FROM LEFT: Kee Loon Chua, Allen and Gledhill - Singapore; Som Mandal, Fox Mandal - India; Prof Dr Zikya Akinci, Akinci Law Office - Turkey; Dato Firoz Hussein, Zaid Ibrahi Company - Malaysia; Daniel Greineder, Peter and Partners - Switzerland; and Prof Kh
DOHA: McNair Chambers, the first ever Barristers’ Chambers to be established outside England in the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), marked 10 years of success by hosting ambassadors, Qatari State officials and General Counsel at a celebratory dinner.
Prof Khawar Qureshi QC observed that there had been many positive changes in Qatar in the past 10 years, including world class infrastructure, strengthening of the legal system and the emergence of more internationally focused Qatari law firms.
At a packed seminar, held as part of the celebrations in The Intercontinental Doha The City in West Bay, State officials, General Counsel and Qatari lawyers were able to listen to top practitioners from Singapore, India, Malaysia, Turkey and Switzerland provide insight on latest developments and trends in their jurisdictions concerning international arbitration and litigation.
The key themes that emerged from these presentations were the increasing use of arbitration, the importance of domestic courts to support and not interfere with arbitration, as well as serious concerns being raised at costs and delay in arbitration and litigation. Many attendees questioned whether arbitrators and lawyers were addressing these concerns.
Professor Qureshi QC commented that there was increased competition amongst arbitral centres, as well as courts, for dispute resolution work.
As a result, jurisdictions will either address the concerns or find that parties move towards more effective jurisdictions. He also added that increasing competition amongst lawyers for such work meant that clients had the potential to be more demanding as to costs.
