WiAR co-hosts debate for Dubai Arbitration Week
The Dubai Arbitration Week took place during the week of November 12, 2017 with a schedule that was rich in content and attendance from the UAE, the region and abroad. Daily events were organised throughout the week, which included discussions around current and relevant topics.
On November 14, WiAR (Women in Arab Arbitration) together with the ACC (Association of Corporate Counsel) co-hosted a seminar sponsored by Eversheds Sutherland and the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Center. The seminar, which was entitled “Does the relationship between In-House Counsel and Outside Counsel require Counseling?” was conducted in the form of a debate with panelists from both the in-house community and the private practice.
The discussion started with the hot topic of pricing. The in-house counsels explained how they have to cope with strict and overrun budgets as well as the expectations of their internal client, i.e. the business. The private practitioner’s concern was the challenge of agreeing on budgets especially when the in-house counsel does not have experience in arbitration. After a heated debate on the topic, the discussion moved on to less sensitive issues such as how to choose an arbitrator and a relatively lengthy discussion followed with active participation from the audience. Comments were made about how female arbitrators should work on raising their profile and what other players in the field can do to promote the appointment of female arbitrators.
A very useful point that was raised by the in-house counsels was the importance of having an outside counsel who understands the business considerations of the client and bears them in mind when working on a dispute.
An important and a very obvious topic was how in-house counsel goes about choosing the outside counsel in an arbitration. One of the most important points that raised was on the expertise both in arbitration and in the relevant field. The issue of whether there are too many arbitration centers in the region was discussed as well. The event was very well-attended and the discussions were stimulating and enjoyable.
