICA focuses on collaboration between the two organizations on resolution of disputes involving Pakistani and Chinese parties. This is another step towards CIICA’s global connectivity of dispute resolution centers and this alliance, the first between a Pakistani and Chinese dispute resolution center, is significant in view of the substantial Chinese investment coming into Pakistan under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

 

Mr. Rana Sajjad also spoke at this summit as a member of the international arbitration panel on innovations and improvements in E-commerce dispute resolution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 21, 2017: OBOR/CPEC Conference

 

CIICA and the School of Law and Policy (SLP) jointly organized a conference on October 21st entitled “OBOR and CPEC: The Resolution of Commercial and Investment Disputes,” on the implications of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework with a focus on dispute resolution and whether or not there are any efficient and effective methods for resolution of such disputes in Pakistan.
This conference brought together lawyers from Pakistan, Singapore and the U.K., representatives of Pakistani and Chinese business communities, engineers, economists, policy makers and government officials. The conference provided a forum for discussing and analyzing the relevant issues involved in current and prospective disputes in connection with the substantial Chinese investment under the OBOR, in general, and CPEC, in particular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OBOR AND CPEC: THE RESOLUTION OF COMMERCIAL AND INVESTMENT DISPUTES

 

On behalf of Center for International Investment and Commercial Arbitration (CIICA) and UMT School of Law and Policy (SLP), we are pleased to invite you to attend a conference on the implications of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework for the resolution of commercial and investment disputes and whether or not there are any efficient and effective alternative methods for resolution of such disputes in Pakistan.

The conference will bring together prominent lawyers from Pakistan, UK, and Singapore; representatives of Pakistani and Chinese business communities; and government officials. The conference will provide a forum for discussing and analyzing the relevant issues involved in current and prospective disputes in connection with the substantial Chinese investment under the OBOR, in general, and CPEC, in particular.

 

PROGRAM

 

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Coffee and Registration

 

4:00 pm – 4:10 pm

Welcome Remarks and Introduction

 

Rana Sajjad Ahmad
Founder & President, CIICA

 

Syed Imad ud Din Asad
Founding Director, SLP

 

4:10 – 4:20 pm

Overview of CPEC

 

S.M. Naveed

President, Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry

 

4:20 pm – 5:40 pm

Session 1: Effective Methods for Resolution of OBOR and CPEC Disputes

 

Francis Xavier SC
Regional Head, Disputes Practices, Rajah & Tann;
Vice President, Inter Pacific Bar Association;
Former Chairman (Singapore Branch), Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

 

Dr. Awais-e-Siraj
Team Lead,
Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit, Prime Minister’s Office

 

Makhdoom Ali Khan
Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan;
Former Attorney General of Pakistan

Engr. Zafar Siddiqui
CEO, Engineering and Management Services;
Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

Saadia Bhatty (MCIArb; Esq.)
Counsel, Gide Loyrette Nouel
London, U.K.; 

Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Member, New York Bar

 

 

Dr. Nadia Farooq

Acting Policy Head

Finance & Financial Integration under CPEC

CPEC Center of Excellence

Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE)

5:40 – 6:00 pm

Coffee

 

6:00 pm – 7:20 pm

Session 2: Types of Disputes under CPEC and Potential Synergies for Collaboration between Arbitration and Mediation Institutions in Pakistan and China

 

Justice (Retd.) Arif Hussain Khilji
President, National Centre for Dispute Resolution;
Director General, Sindh Judicial Academy;
Former Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan

 

Wang Zihai
Former President, Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry

 

Arshad Ghaffar
Barrister and Arbitrator, XXIV Old Buildings
London, United Kingdom

 

Ali Zafar
Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan;
Former President, Supreme Court Bar Association

 

Omer Soomro
Barrister-at-Law;
Partner, RIAA Barker Gillette

 

Zulfiqar Ali
Director, Board of Investment

 

7:20 pm – 7:30 pm

Closing remarks

 

Rana Sajjad Ahmad
Founder & President, CIICA

 

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Dinner

 

REGISTRATION

As there is limited space, please confirm your participation, at the earliest, by sending an email to rsvp@ciica.org..

 

 

 

 

CIICA’s President conducts a two-day training course in arbitration and legal drafting at the Lahore High Court

 

The course was part of CIICA’s efforts to build capacity of Pakistani lawyers in arbitration, both domestic and international.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEPTEMBER, 2017

 

CIICA President’s op-ed on the ICSID award of $700 million against the Government of Pakistan in connection with the Rental Power Plants (RPP) dispute with Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim, a Turkish rental power plants company:

 

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1512767/disaster-international-arbitration-rpps/

 

 

JULY, 2017

 

Mr. Gary Born joins CIICA’s Panel of Arbitrators

 

Mr. Gary Born is the chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group. at Wilmer Hale and the President of the Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) Court of Arbitration.  He is widely regarded as the world’s preeminent authority on international commercial arbitration and international litigation and has been ranked for the past 20 years as one of the world’s leading international arbitration practitioners.

 

 

JUNE, 2017

 

CIICA’s President attends the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) 6th Global Conference in New York

 

 

MAY, 2017

 

May 19, 2017

 

Global Arbitration Review (GAR) report entitled “Winds of change in Pakistan” on the groundbreaking events organized and co-organized by CIICA

 

http://globalarbitrationreview.com/article/1141850/winds-of-change-in-pakistan?utm_source=Law+Business+Research&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8314494_GAR+Headlines+20%2F05%2F2017&dm_i=1KSF%2C4Y7I6%2C9GPGEE%2CIT03M%2C1

 

 

May 10, 2017

 

CIICA President’s op-ed on the importance of the groundbreaking events organized by CIICA for the capacity building of Pakistani lawyers in international arbitration

 

 

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1405545/building-capacity-lawyers/

 

 

APRIL, 2017

 

April 29, 2017

 

First-ever Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) workshop in Pakistan organized in collaboration with CIICA, LUMS and Clyde & Co

 

Young ICCA in collaboration with and the support of CIICA, LUMS and Clyde & Co, held a Skills Training Workshop at LUMS, Lahore.  The topic of the workshop was “Written Advocacy in International Arbitration”  and it was conducted by ten speakers over two panels.   Rana Sajjad, President CIICA, moderated the first panel on “How to Prepare Persuasive Written Pleadings”. Speakers of the workshop included Toby Landau QC, Barrister, Essex Court Chambers, Francis Xavier SC, Partner at Rajah & Tann, Saadia Bhatty, Associate at Clyde & Co, London, Mansoor Khan, Partner at Khan & Associates, Zafar Kalanauri, Adjunct Faculty Member, LUMS and Samar Abbas, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers.

 

 

 

 

http://www.arbitration-icca.org/YoungICCA/EventPages/YoungICCA_Lahore_Apr29_2017.html

 

 

 

April 28

 

CIICA CONFERENCE

 

International Commercial Arbitration: Capacity Building and Opportunities for Pakistani Lawyers

 

On April 28, 2017, CIICA organized a groundbreaking conference at the Lahore High Court on the importance of capacity building of Pakistani lawyers in international arbitration.

 

Toby Landau QC, Barrister Essex Court Chambers, Francis Xavier SC, Partner, Rajah & Tann and Saadia Bhatty, Associate, Clyde & Co. were among the speakers at the event. The speakers talked about the importance of capacity building in international arbitration and the importance of an institution like CIICA in furthering this objective.  The other speakers included the President of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council and Director, Board of Investment, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Pakistan.  Speakers appreciated CIICA’s mission and vision and also emphasized the importance of strengthening investor confidence in Pakistan to bolster Pakistan’s reputation in the international community.

 

Besides highlighting CIICA’s vision and objectives, the event provided a forum for understanding international commercial and investment arbitration in general and with respect to Pakistan in particular. The pool of attendees primarily included lawyers of the Lahore High Court Bar and Supreme Court Bar and also included in house counsel, bankers and representatives of Board of Investment (BOI), Pakistan.

 

Rana Sajjad, President CIICA, highlighted how this groundbreaking conference had set in motion the important process of capacity building of Pakistani lawyers in international arbitration and the overwhelming response and great turnout was a testament to the success of the conference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 8

 

CIICA EVENT

 

Talk on the importance of capacity building of Judges for facilitation of arbitration proceedings in Pakistan

 

 

CIICA organized a talk on the importance of capacity building and training Judges for facilitation of arbitral proceedings and enforcement of arbitral awards on April 8, 2017 at CIICA.

 

In his introductory remarks, CIICA’s President, Rana Sajjad, while introducing the speaker, mentioned that it is a unique talk because to his knowledge, capacity building of Judges has not been discussed in detail in the context of arbitral proceedings in Pakistan.  He also mentioned that capacity building in the area of arbitration in particular and ADR in general is one of CIICA’s objectives and he was pleased that someone directly associated with judicial training was speaking on the topic.

 

Mrs. Uzma Chughtai, Director General of Punjab Judicial Academy, an academy set up for training of judicial officers all over Punjab, gave a detailed and insightful talk on the importance of capacity building and training of Judges.  Mrs. Chughtai outlined the training methodology of Punjab Judicial Academy and emphasized the importance of arbitration and other ADR methods including mediation for resolution of disputes. Mrs. Chughtai referred to specific instances during her extensive experience as a Judge to highlight the significance of a Judge’s attitude and conduct during the course of court proceedings for effective resolution of disputes.  The talk was followed by a lively Q& A session in which the critical role of Judges was discussed from the standpoint of prompt resolution of disputes.

 

In his closing remarks, CIICA’s President, Rana Sajjad, thanked Mrs. Chughtai for her informative and insightful talk.

 

 

 

 

 

April 4

 

CIICA’s President’s op-ed/article on the recent ICSID decision against Pakistan in the Reko Diq arbitration matter:

 

https://www.dawn.com/news/1324727/reko-diq-case

 

 

MARCH, 2017

 

CIICA establishes Young Arbitration Group (YAG)

 

CIICA has established the Young Arbitration Group (YAG) with the aim of bringing together young lawyers, law students, and young members of the business community and government sector who have a keen interest and/or background in arbitration. Membership is open to law students, practitioners, in-house counsel, academics, government employees, and other younger members of the business community under the age of 45.

 

DECEMBER, 2016

 

CIICA’s President invited to speak at a conference on arbitration in Pakistan

 

 

CIICA’s President was invited to participate in a panel discussion on arbitration in Pakistan. In his talk, the President spoke about the legal framework for international arbitration and domestic arbitration in Pakistan and how CIICA offers the advantages of institutional arbitration for resolution of commercial and investment disputes within Pakistan.

 

CIICA enters into an MoU with the London Centre of International Law Practice (LCILP)

 

The scope of activities intended by CIICA and LCILP under the MoU include training programs, joint conferences, consultancy and policy advice and collaborating on cases.

 

 

NOVEMBER, 2016

 

CIICA enters into a collaboration agreement with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Arbitration Council

 

The objectives of the agreement include facilitation of resolution of commercial, trade and investment disputes between SAARC Member States.

 

 

OCTOBER, 2016

 

Op-ed of CIICA’s President on the legal ramifications of a unilateral withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty:

 

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1194684/legal-ramifications-indias-unilateral-withdrawal-iwt/

 

 

SEPTEMBER, 2016

 

CIICA becomes a Global Partner to the Global Pound Conference (GPC) series

 

The objective of the GPC series is to facilitate the development of 21st century commercial dispute resolution tools at domestic, regional and international levels. Its global partners include leading international organizations such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Bar Association (IBA) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

 

 

AUGUST, 2016

 

Mr. Mark Kantor joins CIICA’s panel of arbitrators

 

Mr. Kantor is a member of the American Arbitration Association Commercial and International Panels, the AAA’s Large Complex Case Roster, the AAA/ICDR’s Energy Arbitrators List, the ICC Arbitrator Database, The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the London Court of International Arbitration list of arbitrators, the rosters of arbitrators of the Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur International Arbitration Centres, the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals for Banking and Finance, the CPR International Panel and the CPR Energy Committee.  He is also a Chartered Arbitrator of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

 

 

JULY, 2016

 

CIICA’s President spoke at the International Legal Ethics conference at Fordham University School of Law, New York. His talk was primarily about the legal education system in Pakistan in the broader context of legal ethics. He discussed effective methods including experiential learning for teaching legal ethics.

 

 

JUNE, 2016

 

– CIICA’s President attends the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) North America Regional conference in Washington DC on important policy issues related to arbitration including the suitability of class arbitration and ex parte confirmation of arbitration awards.

 

 

 

APRIL, 2016

 

– CIICA’s President attends the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) conference in Dubai on fostering efficiency and transparency in the arbitration process.

 

 

 

FEBRUARY, 2016

 

– CIICA invited by the Trade Dispute Resolution Organization (TDRO), Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan, to participate in the Public Private Dialogue on the TDRO Draft Law in Islamabad.

 

 

 

NOVEMBER, 2015

 

– CIICA officials attend the Pakistan Investment Conference organized by the Board of Investment (BOI), Pakistan in Islamabad.

 

 

 

SEPTEMBER, 2015

 

– CIICA prepares a report for the Board of Investment (BOI), Pakistan, on the current legislative framework and the forums for resolution of investment-related disputes in Pakistan

 

 

– CIICA’s President invited by the Trade Dispute Resolution Organization (TDRO), Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan, to speak at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI)

 

CIICA’s President was invited by TDRO to give a presentation at KCCI on contracts in international trade and commerce with a focus on relevant terms including the dispute resolution clause. The other speakers included representatives of government agencies including the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and KCCI who discussed the challenges involved in international trade and resolution of trade-related disputes.

 

 

 

JULY, 2015

 

CIICA’s President meets with representatives of ICC, AAA, JAMS and NYIAC in New York

 

CIICA’s President had a series of meetings in New York with representatives of the world’s leading international arbitral institutions/organizations including the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC), JAMS and the American Arbitration Association’s International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR).  The primary objective of the meetings was to give a brief introduction to CIICA and discuss its vision and objectives.

 

 

 

 

JUNE, 2015

 

CIICA invited by the Trade Dispute Resolution Organization (TDRO), Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan

 

CIICA received an invitation from TDRO to give a presentation at a seminar on revamping of the trade dispute resolution mechanism in Pakistan. The objectives of this seminar included discussing the weaknesses of the current dispute resolution mechanism and seeking views and suggestions on drafting a viable and effective trade dispute resolution law for Pakistan.

 

 

 

 

APRIL, 2015

 

Inaugural Event

Inaugural Event Videos

CIICA’s participation in a conference on arbitration