News & Events
News & Events
Dubai based barrister and member of Outer Temple Chambers, Philip Punwar, has been invited to join the panel of judges at the Middle East Legal Awards 2023, to be held on the 18th May at Le Méridien, Dubai. The Middle East Legal Awards (MELA), now in their 11th year, are the region’s premier legal awards. The Awards are open to all law firms and in-house legal departments with a presence in the region to celebrate outstanding achievement within the profession. By recognising exceptional achievement and best practice they underline the crucial role lawyers are playing in promoting the rule of law. The Awards are sponsored by ACC (Association of Corporate Counsel) and include In House and Private Practice categories such as…
Events, News, International 15 Feb, 2023
![Case Analysis PJSC National Bank Trust & anor v Mints & ors [2023]](https://www.outertemple.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Case-Analysis-PJSC-National-Bank-Trust-anor-v-Mints-ors-2023-550x370.png)
Joshua Hitchens, along with Annabel Thomas, Gavin Costelloe and Bethany Histed (of Greenberg Traurig LLP) consider one of the first major judgments on the effects of the Russian sanctions regime on commercial litigation involving parties subject to asset freezes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On 27 January 2023, Mrs Justice Cockerill handed down judgment in PJSC National Bank Trust & anor v Mints & ors [2023] EWHC 118 (Comm) in which she considered the effect of the Russian sanctions regime on commercial litigation involving parties who are designated persons. Under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the “Regulations”), all assets of a designated person are frozen, meaning no person may deal in them, and no person may make available any…
Commercial, News, International 9 Feb, 2023
Jeddah: Alex Haines and Victoria Brown have been successful in the first ever substantive in-person hearing before the newly established Islamic Development Bank Group Administrative Tribunal. The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDBG) – an International Financial Institution founded in 1973 and based in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – established an International Administrative Tribunal (similar in nature to the Administrative Tribunals of the World Bank and IMF) that started operating in 2022 to hear disputes between the IsDBG and its staff members. Alex and Victoria acted for the successful Applicant in the first ever substantive hearing before the Tribunal, held in person in December 2022. Their win follows a remote interim hearing in another matter earlier in 2022, in which Alex and Courtney…
News, International 18 Jan, 2023
Outer Temple’s Jonathan Hand KC and David Holloway lead the third Advanced Advocacy session for the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) Academy on the 10th and 11th of October 2022. Jonathan Hand KC and David Holloway were the course tutors for the last of the three Advanced Advocacy sessions that the DIFC Academy put on again this year in association with OTC. The first day dealt with appeal advocacy, including presentations and workshops on written and oral advocacy. The second day was the Advocacy Assessment when all of the participants took part in an oral hearing held at the DIFC Court. Please click here if you would like to find out more about the DIFC Academy. Find out more Jonathan…
Events, News, International 19 Oct, 2022
Philip Punwar and Sean Yates join Outer Temple Chambers. Both will remain in the Middle East and join existing Dubai based members David Russell KC and David Holloway, and other members who are regularly in the region instructed on international arbitration and commercial matters. Their arrival not only strengthens Chambers’ Middle East presence but also our international disputes offering. Outer Temple has an office in the DIFC and is the only set of chambers to have a physical office presence in the region. Philip Punwar and Sean Yates are both English qualified barristers with experience of common law and civil law disciplines, particularly important in local law matters in Dubai, they start on 17 October 2022 and 1 November 2022,…
News, International 17 Oct, 2022
Outer Temple’s David Russell QC will be speaking at the DIFC Family Business Master Workshop entitled ‘Structuring Family Business in Extraordinary Times’, which will be held on Thursday 15 September 2022 in Dubai. The DIFC Family Business Master Workshop ‘Structuring Family Business in Extraordinary Times’, is an event aimed to share recent updates on family business regulation and how the Centre responds to the needs of family-run institutions. Outer Temple’s David Russell QC will be sharing his expert knowledge on the topic of ‘structuring family businesses’. The event will be held on Thursday 15 September 2022 from 9:30 am – 11:00 am, at Waldorf Astoria- DIFC. Please click here to find out more and to register for the workshop. Find…
Events, Financial Services, International 8 Sep, 2022
With Vilnius Arbitration Day fast approaching, Lucian ILIE will be speaking at the ICC YAAF pre-event on “The Unwritten Rules of a Career in International Arbitration”, to be held in Vilnius (Lithuania) on Thursday 15 September 2022. Lucian will be joined by amazing speakers Adelina Prokop (Partner, Clifford Chance, Warsaw), Sebastiano Nessi FCIArb (Partner, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, Geneva), Gaëlle Filhol (Managing Partner, Betto Perben Filhol, Paris), and moderators Iuliana Iancu (Hanotiau & van den Berg, Brussels) and Denis Parchajev (Counsel, Motieka & Audzevicius, Vilnius). This ICC YAAF event will focus on the soft skills arbitration practitioners need to create a healthy workplace environment while maintaining a fast track to achieving career goals. Please click here to find out…
Arbitration, Events, International 5 Sep, 2022
We are pleased to announce that Outer Temple Professional Associate, Ian Johnston, has recently been appointed as the Chief Executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Ian Johnston was previously the Chief Executive of the DFSA from 2012 to 2018 and is now being re-appointed from 1st September 2022. He is taking over from Christopher Calabia who has resigned from the role. DFSA chairman, Fadel Al Ali, has said “We look forward to welcoming Ian back to lead the DFSA.” Find out more Ian Johnston was admitted to practise law in Australia in the early 1980s where he spent most of his career in the private sector – with a number of notable and senior positions within the financial world.…
News, International 5 Aug, 2022
After a long running dispute, the DIFC Court of Appeal has dismissed the claim in Massun v Mousi & Ors. Outer Temple members, David Russell QC and Stephen Doherty, acted for the Second and Third Defendants. After a long running dispute, the DIFC Court of Appeal has dismissed the claim in Massun v Mousi & Ors. Outer Temple members, David Russell QC and Stephen Doherty, acted for the Second and Third Defendants. The Claimant had claimed to have a beneficial interest in the shares of certain companies at the top of two corporate structures. Two large assets were held in these corporate structures, registered to companies at the bottom of the structures. The Claimant claimed that the companies had tried…
News, International 2 Aug, 2022
Outer Temple’s Robert Rhodes QC and Anthony Lo Surdo SC were judges for the Thailand Arbitration Center’s first International Mediation Competition. This event took place on Wednesday 20th July 2022. The Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC) organised the “1st Virtual International Mediation Competition 2022”. The competition aimed to unleash the potential of young mediators around the world as well as encouraging them to gain knowledge and a proper understanding of the usage of mediation skill. There were about a dozen judges for this event, from all over the world. We are proud to share that highly experienced Outer Temple barrister, Robert Rhodes QC, and our Professional Associate Anthony Lo Surdo SC, were asked to be judges for this event. He says…
Events, International, Mediation 22 Jul, 2022
Outer Temple’s James Counsell QC and Justina Stewart will be providing advocacy training as part of the DIFC Laws Certificate programme. This talk will take place on 25th-26th July 2022. The DIFC Academy are hosting a course named ‘Advanced Advocacy Skills’ which is part of the Certificate in Common Law, DIFC Laws & Courts Practice programme. The course will explore the application of traditional advocacy skills to activities routinely performed by lawyers. There will be three parts to this course, all being given by Outer Temple Chambers Barristers. The first of the three talks will be performed by James Counsell QC and Justina Stewart. They will be focusing on ‘Trial advocacy and witness handling and examination’ and their training will involve:…
Events, International 20 Jul, 2022
Alex Haines and Courtney Step-Marsden have been instructed in a mini-class action against the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector before the Islamic Development Bank Group Administrative Tribunal. The newly established Islamic Development Bank Group Administrative Tribunal (IsDBGAT or Tribunal) is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and hears cases brought by international civil servants who work at the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDBG). The IsDBG is comprised of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Islamic Research & Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Corporation for Development of the Private Sector (ICD), Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). The IsDBG is a regional Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) whose mission includes the promotion…
News, International 12 Jul, 2022
