IAMC Hyderabad Roundtable Conference: In-House Counsels in Alternative Dispute Resolution
The International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC), Hyderabad, organized a Roundtable Conference in collaboration with the Hyderabad In-House Counsels Forum (HICF) on the theme “In-House Counsels as Arbitrators and Mediators: Role of In-House Counsels in Alternative Dispute Resolution” on August 30, 2024. The conference took place at the Centre’s state-of-the-art facility in Hyderabad.
The event brought together leading in-house counsels from various sectors to raise awareness about arbitration and mediation as prominent modes of dispute resolution. Mr. Tariq Khan, Registrar of IAMC, Hyderabad, highlighted the opportunities available at IAMC, including training, research initiatives, seminars, and workshops. He shared the journey of IAMC, mentioning various initiatives taken since its inception, such as YIAMC, MoUs with international institutes like the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC), and letters of support from state entities like CREDAI, NAREDCO, and law firms like Tatva Legal and Fox Mandal. He also informed the attendees about the recent MoU with the General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI) and expressed his interest in bringing similar opportunities to the HICF.
The discussions centered around the benefits of institutional arbitration over ad-hoc arbitration, timelines, success rates, the med-arb model, the necessity of institutional clauses to streamline the process, and the suitability of different types of dispute resolution for a broad range of disputes, including employee disputes, family disputes, and licensing disputes in sectors like IT, Pharma, and Real Estate. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Shujath Bin Ali, Global General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at Re Sustainability Limited.
Mr. Tariq Khan highlighted the effectiveness of mediation in resolving various types of disputes, noting that voluntary mediation has achieved the highest success rates. He emphasized, “Mediation is a great combination of process and domain expertise that in-house counsels are already equipped with.” He urged the counsels to leverage their domain expertise in making dispute resolution more cost-effective and efficient while contributing to the cause of commercial dispute resolution.
The discussion continued with in-house counsels who have undergone the requisite mediation training, sharing their experiences as mediators. Ms. Isha Sinha, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Medicover Hospitals, shared her experience and said, “Parties respond positively to mediation once they are able to develop trust in the mediator and understand the systematic approach of the mediation process.”
Mr. Osman Akthar, Vice President – Legal & Compliance, and Company Secretary at RealPage, Inc., emphasized the importance of mediation for resolving employment disputes. He stated, “Every organization, at some point, has faced employment disputes, and the aspect of confidentiality makes mediation a suitable method for resolving such disputes for both the employer as well as the employee. Institutes like IAMC can help in addressing the concerns of employees by appointing a neutral and impartial mediator.”
The event concluded by addressing the unique challenges faced by various sectors. The participants echoed the sentiment that with the right training and support, in-house counsels could play an important role in promoting the culture of ADR within their organizations. This marks a significant step towards integrating in-house counsels more actively into the ADR ecosystem.