After more than 3.5 months without a Director, Datuk Professor Sundra Rajoo has been appointed as the Director of the Asian International Arbitration Centre ("AIAC").
AIAC
Formed under a host country agreement between Malaysia and the Asian African Legal Consultative Organization, the AIAC is a not-for-profit, non-governmental international arbitral institution based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a leading institution in the region.
Datuk Professor Sundra Rajoo
Datuk Sundra Rajoo, the Founding President of Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution, has previously served as Director of the AIAC. He is a well-known figure in the arbitration community, and his return to AIAC represents an exciting development.
The Importance Of Having A Director
The role of the Director of AIAC is fundamental to the running of the institution, and to the commencement and conduct of references under the AIAC's rules. The 3.5 month period without a Director had caused concern and many practitioners have called for the appointment of a new Director of the AIAC without any further delay. The importance to AIAC of appointing a new Director cannot be overstated.
What this means
Datuk Sundra Rajoo's previous tenure saw substantial growth in the AIAC's reputation and case load, and significantly impacted the Malaysian arbitration and adjudication scene. His return promises future development for the alternative dispute resolution market in Malaysia and in Asia more broadly.
Since the renewal of the AIAC's host country agreement in 2013, the AIAC has grown significantly, and it has the potential to grow further. AIAC is not only a well regarded institution, but it provides a top class venue widely considered as one of the best value locations for hearings in the region. We hope that the appointment of Datuk Sundra Rajoo will help the AIAC to continue to develop and to remain competitive with other arbitration centres. Given South East Asia's importance, the presence of a vibrant and well regarded arbitration centre in Kuala Lumpur can only be a good thing.
We wish Datuk Sundra Rajoo and the AIAC every success.
For more information, please contact Craig Shepherd, Partner, Peter Godwin, Partner, Anita Natalia, or your usual Herbert Smith Freehills contact.
Key contacts
Simon Chapman KC
Managing Partner, Dispute Resolution and Global Co-Head – International Arbitration, Hong Kong
Andrew Cannon
Partner, Global Co-Head of International Arbitration and of Public International Law, London
Kathryn Sanger
Partner, Head of China and Japan, Dispute Resolution, Co-Head of Private Capital, Asia, Hong Kong
Christian Leathley
Partner, Co-Head of the Latin America Group, Co-Head of the Public International Law Group, US Head of International Arbitration, London
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