Michael Black is speaking at “Casablanca’s Place in a Shifting World: a Rising Arbitration Venue in Africa and for South-South Disputes”

28 November 2014

The aim of this groundbreaking conference is to discuss the future of Casablanca as a place for arbitration in Africa, and to increase knowledge and discuss issues of shared interest in an open environment.

It is being supported by the IBA Arbitration Committee, together with the Casablanca International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CIMAC), the ICC International Court of Arbitration (ICC), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and Wolters Kluwer.

Topics to be addressed will include:

  • Have the dynamics and perceptions of arbitration evolved with the change of the world economy?
  • Evolutions in arbitration theory (third parties, arbitrability and enforcement of awards)
  • Evolutions in arbitration practice (the role of users and counsels, arbitrators vs judges, and the increasing importance of arbitral institutions)
  • New fields to conquer (mass claims, finance and banking disputes, and low-cost arbitration)
  • New dynamics (a changing world in the Middle East and Africa, and new emerging powers in the South

The speakers will include the following leading international figures:

  • Michael Black QC: Barrister, XXIV Barristers’ Chambers, London
  • Meriem Bensalah Chaqroun: President of the CGEMT (The General Confederation of Moroccan Companies), Casablanca
  • Thomas Clay: Professor of Law and Vice-President of Versailles University; Director, LLM in International Arbitration & Business Law, Versailles, France
  • Abderrahmane Mesbahi: President of Chamber, Court of Cassation, Rabat
  • Lord Goldsmith QC: Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, London
  • Souad Mekhennet: Journalist, The New York Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, German television ZDF, Frankfurt
  • Olivier Merkt: General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, SGS, Geneva
  • Wolfgang Peter: Senior Partner, Python & Peter, Geneva
  • Delissa A. Ridgway: Judge, U.S. Court of International Trade, New York
  • Amb. Valentine S. Rugwabiza: Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Rwanda
  • Prof. Dr. Klaus Sachs: Partner, CMS Hasche Sigle, Munich
  • Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Scientific adviser, Universa Investments, International Monetary Fund, New York
  • Essam Al Tamimi: Senior Partner, Al Tamimi & Company, United Arab Emirates
  • Jingzhou Tao: Partner, Dechert LLP, Beijing
  • Karl Kai-Uwe: Senior Counsel, General Electric Company, Florence
  • Eduardo Zuleta: Partner, Gomez-Pinzon Zuleta, Bogota

Registration is open at http://www.casablancaarbitrationdays.com