2025 CPR Institute's Africa Arbitration Day - New York Conference
Event Details
2025 CPR Institute's Africa Arbitration Day –
New York (AAD-NY)
2025 AAD-NY Conference
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025, 1:15 PM - 6:00 PM ET
Venue: DLA Piper LLP, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
Format: AAD-NY will primarily be in-person, streamed live, and posted on the CPR Institute's website after the event.
Program: AAD-NY will include an arbitration moot for students, two substantive panels (CLE pending), a coffee break, and a cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres.
CLE: CLE credits for the two panels will be provided by DLA Piper LLP.
Registration: Registration is open to the public; discounted rate for CPR members. Advance registration is required. In-person registration closes on 11/19 at 12:00 pm (ET).
Organized by the 2025 AAD-NY Steering Committee.*
The purpose of AAD-NY is to: (i) highlight important issues in international arbitration pertinent to the Africa region (ii) foster greater community among international arbitration practitioners in North America and Africa; and (iii) help develop the next generation of Africa-related arbitration practitioners.
CPR held the inaugural AAD-NY on December 8, 2023 at the New York City Bar Association, and our 2nd annual AAD-NY on November 1, 2024 at White & Case LLP. Quickly establishing itself as a valuable conference, AAD-NY has now become an annual CPR Institute event hosted by leading law firm members of CPR.
AAD-NY will include an arbitration moot for students, two substantive panels bearing CLE credits, and a cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres. Join us for the 3rd annual AAD-NY!
Registration is now open!
Registration is required and is open to the public. Please use the "Register Now" button above.
Thanks to our sponsors of this event, CPR is pleased to offer this comprehensive conference with two substantive panels bearing CLE credits, coffee break, networking opportunities, and a cocktail reception for the reduced registration rates of:
- $40 (non-members)
- $20 (CPR members receive a 50% discount!)
CPR is a non-profit organization. Under financial hardship guidelines, at its discretion, CPR may waive the fee for attorneys who demonstrate that they are not currently employed (not retirees). CPR may also provide a special discounted price to attorneys, full time judges and administrative law judges practicing in the nonprofit and public sectors full time. Please contact Knar Nahikian at knahikian@cpradr.org to request financial assistance with this program.
*Students and Professors may also receive discounted registration for this program and are instructed to contact Knar Nahikian at knahikian@cpradr.org.
Panel 1: Emerging Trends and Opportunities for Growth Identified by the 2024 SOAS Arbitration in Africa Survey
The SOAS Arbitration in Africa Survey Reports have offered invaluable insight into the state of arbitration in Africa since the first Report was published in 2018. This panel will analyze the recent findings of the 2024 Survey which highlighted the growth of arbitration on the continent, key arbitration-friendly jurisdictions, gender representation amongst arbitrators, and the role of tribunal secretaries.
Panel 2: The Future of Arbitration in Africa: Legal Reforms, Investment Disputes, and Regional Institutions
This panel will convene officials from African nations to discuss the evolving landscape of arbitration across the continent. The conversation will delve into recent treaty practices related to investor-state dispute settlement, recent reforms aimed at modernizing arbitration frameworks, and the development of regional institutions designed to enhance dispute resolution mechanisms. Key topics will include the status of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocols and the role of arbitration under the AfCFTA, newly enacted arbitration laws in countries such as Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Malawi, and the possibility of establishing regional dispute resolution institutions, including an investment court or a court of commercial arbitration.
2025 AAD-NY Moot Competition
CPR's Africa Arbitration Day – New York Steering Committee invites law students to participate in an international commercial arbitration moot as part of our 3rd annual Africa Arbitration Day – New York conference (AAD-NY), which will be held on November 20, 2025, at DLA Piper LLP, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
Review the 2025 AAD-NY - Call for Applications
Participation is open to current JD and LLM students with an interest in Africa-related arbitration.
There is no fee to apply and there is a limited scholarship fund available by application to reimburse travel expenses.
The AAD-NY Moot has been approved to utilize the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (“Vis Moot”) problem. This is an excellent opportunity for students preparing for the annual Vis Moot competition in Vienna in Spring 2026.
Students selected for the AAD-NY Arbitration Moot will participate in the following ways:
- Written argument. Selected students will be assigned an issue presented by the Vis Moot problem and will individually submit a written argument in advance of the Moot.
- Oral argument. Selected students will be assigned a moot coach to help prepare for oral arguments and will deliver oral arguments on November 20, 2025.
- Complimentary AAD-NY Moot Luncheon. Lunch will be served exclusively for moot participants, including selected students, coaches, and the tribunal.
- Complimentary registration for the AAD-NY conference. Selected students will attend the AAD-NY conference taking place on November 20, 2025, immediately after the moot luncheon.
- Certificates will be presented for Best Oralist and Best Written Submission.
We look forward to another great year at the AAD-NY Moot!
Interested applicants should review full details of
the Call for Applications and then
submit their application form online:
Click here for the 2025 AAD-NY Moot - Call for Applications
then
Click here for the AAD-NY Moot Application Form!
For More Information:
AND SUPPORT THE AAD-NY SCHOLARSHIP FUND
AAD-NY offers a unique opportunity to both seasoned professionals and aspiring practitioners alike to exchange information and build a critical community for promoting arbitration in Africa – a truly emerging market for dispute resolution.
Your generous support of AAD-NY will contribute to the AAD-NY Scholarship Fund which supports our student moot participants from Africa and beyond with demonstrated financial needs who may not otherwise be able to participate in the AAD-NY Arbitration Moot.
We ask you to join us in supporting this important program by signing on as an AAD-NY Sponsor.
Please contact Knar Nahikian with any questions.
AAD-NY STEERING COMMITTEE
Nawi Ukabiala, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York
*Steering Committee Chair
Alice Adu Gyamfi, DLA Piper LLP, New York
Knar Nahikian, CPR Institute, New York
Mohannad A. El Murtadi Suleiman, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, Dubai
Prince-Alex Iwu, Diaz, Reus & Targ LLP, Miami
Shayda Vance, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, Washington, D.C.
Tiwalade Aderoju, Olympus Solicitors and Advocates, Lagos, Nigeria
