Countries qualified to practice:

Arbitrator

Language(s):

• English
• Arabic
• French

Name of institution:

NassarLaw

Area(s) of specialisation:

Real estate, oil & gas, industrial, infrastructure, construction, tourism, management, M&As and corporate, technology transfer, telecommunications, logistics, agency, distribution, sales of goods, insurance, finance and banking.

Institutional affiliation(s):

• Council Member –ICC Institute of World Business Law;
• LCIA member;
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London –Fellow;
• Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration –Registered Arbitrator;
• American Arbitration Association –International Panel Member;
• American Society of International Law;
• International Law Association, former Co–Raportour Committee on International Arbitration;
• Egyptian Society of International Law;
• Member of the Independent Expert Panel of Judges for the AFAA Awards; and
• Member of Africa Construction Law (ACL) Advisory Board.

Please provide a brief background of yourself and your experience working on disputes in Africa?

Dr. Nagla Nassar is Senior Partner at NassarLaw which was established in 1885. Before joining NassarLaw she was Senior partner at a leading Egyptian Law firm which she joined upon her return from the World Bank where she was with the ICSID Secretariat. She graduated from Cairo University and Trinity College where she got her M. Litt and has an LL.M from Harvard University as well as a PhD from Geneva University and the Diploma of The Hague Academy in Private International Law. She has several publications relating to arbitral practice.

She has practiced in several jurisdictions and is a member of several bars and arbitration forums including being a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators with many years of experience both as an arbitrator and counsel in institutional and ad hoc arbitration. She acted as counsel in many major disputes in different fields serving both multinationals and Egyptian entities.

Also, Dr. Nassar is appointed frequently as an arbitrator and has chaired many tribunals. Some of her notable cases include:

• Counsel to an International Telecommunication company in a billion dollar dispute concerning interconnection charges.
• Chairman of arbitral tribunal in a multi hundred million dollar dispute concerning a mega real estate project.
• Arbitrator in a billion plus EGP dispute concerning an infrastructure project.
• Chairman in a multi–million dollar dispute concerning an investment contract.

What do you consider as the biggest challenge facing practitioners working on disputes in Africa? How do you think this challenge can be tackled?

Appointment of partial and independent arbitrators, which could be achieved by widening the roaster of arbitrators.

What are your thoughts on the impact of the recent UK–Egypt post–Brexit trade agreement?

A step towards enhancing commercial exchange and trade with a positive impact on investment.

With more African states acceding to the New York Convention, what are your thoughts on the enforcement trends in Egypt? What is the current disposition of Egyptian courts to enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and virtual arbitral hearings?

The current disposition of Egyptian courts to enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and virtual arbitral hearings is an increasing tendency to recognition and enforcement and non–interference with arbitral decisions.

What advice do you have for young practitioners who are interested in developing a career in arbitration?

My advice to young practitioners is perseverance and patience.