Past Events

On 10 June 2015, Professor Ahmed Sharaf El Din, Professor at the Faculty of Law, Ain Shams University delivered a lecture entitled “International Arbitration Agreement: Is Legal Uniformity Still a Possibility?” Professor Sharaf El Din questioned the likelihood of unifying the legal system of the international arbitration agreement through a thorough reading of the awards rendered by the courts in Egypt, France and the UK. Through the process, he analyzed the different scholastic methodologies of defining the law applicable to the international arbitration agreement. Attended by a number of in-house counsels, the lecture triggered wide range of questions and answers.

On 2 June 2015, Eng. Aisha Nadar, Member of FIDIC Updates Task Group and IFC Consultant on the Construction Mediation Project, shed the light on the important role of the legal advisor in construction mediation before, during or after the mediation process. This multi-tiered role of the legal advisor, according to Eng. Nadar, involves, inter alia, the decision to mediate, the selection of the mediator, the preparation of the case and the case strategy, counseling the client during joint sessions, during private caucuses and finally during the settlement agreement once reached. The seminar witnessed interactive discussions among the lecturer and legal advisors in attendance.  

On 13 May 2015, the Seminar titled "The Enforcement of Judgments and Arbitration Awards" was delivered by Hazim A. Rizkana, Partner, Helmy, Hamza & Partners, a member of Baker & McKenzie International. The Seminar provided an ample illustration of the salient aspects of the enforcement of awards, judicial and arbitral alike. This involved reference to various important arbitral awards and court decisions. The lecture went further as to discuss how best regulatory and executive frameworks involved would work to improve the enforcement process. Discussions witnessed an interactive exchange of views and experiences on the subject matter.

On 29 April 2015, the Mediation Breakfast Seminar titled "Alternative Disputes Resolution Techniques and the Settlement of Investment Disputes: Exploring the Recent Amendments of the Egyptian Investment Law" was delivered by Dr. Fatma Salaheldin Riad Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Cairo University; Partner, Ibrachy & Dermarkar. The lecturer stressed that the nature of investment disputes requires as flexible tools as alternative dispute resolutions techniques are able to offer. Within this context, Dr. Riad highlighted the salient aspects of ADR techniques as manifested in the Egyptian Investment Law recently amended by Law no. 17 / 2015. She also shared her views regarding some of the amendments. The speech was followed by lively discussions involving representatives of many professional sectors.  

On 8 April 2015, the first Wednesday One Seminar of the quarter was delivered by Mr. Yassin Tageldin Yassin, Lawyer, Court of Cassation under the title “Critical Analysis of Some Practical and Legal Problems in International Commercial Arbitration: Case Study”. Mr. Yassin focused on some practical aspects of a well-known arbitration case involving the construction of a public utility. Discussions focused on the relation between national public policy and the issuance of an arbitral award by a truncated arbitral tribunal.