Outer Temple Chambers invites you to join us at Dubai Arbitration Week 2025

Outer Temple Chambers’ International Arbitration specialists will be co-hosting a talk with Afridi & Angell during Dubai Arbitration Week on Thursday 13th November; ‘International sanctions in the UAE: when might they breach investment treaties and what is their impact on enforcing arbitration awards?’

In an era marked by rapid geopolitical change and increasingly complex sanctions regimes, legal counsels and arbitrators face growing challenges in navigating disputes that intersect with international trade restrictions, cross-border jurisdictional issues, and enforcement barriers. This session provides a comparative analysis of how these issues are being addressed in both commercial and investment arbitration, with a particular focus on the UAE and England, two jurisdictions at the forefront of international dispute resolution.

The panellists will explore strategies for managing sanctions-related risks, handling jurisdictional objections, and overcoming enforcement obstacles, particularly where state actors or sanctioned entities are involved. The session will also examine how arbitrators are adapting to these challenges in terms of procedure, due process, and award compliance.

Designed for practitioners engaged in cross-border disputes, this panel offers actionable insights on mitigating geopolitical risk within arbitration frameworks, from structuring dispute resolution clauses to navigating post-award enforcement in sensitive contexts.

Speakers:

• Lucian Ilie, Outer Temple Chambers
• Olivia Kaye, Outer Temple Chambers
• Mevan Bandara, Afridi & Angell
• Chatura Randeniya, Afridi & Angell
• Tatiana Minaeva, Independent Arbitrator, Dubai

The Agenda

10:30am – Guest Arrival
11:00am – Event
12:00pm – Networking

For the full agenda of the week, click here.

Speaker Bios

Lucian Ilie – Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Lucian Ilie is an English barrister and French and Romanian avocat specialising in international law, transnational litigation and international arbitration, with particular expertise in investor-State disputes and commercial arbitration cases. With over 10 years of experience in London and Paris, Lucian has acted as counsel and arbitrator in more than 20 international arbitral proceedings brought under many of the major arbitration rules (including the ICSID, UNCITRAL, PCA, SCC, ICC, LCIA, SCAI, CEPANI and VIAC rules), governed by civil law and common law (including under International/EU, English, French, Swiss and Romanian law) with seat of arbitration in England, France, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium and Austria. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and is listed as arbitrator at several arbitration institutions.

Olivia Kaye – Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Olivia Kaye is a barrister (and previously solicitor advocate) with extensive international arbitration experience in investor-state disputes and complex commercial arbitration. Her experience spans across a number of sectors and regions in proceedings brought under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, SCC, DIFC, and NAI Rules. Olivia has a broad range of experience representing, advising, and assisting clients in, and prior to, disputes including in relation to funding investment claims. Olivia has represented both States and claimant investors including the Russian Federation in the complex Crimean arbitrations brought by Ukrainian investors in Crimea under the Russia-Ukraine bilateral investment treaty.

Mevan Bandara – Partner, Afridi & Angell

Mevan is a litigator and practices in Afridi & Angell’s dispute resolution practice. He advises and represents clients in arbitration, before the DIFC Courts and ADGM Courts and advises on on-shore litigation matters. His practice focuses on commercial/contractual disputes, high-value construction disputes, shareholder disputes, company disputes, bankruptcy and restructuring, maritime and shipping, insurance, employment, banking disputes and investment disputes. Mevan also assists clients in structuring joint ventures, franchises, distributorship and registered agencies. Much of his work involves cross-border elements, and he has represented clients in arbitrations seated in London, Dubai, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Chatura Randeniya – Partner, Afridi & Angell

Chatura’s practice focuses primarily on dispute resolution. He advises and represents clients in arbitration, and has represented clients in DIAC, ADCCAC, ICC, and ad hoc arbitrations. In addition to representing clients in arbitration, he sits as an arbitrator. Chatura also works with local advocates on matters before the UAE Federal Courts, including the Federal Supreme Court in matters of national security, as well as the Courts of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. He regularly acts for clients in high-value construction disputes. He also advises on maritime and shipping disputes, banking disputes, employment disputes, as well as disputes relating to commercial transactions. Much of his work has strong cross-border elements.

Tatiana Minaeva – Independent Arbitrator, Dubai

Tatiana is an international disputes lawyer with over 20 years of experience, with a practice in international arbitration developed in both Russia and the UK. Her work spans a wide range of sectors, including financial services, energy and natural resources, construction, technology, international trade, automotive, and manufacturing. She acts in both commercial and investor–state arbitration, serving as arbitrator (sole, presiding, and co-arbitrator) and counsel. In addition, Tatiana acts as an independent expert on Russian law, frequently instructed on issues at the intersection of arbitration law and local court procedure, including anti-suit injunctions, interim measures, enforcement of awards, and questions of foreign law before international courts and tribunals.

Events, News 29 Oct, 2025