Crowell & Moring and ICC Qatar Discuss Emerging Trends in International Disputes

Doha—November 19, 2020: Crowell & Moring and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Qatar held a webinar today addressing the latest developments and trends in international disputes.

The panel included Dr. Sheikh Thani bin Ali Al Thani, a member of the ICC Arbitration Court; Ian Laird, partner and co-chair of Crowell & Moring’s International Dispute Resolution Group based in Washington D.C.; Laurence Winston, partner and co-chair of Crowell & Moring’s International Dispute Resolution Group based in London; and Crowell & Moring counsel Randa Adra based in New York. The discussion was moderated by Tarek Saad based in Doha.

Dr. Thani provided an overview of Qatar’s increased involvement on the world stage in the area of mediation as a means to resolve an international dispute. He noted that Qatar was one of the first states to sign the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, otherwise known as the Singapore Convention on Mediation, which entered into force on September 12, 2020. Dr. Thani also pointed out that 53 states have signed the Singapore Convention on Mediation, and with more signatories anticipated, there clearly is a growing interest to adopt mediation and conciliation as means of settling international commercial disputes.

Laird highlighted the benefits of mediation in the resolution of international disputes, the benefits of mediation that Qatari companies should consider, and the options to use the ICC Mediation Rules to help increase the enforceability of contractual settlements in countries that are signatories to the Singapore Convention.

Adra provided an overview of new amendments to the ICC Arbitration Rules, which will take effect for cases submitted to the ICC after January 1, 2021. She highlighted improvements to the flexibility, transparency and efficiency of ICC arbitrations, especially as the world is seeing and experiencing more virtual proceedings and increasingly complex cases.

Winston then discussed the benefits and challenges involved in seeking interim measures and the appointment of emergency arbitrators in cases that require urgent relief, such as orders to freeze assets or preserve evidence. He also considered issues in relation to the enforcement of both interim measures and final awards, and highlighted the example of a case in which he assisted a prominent Qatari company to successfully obtain a worldwide freezing order and passport confiscation order in London in the enforcement of a large arbitration award issued overseas.

For more information on the event, visit here.