Vietnam ADR Week 2023

Introduction

The Vietnam ADR Week 2023 (VAW 2023) is co-hosted by Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) and Vietnam Business Lawyers Club (VBLC) in an effort to establish a platform for sharing knowledge and practical experience about risk prevention, management and dispute resolution methods.

The first-ever VAW hosted by VIAC in 2020 grew into a significant series of activities that connected domestic and international arbitration practitioners and served as a forum for ADR experts to express their views for the improvement of the quality of arbitration. The Week so continues to be organized with the goal of contributing to enhance the competitiveness of the economy and business community, and facilitate the economic, trade, investment, scientific and technological cooperation between domestic and foreign entities in Vietnam.

This is the very first time the Vietnam ADR Week is co-organised by VBLC and VIAC, the two leading organisations in legal practice and arbitration advocacy in Vietnam, in association with the direct supports from reputable organisations in the arbitration and ADRs in global and Asia, such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), Singaporean International Arbitration Center (SIAC), Asian International Arbitration Center (AIAC), Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), etc.

The VAW 2023 will focus on legal risk prevention and dispute resolution and how those activities should adapt to the vibrant Asia, strongly bouncing back post COVID. VAW 2023 is also an opportunity to extend our outreach and strengthen partnerships, enabling us to build connections within Vietnam, across the region, and throughout the world. Through these connections, we hope to enhance the significance of arbitration in Vietnam, and eventually establish Vietnam as a prominent choice for resolving disputes between parties.

HKA Partners, Shamila Neelakandan and Jonathan Ellis, will be taking part in various panel discussions on Wednesday, 10 May 2023. HKA Partner, An Ho Koh will be attending the conference as well.

HKA Speakers

Shamila Neelakandan
Partner, Construction Claims and Expert Services Lead, APAC
E: shamilaneelakandan@hka.com

Shamila Neelakandan is a dual qualified Lawyer (Malaysia and UK) with 27 years of legal, contracts and commercial experience in the construction industry. She is also a Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is an empanelled arbitrator with the AIAC. Shamila commenced her career in 1996 as a lawyer focusing on dispute resolution in Malaysia before developing her career as a solicitor in the UK (Osborne Clarke). In 2007, Shamila moved to project consulting and has over the last 17 years successfully acted for clients in the power generation and water desalination, oil & gas, and rail & infrastructure sectors throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Shamila is an expert in managing complex claims.

Shamila’s wider experience include tender negotiations, procurement, commercial strategy and dispute management. She continues to undertake advocacy work in consulting services through presentations and case management services in dispute resolution proceedings. Shamila previously headed the Malaysian and Singapore operations and now heads the Construction Claims and Expert Services for the Asia Pacific region with a profit and loss responsibility for the business.

Jonathan Ellis
Partner, Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages, APAC
E: jonathanellis@hka.com

Jonathan Ellis specialises in the quantification of damages and valuations, particularly in dispute contexts, for litigation, arbitration and expert determination purposes. He has experience working on both litigation and arbitration matters, including engagements before the UK and Singapore High Courts as well as in ad hoc, SIAC, LCIA, ICC, HKIAC, UNCITRAL and ICSID arbitration forums. Jonathan has provided oral testimony on a number of occasions, in both court and arbitration, and has been engaged as a tribunal-appointed expert.

Jonathan has provided advice and support in the energy, power, pharmaceutical, mining and manufacturing sectors across disputes, M&A transactions, corporate restructuring, financial reporting and expert determination. He’s provided consulting advice to two utility suppliers in the Middle East, in respect of both water and power. Additionally, he conducted independent accounting investigations and reviews.

Jonathan is a Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders Global Elite Arbitration Expert Witnesses in 2023 and a Global Leader Consulting Experts – Financial Advisory and Valuation – Quantum of Damages 2022. He’s also a National Leader for Southeast Asia – Arbitration Expert Witnesses 2022.