Delos GAP Symposium 2024 – ‘Corruption & International Arbitration’
Join us for the 2024 edition of the Delos GAP Symposium, on the topic of ‘Corruption & International Arbitration’.
This substantive event brings together colleagues internationally who are involved or otherwise have an interest in the Delos Guide to Arbitration Places (GAP). The event will take place on Wednesday 4 September 2024 in a hybrid format, with the in-person part at the new Paris Arbitration Centre by Delos. The programme for the day is as follows (in Paris time):
09.00-09.30: Registration & Welcome Coffee
09.30-09.45: Opening Remarks (hybrid)
With Thomas Granier (Anima Dispute Resolution, Paris) and Hafez Virjee (Delos & Virjee Arbitration, London-Paris), co-General Editors of the GAP
09.45-11.00: The GAP Symposium Panel – “Evidence In Corruption Matters: How Much Is Needed? How Much Is Required?” (hybrid)
With Prof. Mohamed Abdel Wahab (GAP Egypt | Zulficar & Partners, Cairo), Carolyn Lamm (GAP England & Wales | White & Case, Washington D.C.), Filipe Vaz Pinto (GAP Portugal | Morais Leitão, Lisbon), Jennifer Younan (GAP Singapore | A&O Shearman, Paris), moderated by Cecilia Carrara (GAP Italy | Legance, Rome). Rapporteur: Dr Johanna Büstgens (GAP Reviewer–Germany | Hanefeld, Hamburg)
11.00-11.30: Networking (in-person, and online)
11.30-12.45: Roundtables (in-person, and online)
Chaired by GAP Regional Editors Kate Apostolova (Clifford Chance, Singapore), Filipa Cansado Carvalho (Independent Arbitrator, Lisbon), Sara Koleilat-Aranjo (Morgan Lewis, Abu Dhabi-Dubai), Jonathan Lim (Wilmer Hale, London-Singapore) and Dr Olivier Mosimann (Kellerhals Carrard, Basel)
12.40-14.00: Lunch (in-person only)
14.00-14.45: The GAP Symposium Keynote (hybrid)
By Prof. Joongi Kim (Yonsei University, Seoul), GAP Chair, with comments by Prof. Maxi Scherer (WilmerHale, London)
15.00-16.30: Workshop with forensic experts on the investigation of corruption issues (in-person, remote arrangements to be confirmed)
With Juan Francisco Nasser, Claudia O’Brien, and Nick Panes of HKA (Madrid, Johannesburg, and London)
16.30-17.00: Networking (in-person, and online)
17.00-18.30: Workshop with damages experts on the quantum side of corruption issues (in-person, remote arrangements to be confirmed)
With Juliette Fortin and colleagues of FTI Consulting (Paris)
18.30-20.30: Cocktail Reception
The event will be MC’ed by David de Freitas (GAP Deputy Editor | White & Case, Geneva) and Dr Ghazal Miyar (Delos Head of Training and Outreach, Paris).
To register for this high-profile event, please use the following links (places are limited):
We would be delighted for in-person guests to join us the next day for the celebration of Delos’s 10-year anniversary (a separate invitation will follow).
Further details will be added to this page in due course, including speaker bios.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Prof Mohamed Abdel Wahab is the Founding Partner & Head of International Arbitration, Construction and Energy, Zulficar & Partners, Egypt; Professor of International Arbitration and International Law and English Contract Law, Cairo University; Member of the Governing Board, ICCA; Chair of the ICC Governing Body for Dispute Resolution Services; Deputy President Global of the CIArb; President Elect of the CIArb (2025); Dean of the Africa Arbitration Academy; Member of the Curatorium of the Hague Academy of International Law; Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee of the CRCICA; Member of the Advisory Board of the MIAC; Member of the LACIAC Court of Arbitration; Member of the ITA Academic Council; and Member of the Court, PCA. He is a fellow of the National Centre for Technology and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA; and associate fellow of the Centre for Private International Law and Centre for Commercial Law at Aberdeen University (UK). He served as ‘Arbitrator’, ‘Legal Expert’ and ‘Counsel’ in more than 260 cases, involving parties from the Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East the United States and Latin America, and is recognized as a world-leading arbitrator and arbitration practitioner in international investment and international commercial arbitration, construction law & practice, Energy law and infrastructure disputes, African and Arab Laws, Islamic Shari’a, private international law and online dispute resolution. His expertise in cross border multi-jurisdictional and highly complex transactions and disputes is extensive and broad. He was shortlisted among the top five arbitrators for the GAR award for the best prepared and responsive arbitrator (2021), and is regularly ranked by Who’s Who Legal, Chambers, The Legal 500, Client Choice Awards as a world leading international arbitration thought leader, counsel and arbitrator. He received the Law Magazine 2023 Regional Lawyer of the Year, the LAW Magazine 2022 Most Influential Legal Academic Award, the 2021 and 2020 Client Choice International Award, the 2019 AYA Hall-of-Fame African Arbitrator Award, the 2018 ASA International Arbitration Advocacy Prize, and the LAW Magazine 2017 Best Legal Practitioner Award. He is listed in Who’s Who Global Elite Thought Leaders: International Arbitration; selected among the Legal500 Africa Powerlist and the AYA’s Africa’s Top 30 Powerlist. He is the co-editor (with Prof Maxi Scherer and Ms. Niuscha Bassiri) of the first ever book on COVID-19 and international arbitration under the title “International Arbitration and the COVID-19 Revolution” (2020). He is also the co-editor (with Prof Ethan Katsh and Mr. Daniel Rainey) of “Online Dispute Resolution: Theory and Practice” (2011 and 2021). He is the author of the Abdel Wahab Pandemic Pathway to Virtual/Remote Hearings (2020); Co-author (with Dr. Kabir Duggal) of the first book dedicated to comparing the OIC and UAIA Treaties under the title “The Resurgence of the Unified Arab Investment Agreement and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation Investment Agreement” Brill (2022). WWL: Arbitration & Global Elite Thought Leaders (2023) says “‘He is an amazing practitioner and one of the hardest working people’ ‘His sharp mind never ceases to amaze’ ‘He is one of a kind!’”. Chambers and Partners (2023)-Africa-wide says: “Mohamed Abdel Wahab is a leading arbitrator and arbitration counsel based in Cairo. He is very highly respected for his international commercial and investment treaty practice. As an arbitrator, he frequently presides over disputes concerning construction, energy and infrastructure issues”; “Mohamed Abdel Wahab is someone who is very brilliant and technically capable. He is very smart on the law, but also emotionally intelligent as well”. Chambers and Partners (2024)- Africa Wide says: “Mohamed is well recognised for arbitration in Africa. He is a brilliant lawyer who is extremely competent and adds great value.” Chambers and Partners (2023)-Dispute Resolution: Most in Demand Arbitrators says: “Mohamed Abdel Wahab is one of the best-known arbitration lawyers and his practice combines expert witness and arbitrator appointments with regular roles as counsel on significant and high-profile cases, and he receives especially high praise for his expertise in oil and gas and construction disputes”. Legal 500 (2024) – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration says: “Mohamed Abdel Wahab is very highly regarded by peers in the international arbitration community. He knows arbitration inside and out. He is smart, experienced, has great communication skills. His professionalism, integrity, moral values and work ethics are exceptional”. Legal 500 (2023) – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration says: “Mohamed Abdel Wahab – very prepared arbitrator; deep experience in international arbitration; very thoughtful in his comments; collegial; engaged; insightful and sharp questions”, “Mohamed Abdel Wahab: Highly respected, very experienced arbitrator, exhibiting highest standard of integrity and ethics”‘ and “Mohamed Abdel Wahab is a very highly regarded professional and a leading international arbitrator. He has the quality of being knowledgeable in several system of laws: common law, civil law and sharia law”. He was part of the faculty for the first ROAP EMEA edition in 2021, as well as the 2022, 2023 and 2024 editions.
Cecilia Carrara has significant experience in the field of national and international, commercial and investment arbitration proceedings, both institutional and ad hoc, acting as counsel and as arbitrator. She further represents international and Italian companies in arbitration-related proceedings in front of the national courts, such as recognition and enforcement proceedings of arbitral awards. Cecilia has been admitted to practice before the Italian Supreme Court. Cecilia also focuses on mergers & acquisitions, extraordinary corporate transactions and commercial contracts, mainly representing foreign clients investing in Italy. In particular, Cecilia is responsible for the Legance German desk, having a specific focus on German speaking countries and Eastern Europe. Cecilia is a member of Legance’s Sustainability Committee. As of June 2024, Cecilia is a member of the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”).
Juliette Fortin leads the Economic and Financial Consulting segment in France with more than 25 years of experience assisting leading companies and law firms. Specialized in valuation issues, Juliette’s expertise spans valuation in the context of M&A, the quantification of damages claims in domestic and international commercial and investment disputes, accounting issues and post-transaction disputes. She has assisted French and multinational companies, as well as leading law firms in various regions throughout the world, including Africa, Europe and Latin America. In the context of international arbitration disputes, Juliette is regularly appointed as an expert and provides oral evidence in French, English and Spanish. She has been involved in 60 arbitrations, has prepared more than 150 reports and has testified in more than 25 international arbitration procedures before the International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID”). Additionally, Juliette is one of the experts in international arbitration listed by Who’s Who Legal. Juliette regularly intervenes as an expert for national disputes in the context of litigation before the commercial courts, within the framework of judicial expertise or in ad-hoc expertise. She has also led numerous post-acquisition litigation assignments. Additionally, Juliette is an expert with the Administrative Courts of Appeal of Paris and Versailles and a member of the Company of Experts (“CECAAPV”). Furthermore, she is registered in the National Directory of Justice Experts of the National Council of Justice Expert Companies. Juliette joined FTI Consulting in September 2010, having previously worked at PwC in the transaction services and disputes practices in Paris. Prior to these roles, Juliette worked at PwC’s audit practice in London. Additionally, Juliette is a member of the advisory council of ArbitralWomen and a member of the steering committee of the Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses Pledge.
David de Freitas is an Associate in White & Case’s International Arbitration Practice, based in Geneva. Prior to joining White & Case, David worked as an associate at a boutique international arbitration firm in São Paulo, he also worked in major arbitration law firms based in Paris and at the ICC Court of Arbitration. David is associated with Delos since 2017. He is the deputy editor of the Delos Guide to Arbitration Places designed to promote lesser-known seats through an objective, comparative study.
Thomas Granier is a partner at Anima Dispute Resolution. He has rapidly established himself as a leading practitioner in compliance and ESG arbitrations and in disputes on regulated sectors, including energy (renewable, oil & gas and nuclear), mining, infrastructure, defense and pharmaceuticals. He has been described as “a leader of his generation who has rapidly become a reference in arbitration involving Africa”. Trilingual in English, French and German, he is part of the new generation of arbitrators. He has acted as president, sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator in a dozen ICC, DIS, Delos Disputes Resolution and ad hoc arbitrations. He is also a member of the Arbitration Advisory Committee of Delos Dispute Resolution, Vice-President of the Arbitration Court of the Casablanca International Mediation and Arbitration Center and Vice-President of the Arbitration Committee of the BVI International Arbitration Center. Prior to founding Anima Dispute Resolution, Thomas worked at McDermott Will & Emery and Asafo & Co. He was Counsel in charge of the ICC International Court of Arbitration Secretariat team, administering cases relating to Africa, the Middle East and France.
Prof Joongi Kim is a Professor of Law at Yonsei Law School in Seoul. Joongi (dʒun-ɡi) has acted as a presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator, and co-arbitrator in institutional and ad hoc proceedings under the rules of the GGGI, HKIAC, ICC, ICSID, JAMS, JCAA, KCAB, LMAA, QICCA, SIAC, UNCITRAL, and VIAC. Who’s Who Legal ranks him as a Global Elite Thought Leader (2023, 2024) and, in 2019, he was selected as International Arbitrator of the Year by KCAB International and the Korea Economic Daily. A Member of the ICC Court, he also serves as a Council Member for the ICC Institute of World Business and an Academic Council Member of the Institute of Transnational Arbitration. He was the immediate past President of the Korean Council for International Arbitration (KOCIA). He has been empaneled on the panel of arbitrators for the ICSID, Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement, Korea-US Free Trade Agreement and GGGI, in addition to AIAC, CAA, CAfA, CIETAC, CRCICA, DIAC, eBRAM, HIAC, HZAC, HKIAC, JCAA, KCAB, PIAC, RIMA, SCCA, SCIA, SHIAC, SIAC, and VIAC, and the panel of mediators of HIAC International Mediation Center, KCAB, SIMC, and VMC. He also sits on the editorial board of International Investment Law and Arbitration (Brill), Asian Journal of Comparative Law (Cambridge University Press), Dispute Resolution International (IBA), Jus Mundi Arbitration Review, and Korean Arbitration Review. His research focuses on international arbitration, international trade and investment, corporate governance and good governance. His treatise International Arbitration In Korea (OUP) received the 11th Simdang International Trade and Business Research Award. He has been a visiting professor at ESADE, Georgetown, Keio, the National University of Singapore, National Law School of India University (Bangalore), University of Florida and University of Hong Kong.
Carolyn Lamm, Partner, White & Case LLP, Chair International Arbitration of the Americas. Lead Counsel in international arbitrations in ICSID, ICC and other fora and related litigation in U.S. Courts for foreign states, foreign state-owned companies, and foreign corporate entities. Arbitrator on the ICSID List, first nominated by the United States and by the Government of Uzbekistan. Served as arbitrator in ICSID proceedings, ICC proceedings, SAIC proceedings, ICDR proceedings, AAA proceedings, etc. Distinguished Faculty Co-Chair, White & Case LLM International Arbitration at the University of Miami School of Law. Immediate Past President, American Bar Endowment. Member, Advisory Council and previously Governing Board of ICCA; Council of the American Law Institute (elected 1999): Counselor for the Restatement 4th of Foreign Relations; Advisory Committee for the Restatement of International Commercial and Investment Arbitration. Past President: DC Bar; American Bar Association. Frequent lecturer and author in the field of international arbitration. Chairman of the Board of the American-Uzbekistan U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Member Board of Trustees, University of Miami (2020-2023); honorary Professor Tashkent State University, School of Law.
Dr Ghazal Miyar is the Head of Training and Outreach at Delos, and a member of the faculty on the WAWA Written Advocacy course. She is also an adjunct lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, where she obtained a Ph.D., teaching human rights, international law, and human rights and arbitration. Ghazal consults for various organisations on compliance with human rights obligations, as well as developing trainings on this topic. She is admitted as an attorney to the High Court of South Africa, where she has practiced in the field of dispute resolution for several years, and obtained her LL.B and LL.M at the University of Pretoria.
Dr Olivier Mosimann co-chairs Kellerhals Carrard’s Arbitration Practice Group. He specializes in international commercial arbitration and litigation proceedings and has acted as counsel in numerous arbitration (institutional and ad hoc) and litigation proceedings involving various sectors (including pharmaceutical, chemical, high-tech, energy, construction, consumer goods, financial-service, insurance/reinsurance, maritime, defense and sport sectors) and concerning diverse legal fields (including sales, joint ventures, construction, distribution/franchise, corporate, M&A, IP/IT, public procurement, antitrust/competition and financing). He also regularly sits as arbitrator (presiding, sole and co-arbitrator) and is experienced as emergency arbitrator and as legal expert. In addition, he is a member of Kellerhals Carrard’s Sports Law Group.
Juan Francisco Nasser is a forensic accountant with more than 20 years of experience. He regularly acts as a quantum and contentious valuations expert in commercial disputes. Juan has given expert testimony over 60 times, both in arbitration proceedings (under ICC, CAM, TAB, TAS/CAS, and ad hoc proceedings) and in judicial proceedings. He has testified in both English and Spanish for disputes with values in excess of €600 million. He also prepares expert determinations in mergers and acquisition disputes. Juan is a corporate development professional and has wide ranging experience in corporate transactions, commercial disputes and investigations. He has been engaged in numerous transactions in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Juan’s expertise includes damages analysis, commercial disputes and inquiries involving complex economics, financial, and accounting issues. He has supported corporate clients and their advisors across a variety of sectors from renewable energy and real estate to sports promotion and the media. Juan holds a master’s in financial management and is an accredited evaluation expert by the Spanish Accounting and Business Administration Association. He has lectured on business valuation and mergers and acquisitions in several editions of a master’s degree at a Spanish university.
Claudia O’Brien is a Partner and Head of Africa Operations with HKA, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa with over 25 years of experience in the investigations and forensics sectors, covering both the public and private sectors. Before joining HKA, Claudia held a series of senior positions at the Special Investigating Unit and Office of the Auditor-General in South Africa. Throughout her career, Claudia has specialised in the strategic and operational planning and execution of high-profile, complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-agency forensic investigation projects. She has a strong background in the investigation of organised crime, commercial crime, corruption, fraud, maladministration, statutory transgressions etc. and she is experienced in conducting civil and criminal litigation flowing from such investigations.
Nick Panes has over 20 years of experience in the investigations and risk management industry. He has worked alongside the testifying expert on numerous occasions providing forensic analysis and investigative support. Nick has the ability to discover, assess and explain risks to investors. He is fast, accessible and provides great feedback. Nick’s work has focused on investigative assignments, political risk, business intelligence and regulatory compliance, with postings in Mexico City, New Delhi, Sydney and London. He has been involved in arbitral tribunals and court proceedings providing expert witness support and in FCPA related investigations and alter ego assessments. Nick’s career has been split between investigations, post-event problem solving and ongoing risk management consultancy across a wide range of sectors and geographies. He has worked across the full spectrum of projects from strategic advisory work through to tactical support. Nick’s expertise includes fraud and money laundering investigations, anti-corruption risk assessments and consultancy, regulatory compliance system design and audits, business intelligence assignments, pre-transaction due diligence, asset tracing and recovery and digital forensics. He has specialised in complex, cross-border investigations on matters ranging from strategic market entry work and due diligence to sensitive employee misconduct investigations in multiple jurisdictions. Nick is a member of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists and the Association of International Energy Negotiators. He is a recognised Latin America political risk expert and is fluent in English and Spanish.
Prof Maxi Scherer is a special counsel in WilmerHale’s Litigation/Controversy Department, and a member of the International Arbitration Practice Group. She has extensive experience with arbitral practice and procedure in civil and common law systems both in commercial and investment arbitration. Regularly ranked by Who’s Who Legal, The Legal 500 etc. as a leading arbitration practitioner, she has been identified amongst the top 20 “Global Elite Thought Leaders” and described by peers and clients as “one of the greatest and most complete arbitrators of her generation,” “a brilliant legal mind,” “one of the most prominent arbitration scholars in Europe,” “excellent academic and arbitrator” and “one of the very best in both commercial and investment arbitration proceedings.”
Hafez R. Virjee is the President and a co-Founder of Delos. Hafez also serves as an independent arbitrator at Virjee Arbitration. He previously acted mainly as counsel. His clients have spanned the range of listed companies, private equity firms, tech start-ups, industrial concerns, State entities and treaty organisations, in disputes across a wide range of sectors and relationships, including shareholder agreements, joint-ventures, agency, M&A, telecommunications, tech, energy, pharmaceutical, construction and defence. Hafez is a solicitor of England & Wales and also qualified in France. He was previously at Dechert in Paris (with a secondment to Dubai in 2015) and prior to that at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London. He co-edits the Delos Guide to Arbitration Places (GAP) and regularly writes and speaks on international arbitration and legal risk management. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge (M.A.), the Université Paris II – Panthéon-Assas (Maîtrise) and the University of California – Berkeley (LL.M.). He is listed as an arbitration leader by Who’s Who Legal in multiple categories.
Jennifer Younan is known for her “multi-industry expertise”. Jennifer’s experience covers a wide range of industry sectors and types of disputes, including energy and mining & metals, with a particular focus on investment-related disputes in emerging markets, as well as disputes having a Russian nexus (including sanctions). She is also well known for advising on cutting-edge and topical issues in the field of public international law. Jennifer has notably advised on several of the largest international disputes submitted to arbitration securing historic victories for her clients, including a $50 billion award for the majority shareholders in the former Yukos Oil Company (the largest award ever rendered by an arbitral tribunal). Jennifer is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the Editorial Board of the ICC Dispute Resolution Bulletin and the ICC Task Force on addressing issues of corruption in international arbitration. She is also an Officer of the LCIA European Users’ Council and a former Australian Government Delegate to the UNCITRAL Working Group II on Arbitration and Conciliation. Jennifer is consistently recognized at the top of her field, ranking as a Global Market Leader in Chambers & Partners, a Leading Lawyer in The Legal 500 and a Global Leader and Thought Leader (France) in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration.