Nudrat E. Piracha

Senior Fellow – Pakistan

Dr. Nudrat E. Piracha is a partner (Head Legal) at Septantrio Global Consulting (a collaborating firm of Andersen Global in Pakistan) and the first lawyer from Pakistan to become a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK (FCIArb). She is also the first woman in Pakistan to have qualified as an S.J.D., and she has extensive experience in international arbitration.

About Dr. Nudrat E. Piracha

Dr. Piracha was awarded her S.J.D. by George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She has extensive experience in arbitration in Pakistan, and has practical experience as an advocate in the areas of International Commercial Arbitration and International Construction and Investment Disputes before the ICC, ICSID, SCC, and Adhoc Tribunals. She is a solicitor in England and Wales, a Member of the High Court of Pakistan Bar, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK (FCIArb), and the Country Reporter for Pakistan for the Kluwer Arbitration International/Board of International Transnational Arbitration. She served as a scholar in residence for six months at ICSID in 2016 and has been designated by the Government of Pakistan to join the panel of arbitrators of ICSID for a term of 8 years.

Dr. Piracha served as a member of an Ad Hoc Committee of ICSID in relation to annulment proceedings in a dispute between a British national and the State of Sri Lanka. She is also presently serving as a member of Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s working groups working toward the improvement of the country’s investment arbitrations regime and understanding and compliance with its international law obligations.

Litigation Practice

Dr. Piracha’s litigation practice focuses on commercial, construction, trade, shareholder disputes, employee and service issues, including:

Representation of prominent corporations in Pakistan
Ad hoc arbitrations
Representation of the Government of Pakistan, its ministries, and departments
Representation of banks
Assisting clients with mega construction, infrastructure, power, and public-private partnership projects
Assisting various foreign consulates in Pakistan

ADR Practice

Dr. Piracha has worked as counsel on major international ADR cases involving:

ICSID arbitration between the Government of Pakistan and a Kuwaiti Company, Agility, in a multi-million-dollar claim
ICSID arbitration between the Government of Pakistan and a Turkish company, Bayindir
Ad-hoc arbitration in the Bayindir case
ICC arbitration between a Turkish company and a German supplier
Assisting a Panelist on the review board in the WTO case of Argentina v. United States of America (“OCTG Case”)
Ad hoc arbitration between the Government of Pakistan and an Italian firm, Astaldi
Ad hoc arbitration between the Government of Pakistan and an Italian firm, PAVITO
Anti Dumping Investigations in the case of master tiles against China and in the case of polyester filament yarn against the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Thailand
The dispute before a Dispute Adjudication Board appointed by ICC in relation to a dispute between the Government of Jordan and Pakistani, Kuwaiti, Jordanian and Mauritian companies
An ICC case with regard to a dispute relating to the Jordan Light Rail System
An ICSID case with regard to a dispute relating to the Jordan Light Rail System
An SCC arbitration relating to valuation of shares and matters of Competition law involving a Multinational Norwegian Company
An ICC arbitration relating to a petroleum concession in Pakistan

She has also served as a scholar in residence in ICSID, researching certain amendments to the ICSID rules and observing the internal working of ICSID.

ADR Achievements and Training

Dr. Piracha has practiced investment and commercial arbitration for over 15 years. She has served as a research scholar in ICSID and is designated as an arbitrator by Pakistan on the ICSID panel of arbitrators.
She has provided an opinion regarding the rules for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act and engaged in meetings with private institutions set up for the promotion of ADR and understanding of the international law.
She is keen to impart training of ADR to various segments of the government and promote ADR through the establishment of various entities on her return to Pakistan. She is also aspiring to assist in developing a sustainable legal framework for ADR in Pakistan.
Program in International Human Rights Law (Human Rights in the Market Place, Advocacy of Human Rights) at GW/Oxford Summer (2018)
Course in Leadership and Negotiation; Master Class in Negotiation and Emerging Leaders at Harvard Law School (2018)
Court-Annexed ADR Institute at UC Hastings College of Law, Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (2018)
Weinstein JAMS International Fellow (2018)

Teaching and Mentoring

Dr. Piracha is a member of the Young ITA Mentorship Program.
She is a member of Arbitral Women and is mentoring young women from Pakistan, inspiring and encouraging many to join the field.

Publications and Education

Publications

Dissertation on “Toward Uniformly Accepted Principles for Interpreting MFN Clauses: Striking a Better Balance between State Sovereignty and the Protection of Investors” (Kluwer International Arbitration, May 2021)
“Tethyan Copper Company Pty Limited v. the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” liability under a BIT despite domestic court’s findings of corruption and illegality, Blog, 2017
Updated all the cases and laws of Pakistan on the Kluwer website/ International Transnational Arbitration Website
“The Award of the ICJ in the Kishan Ganga Dispute,” Kluwer Blog, 2012
“The Award in Riko Dik Case,” Asia Pacific Forum, 2017
Case Reports on Pakistani case laws, Kluwer Arbitration, 2012
Reports on various arbitration and investment-related legislation of Pakistan, Kluwer Arbitration, 2012
Reports on various Bilateral Investment Treaties of Pakistan, Kluwer Arbitration, 2012

Educational Qualifications

SJD in investment-related ADR/Comparative International Law, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. (2020)
Exam for Solicitor-Advocate of England & Wales at BPP (2014)
Solicitor exam, BPP University (2008)
Masters of Law in International Commercial Arbitration, International Economic Law, International Business Transactions and Corporate Governance,
London School of Economics and Political Science (2004-2005)
Bachelors of Law and Graduate Studies in Law, Economics, and Statistics, Punjab University, India (1997-2003), (LL. B – 1st position amongst women and 5th in the University out of 3200 students), (B.A. – 1st Division, 3rd position and the Role of Honor for exceptional results)