Coached by experts from the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC), the team competes in the world’s most prestigious moot court competitions

Dubai, UAE, 9 April, 2017: A team of students from Middlesex University Dubai is taking part in the XXIV Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna, Austria. Taking place until 13 April 2017, the event is considered one of the legal profession’s most prestigious moot arbitration competitions, welcoming teams from the world’s top law schools and universities. The goal of the Vis Arbitral Moot is to foster the study of international commercial law and arbitration for resolution of international business disputes through its application to a concrete problem of a client, and to train the law leaders of tomorrow in methods of alternative dispute resolution. 

Each year, the Vis Arbitral Moot brings together more than 2000 law students to present their arguments and participate in forensic and written exercises for claimants or respondents, alongside more than 900 international lawyers, legal professors and other arbitration practitioners. As well as the chance to take part in the intellectual challenge of the arguments themselves, Middlesex University Dubai students attending the Moot have a unique opportunity to meet other students from across the world, make new friends and connections and join a platform to learn about and discuss the field of arbitration and its place on the modern legal landscape. 

Months of hard work and preparation have gone into the Middlesex University Dubai team’s arguments and presentations before they travel to Vienna. The Middlesex University Dubai team, supported by the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC), is a talented team comprising of five individuals with diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds who have an interest in developing a better understanding of International Commercial Arbitration. Alia El-Abiary, Arshiya Munir Khan, Laureen Ampurire, Maimoona Nalkhande and Carina Watkins have been selected to participate in this moot, based on their academic performances, their advocacy skills and their interest on arbitration. Their coaches, who will join the team in Vienna, Maali Khader from EMAC and Ilham Kabbouri from Hogan Lovells have provided the team with valuable mentoring and enormous support.

Launched in late 2016, EMAC is the region’s first dedicated maritime arbitration Centre, developed to address the needs of the UAE’s maritime ambitions and provide a trusted standard of international arbitration excellence to the Middle East. Featuring a panel of eminent arbitration and dispute resolution experts with extensive international experience, mentors from EMAC were able to share their own real-world experience and knowledge with the Middlesex University moot team, to best prepare them for the challenge ahead.

“We are incredibly proud of our students on the Vis Arbitral Moot team, and wish them every success at this month’s upcoming event in Vienna. Based on their hard work and fantastic team spirit we are sure they will go far,” says Dr. Cedwyn Fernandes, Director, Middlesex University Dubai. “We are very grateful for our partnership with EMAC and the efforts they have put into their mentorship of the Middlesex University Team ahead of the event. Through this partnership we are privileged to have access to some of the region’s top arbitrators and legal professionals. Not only does this help them prepare for the event itself, but it also provides our entire faculty of law students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in this competitive industry.”

“At EMAC we have been honoured to help prepare the Middlesex University Dubai moot team for the upcoming Vis Arbitral Moot in Vienna,” says Mr. Majid Obaid bin Bashir, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of EMAC. “As part of our mandate to promote awareness about local, regional and international arbitration, we welcome the opportunity to inspire the next generation of leading arbitrators. It has been a pleasure sharing our knowledge and experience with the enthusiastic Middlesex University Dubai team at every stage of their preparations.”

In support of the student teams participating in the moot, Middlesex University Dubai in collaboration with EMAC organised and hosted the first Dubai pre-moot on 10th March 2017. Mooting teams had a chance to present their submissions and received feedback and advice from distinguished legal professionals in the region, including Laila El Shentenawi and Robert Karrar-Lewsley of Al Tamimi & Company, Mayssa Khttar and Nasim Bazari of DWF, Andrew Mackenzie of Hogan Lovells and Priyasha Corrie of Fichte & Co Legal.