#YoungITATalks: Joint Africa-India Event

Overview

Presented by Young ITA 

Join us for an insightful and practice-oriented webinar on “Procedure and Strategy in Cross-Border Commercial Arbitration: Comparative Perspectives from India and Africa.” As cross-border trade and investment between India, Africa, and the global market continue to grow, arbitration has become a critical tool for resolving complex commercial disputes efficiently and effectively.

This virtual session will examine key procedural and strategic issues in cross-border commercial arbitration, with a particular focus on comparative approaches in India and Africa. Discussions will cover procedural efficiency, the role and effectiveness of emergency arbitration, strategies for seeking interim relief, and best practices for managing complex multi-party and multi-contract disputes.

Designed for arbitration practitioners, in-house counsel, and policymakers, this one-hour webinar aims to provide practical insights, encourage comparative learning across jurisdictions, and foster dialogue on enhancing the effectiveness and adaptability of international arbitration frameworks.

2 March 2026 (Monday)
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM (India Standard Time) / 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM West Africa Time / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM East Africa Time

Venue: Virtual

#YoungITATalks is a series of local events presented around the world, featuring talks, workshops or interviews that cover a wide range of subjects relating to arbitration. The #YoungITATalks series is designed for education, conversation and sharing knowledge and experiences among young practitioners.

This event is presented tuition-free. Please register in advance to help us have an accurate headcount.

Schedule and Speakers

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (India Standard Time) / 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (East Africa Time) / 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (West Africa Time) – Panel Discussion

Flow of event:

Olujoke Aliu
Managing Partner, Aluko & Oyebode

Joke is a Co-Managing Partner with Aluko & Oyebode and heads the Abuja office. She is an active member of the firm’s dispute resolution and corporate and commercial practice teams. She has robust experience in regulatory and government relations. She coordinates all interface with the federal ministries, departments and agencies. She also provides in-depth legal advice on complex issues arising from diverse areas of Nigerian law, including issues of corporate governance, employment, banking, procurement, land, intellectual property, enforcement of foreing judgments, and winding up of all forms of legal entities under Nigerian law.

Prof. Githu Muigai SC
Former Attorney General of Kenya

Prof. Githu Muigai SC
Former Attorney General of Kenya

Prof. Githu Muigai is a Professor of Public law at the School of Law, University of Nairobi and a Senior Partner at the firm of Mohammed Muigai LLP. He is also the Vice President of the London Court of International Arbitration African User’s Council and the Vice-Chair of the United Nations Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. As a committed Jurist, he has been involved in the teaching and practice of law for over 30 years. As an academic, he is widely acknowledged as an expert in the area of Public Law with special recognition in the areas of Constitutional Law, Constitutional Jurisprudence, Constitutional litigation and comparative constitutionalism. He has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Constitutional Law, Comparative Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, Public International Law and International Human Rights Law.

He has broad international and domestic experience at dispute resolution having represented Kenya as the Attorney General before the International Criminal Court at the Hague, serving as a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. He has represented numerous parties at the Supreme Court of Kenya, the Supreme Court of Uganda and other regional litigation and dispute resolution fora.

He was conferred the rank of Senior Counsel by the President of the Republic of Kenya.

He previously served as the chief legal adviser to the Government of Kenya as Attorney General (August 2011-March 2018) and as a Commissioner with the former Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, as judge to the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (2008-2010). He is also a former Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (2008-2011).

Darshika Singh
Head (Legal)(Trading) – Tata International

Darshika Singh is the Head –- Legal, Trading at Tata International Limited, where she leads legal strategy, governance, and risk management for the company’s global trading operations. She brings over a decade of experience across leading multinational corporations and top-tier law firms, with deep expertise in general corporate advisory, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and foreign investment. Prior to joining Tata International, Darshika held senior leadership roles in the Legal Division at Mitsui & Co. India, most recently serving as Deputy General Manager. She also practiced at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, advising on complex corporate and transactional matters.

Anish Wadia

Anish Wadia is an internationally accredited, full-time independent Chartered Arbitrator, IMI-Certified and CEDR-Accredited Mediator, and Adjudicator, with experience across common and civil law jurisdictions, including Russia, Hong Kong, China, and the UAE, and familiarity with Islamic law. He is a CIArb (UK) Approved Faculty List (AFL) Course Director, Assessor, and Tutor for arbitration, mediation, and construction adjudication courses, and serves as International Faculty for CIArb’s Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (virtual and Oxford University programmes).

He is the youngest-ever and first Indian lawyer globally to be accredited as a Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb) in CIArb’s 100+ year history, and currently the only Indian Chartered Arbitrator worldwide.

Anish has received multiple international accolades, including Outstanding Global Achievement in International Arbitration (2019) and Dispute Resolution Awards of the Year (Global 2020; Asia 2021), and is ranked by Who’s Who Legal: Future Leaders (Partners) from 2021–2024 as one of the most recommended arbitrators, noted for his impartiality, due process, and efficiency in rendering awards under ICC Rules.

Paul Kimani
Moderator
Young ITA Africa Co-Chair

Paul is a Partner with Paul Andrew Advocates, a Nairobi-based law firm with a cross-border focus. He advises on commercial transactions, contract negotiations, and multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration. His practice covers corporate law, international trade, intellectual property, climate adaptation, and digital technologies, including cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

His work has been recognized through various industry listings and acknowledgments, including selection among the Top 100 Commercial Lawyers in Kenya (2024) by The Lawyer Africa. Paul Andrew Advocates was also recognized as International Corporate Law Firm of the Year – Kenya by MEA Markets, African Excellence Awards in 2024.

Alongside his practice, Paul serves as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and an Associate at the University of Exeter Law School. He has published widely in leading international journals on contemporary legal issues.

Dr. Kimani holds a PhD in law from the University of Exeter, an LLM from University College London (UCL), and an LLB from the University of Nairobi.

Shravan Yamannur
Moderator
Young ITA India Co-Chair

Shravan Yammanur is a Partner at Dentons Link Legal in New Delhi and an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India. His practice focuses on international arbitration, investment treaty disputes, international trade, public international law, and commercial litigation. He has represented both corporates and sovereign States in high-value disputes across sectors including energy, mining, and infrastructure. Shravan has previously served as an advisor on treaty negotiations and investment policy to the Government of India and is actively engaged in mentoring and training students and young professionals in investment treaty arbitration. He regularly appears before the Supreme Court of India and High Court of Delhi in complex commercial matters.

Joy Mgbado
Opening / Closing Remarks
Young ITA Africa Co-Chair

Joy Mgbado is a Senior Associate at Aluko & Oyebode, Nigeria, and a key member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She specializes in energy and infrastructure disputes and has represented large corporate entities and multinationals, both as counsel and in advisory roles, on several complex and high-value claims in the energy and construction sectors. She has also provided support on disputes arising from a wide range of issues, including aviation, telecommunications, taxation, lending and finance, intra-corporate disputes, and general contracts and commercial law transactions.

As counsel, Joy has worked on institutional arbitrations under the ICC and LCIA Rules, and on ad-hoc arbitrations, including a PCA-administered ad-hoc arbitration. She also regularly acts as counsel in arbitration-related court proceedings, such as those for interim protective measures and the annulment/enforcement of awards, and on domestic litigations across all levels of courts in Nigeria.

Joy gained valuable international arbitration experience working in the London office of WilmerHale and has acquired relevant oil and gas industry experience working from a leading international oil company.
In 2024, Joy was recognized among the 40 under 40 Nigerian Rising Stars by the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards. She also received the Africa Arbitration Academy Award Prize for excellence in legal writing in 2024 and was peer-recognized as one of 30 Exceptional Female Lawyers making a difference in Africa (LegallyYes, March 2025).

Aayushi Singh
Young ITA India Co-Chair

Aayushi is a Juriste at Three Crowns, Paris. Aayushi previously worked at Khaitan and Co., New Delhi and was also a Visiting Foreign Lawyer at WilmerHale, London. Aayushi's experience includes commercial arbitration under SIAC, ICC and DIAC Rules seated in London, Singapore, Zurich, and New Delhi. She pursued the NUS-MIDS Double Degree Programme between the National University of Singapore, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and University of Geneva. She is a recipient of a full scholarship for her postgraduate studies by the Aga Khan Development Network. She also received a full scholarship to pursue the Austrian Arbitration Academy offered by the University of Vienna. She presently serves as the Senior Young OGEMID Rapporteur and is a Steering Committee Member of the Indian Women in International Arbitration.

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