Arbitration Practice Updates in Qatar
Fourth day
Wednesday 31/3/2021
Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Moderator
Dr. Minas Khatchadourian
General Counsel of Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration
Speakers
Qatari Courts Position in Respect of Arbitration
Mrs. Claudia El Hage
- The Managing Partner of Rashed R. Al Marri Law Office and works as legal advisor and litigator. She represents international, regional and local clients before the State Courts and QIDRC in lawsuits, in domestic and international arbitration cases as well as other alternative dispute resolution procedures and annulment recourses in all aspects of civil, commercial and corporate fields, mainly in the following areas: Construction, Contracting, Engineering Consultancy, Project Management, Real Estate, Corporate; Commercial, M&A and Compliance. Claudia represents as well clients in regulatory and compliance investigations and in administrative procedures.
- She is featured in Who’s Who Legal: Construction 2019 as a Global Leader and selected in Who’s Who Legal: Construction 2020 as being “a go-to lawyer for high value Middle Easter construction disputes” and is also featured as Band 1 lawyer in Partners & Chambers 2021 and recognized as a leading figure in domestic disputes and as one of “the big litigators” in the market.
- She is the author of the “Construction in Qatar” chapter published in Lexology 2020 and the co-author of the Article “Challenging and Enforcing Arbitration Awards in Qatar” published in Global Arbitration Review (GAR) in 2019 and 2020.
- She has participated in debating and drafting the Consumer Protection law and the Competition Act in Lebanon.”
Virtual Hearings – are they here to stay?
Mr. Jonathan Parker
He is a practising Barrister (England & Wales) based in the Clyde & Co. Doha office and specialising in acting as lead counsel / advocate in domestic and international arbitrations.
- In addition to his experience as an advocate, Jonathan is a chartered arbitrator and has been appointed in international arbitration proceedings under various institutional rules. He sits on various arbitration institution panels in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is also a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors qualified adjudicator. Jonathan has considerable experience in alternative dispute resolution, including dispute boards, expert determination and mediation.
- Jonathan’s principle sectors of works are construction, engineering, utilities, transport, infrastructure and energy disputes arising out of major capital projects. Coming from a science based background, he is quick to grasp technical detail and complexities and is adept in challenging experts in cross examination. Jonathan represents clients in the common law based Qatar International Court in the Qatar Financial Centre and is one of the very few common law lawyers based in Qatar with rights of audience in the Qatar International Court. Jonathan is also a member of the Qatar International Court Users Committee.
Recent trends influencing the arbitration industry in Qatar
Mrs. Pamela McDonald
- Senior associate at Pinsent Masons in Qatar and a registered QICCA arbitrator. Pamela qualified in England and Wales and moved to Qatar in 2014, to advise and represent clients in dispute resolution and avoidance matters. Pamela’s clients are in the infrastructure and energy sectors in the Middle East, and some of the major arbitrations Pamela has represented clients on include Hamad Airport, various gas process facilities in Qatar, the Metro and a power and water plant in Al Wakrah. Pamela is a Member of the CIArb and participates in various Qatar arbitration community initiatives to increase Qatar’s profile as a seat of choice for Middle Eastern parties.
The advance on costs in arbitration: reimbursement of substituted payment
Mr. THOMAS WILLIAMS
- An English-qualified barrister and partner at Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners, where he is head of arbitration.
- An experienced advocate, he has appeared frequently in the English High Court (including the Commercial Court) and Court of Appeal, as well as in arbitrations under the major institutional rules and ad hoc arbitrations under the English Arbitration Act 1996 and the Qatari Arbitration Law. He has appeared before the Qatar International Court, and sits on the User Committee.
- His main sector expertise is Construction & Engineering, Energy, Oil & Gas, Banking & Financial Services and Professional Negligence.
- He sits as an arbitrator, and is a member of the panel of arbitrators of the LCIA, the SCC, the MCIA and QICCA. He has also been appointed to conduct an expert determination under Qatari law.
Enforcement of foreign judgment: Arbitration to fill in the gap [left by the absence of a bilateral convention]
Mr. Mathieu R. Faupin
- He is originally from France, where he started studying Law at the age of 17. In 2002, Mathieu earned a master degree in private and economic law. Mathieu practiced in a French law firm for more than three years. During this period of time, Mathieu spent considerable time in the Middle East, where he was handling numerous cases.
- In 2006, Mathieu R. Faupin accepted the offer of the University of Southern California (USC, Los Angeles – USA), where he focused his studies on the Middle East. In 2008 he earned his second master, this time in public diplomacy and international relations.
- In the same year, Mathieu was certified from the Yemen College for Middle Eastern Studies (Sana’a), where he started learning Arabic and Middle Eastern culture. Mathiue joined our law firm in 2009 Mathieu R. Faupin is fluent in French and English. Mathieu was elected on July 2013 President of the Union des Français de l’Etranger (UFE), an association representing the French community in Qatar.
