On 29 November 2019, two lawyers from the Energy, Infrastructure & Projects, and International Arbitration Practice of Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill were invited to speak at a conference in Kuching, Sarawak, organised by the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC). The event was a success, with more than 200 participants comprising government agencies, legal practitioners, arbitrators, adjudicators and professionals from the construction industry.

In her keynote speech, YB Datuk Hajah Sharifah Hasidah, the State Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations & Project Monitoring, highlighted that the construction sector in Sarawak, driven by higher spending by the state government on infrastructure projects, is expected to grow strongly at 16.8% in 2020. In this regard, she stressed the need for local players to equip themselves with the requisite tools for effective management of construction projects and to understand alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in fostering an environment of dispute avoidance.

Dato’ Nitin Nadkarni, partner and head of the Practice with more than 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, shared his invaluable insights into arbitration as the preferred route for dispute resolution. During his session, Dato’ Nitin particularly addressed misconceptions about arbitration and discussed the elements of cost, time, expertise and cultural nuances when considering the most practical dispute resolution mechanism.