Looking back on Tokyo and looking forward to Doha: the arbitration of disputes at major sporting events

Join CIArb Qatar and London Branches at its first joint Webinar ‘Looking back on Tokyo and looking forward to Doha: the arbitration of disputes at major sporting events’. This panel will examine the role of arbitration in mega sporting events. Particular attention will be given to the recent work of the Ad Hoc Tribunal of the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the Tokyo and Beijing Olympic Games, while also looking ahead to the FIFA World Cup in Doha in 2022.

Speakers

Zachary R. Calo
Professor of Law
Hamad bin Khalifa University - Qatar

Zachary R. Calo is Professor of Law at Hamad bin Khalifa University - Qatar. He is also Professor of Law (Adj.) at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Visiting Professor at The Open University (UK), Visiting Professor at Tashkent State University of Law (Uzbekistan), and Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar. A attorney with McNair Chambers Doha and member of the Washington, DC Bar, he serves on international dispute resolution panels with Sport Resolutions UK and the Qatar Sports Arbitration Tribunal. He has previously taught at Valparaiso University, Notre Dame Law School (USA), DePaul University College of Law, Hangdong International Law School (Korea), and been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. He holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, B.A. and M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania, M.A. in ethics from the University of Virginia, and LLM in dispute resolution from the Straus Institute at Pepperdine University School Law. In addition, he is Research Scholar in Law and Religion at Valparaiso University, Fellow of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University, and Associate Editor of the Oxford Journal of Law and Religion. He is co-editor, most recently, of Agape, Justice, and Law (Cambridge University Press) and Christianity, Ethics, and the Law: The Concept of Love in Christian Legal Thought (Forthcoming, Routledge).

Susan Ahern
Barrister | Arbitrator | Mediator | Independent Director 33 Bedford Row - Barristers & Arbitrators

Susan is an Irish qualified practising barrister specialising in arbitration, regulation and sports law. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Susan was recently appointed by the Irish Government to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Panel of Conciliators. Susan has over 20 years’ experience in sports law practice, sports administration and regulation leadership roles, including representing clients and sitting as an independent decision maker in disciplinary, conduct and commercial cases before national and international tribunals. Susan has served as Arbitrator in cases involving sport, commercial and insurance matters, conducting both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. In England and Wales, Susan is an arbitrator and provides arbitration services.

Sarah Lewis OBE OLY
Global Sports Leader Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland

Sarah Lewis, OBE OLY is a highly respected global sports leader with a wide international network. She has been involved with skiing on a world-wide basis on both a competitive and administrative level for over 30 years, starting as a member of the British Alpine Ski Team from 1982-1988, competing in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 1987 and the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. She then embarked on a career in sports administration, initially within the ski industry and media, before working for the national and international governing bodies. Her first role at the International Ski Federation, FIS, in 1994 was as the Co-ordinator for the Continental Cups covering the series globally, before becoming FIS Director in 1998 and being appointed Secretary General of the largest international winter sports federation, where she served from 2000 until 2020. In 2021, she ran for the presidency of FIS. Sarah Lewis served as a Member of the IOC Programme Commission, on three Olympic Winter Games Coordination Commissions (2018, 2022 & 2026) and the Youth Olympic Games (2020 & 2024), and has led the FIS activities at five Olympic Winter Games. The FIS disciplines will represent more than half of the Games programme at Beijing 2022. In addition, she served as the Secretary General of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federation (AIOWF), chaired the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Observers at the Beijing 2008 Games, was a member in several IOC Commissions. She was a proud member of the GB delegation that secured the hosting rights in 2005 for the London 2012 Olympic Games. In 2006 she was honoured with the Femmes en Or (Women of Gold) award and
in 2018 Sarah Lewis was awarded the Order of the British Empire in the Queens New Year Honours List for services to sport. She is presently supporting the Chinese Winter Sports Association as Senior Strategic Advisor focused on their preparations for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Moderator

Ben Giaretta FCIArb
Chair
CIArb London Branch

Ben is a commercial disputes lawyer with a broad range of experience in litigation, mediation and expert determination, and he has particular expertise in international commercial arbitration. He has advised clients on issues arising from contracts in many different industries, including oil & gas, LNG, renewables, construction, mining, technology, M&A, shipping and commodities. He has worked on disputes all over the world, including in Africa, Europe and the Gulf region. For seven years he was based in Singapore as the Head of Arbitration in Asia for an international law firm, and he worked on disputes across the Asia-Pacific, especially relating to India, South Korea, Japan, China and Australia. He is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and is the current Chair of the London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has been appointed as arbitrator on many occasions and he is on the panels of arbitrators of several arbitration institutions throughout the world. Ben is ranked in the international arbitration sections of various legal directories including Chambers UK 2022 and Legal500 UK 2022. He is also recognised as a Global Leader by Who’s Who Legal’s Arbitration 2022 guide.

Introduction / Closing Remarks

Saad Hegazy
Board Member CIArb Qatar Branch

Saad is a Delay and Quantum Testified Expert Witness, Member of the Academy of Experts with over 20 appointments, Expert Determinator, Arbitrator and Mediator based in Doha with more than 17 years’ experience in Delay Analysis, Construction Contracts, Quantity Surveying, Claims, and Disputes Resolution in various industries and project types. Saad is Partner in Resolve International and Saad is the President of AACE Qatar Branch, and Board Member of CIArb & QFC Qatar Branch, previous ICC YAF MENA Regional Representative, head of Egyptian Delegation to ISO standard Committees for Project and Portfolio Management
(ISO21500) since 2009, and winner of IPMA Young Project Manager Excellence Prize 2010. Saad is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), Expert Witness and Member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), Arbitrator listed at QICCA, SCCA, CIArb, and W&W roasters. Hi education includes, BSc in Civil Engineering, MSc in Strategic Project Management, LLM in construction law and International Arbitration.

Ahmad Al Ansari FCIArb
Chair
CIArb Qatar Branch

Ahmad started in 1984 at Qatar fertilizer Company (QAFCO) for almost 13 years from a Mechanical Technician to Mechanical Project Engineer. In 1997 was Joined the Water Projects Department at Ministry of Electricity & Water which he became the Head of the Department in 1999. In 2001, Ahmad moved to Qatar National Olympic Committee as the Programme Leader responsible for planning and delivery of some 32 prestigious sport facilities and projects for Doha 2006 Asian Games. In 2006 he was the Managing Director of Lagoon Qatar, providing multi-disciplinary engineering and construction services, and in 2013 he joined Public Works Authority in and now he is in charge of the President Technical Office. Ahmad has a University Degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Master Degree in Project Management in Construction, a Master of Laws in Construction Law & Arbitration, and he is a Chartered Construction Manager as well as Fellow and Chartered Member of various International Professional Institutions.