Nepal International ADR Center (NIAC) signs MOU with Pinsent Masons

𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐃𝐑 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐍𝐈𝐀𝐂) 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐌𝐎𝐔) 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐍𝐈𝐀𝐂’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬.

Under the MOU Pinsent Masons and NIAC will work together to enhance dispute resolution services in Nepal. Pinsent Masons’ leading International Arbitration team will provide arbitration and mediation advice and support the development of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and laws related to commerce and business in Nepal. The firm will also deliver training courses covering a range of topics related to commercial law, arbitration, mediation and ADR and will also work with the relevant institution and authority, private sector and industry to promote these services in Nepal through NIAC.

Managing Director at NIAC Mr Matrika Niraula and Partner, Co-head of International Arbitration at Pinsent Masons Dr. Dean Lewis signed the MOU on behalf of their respective institutions.

Dr. Lewis expressed his satisfaction and happiness on signing this MoU with NIAC. He spoke about green arbitration and how the two institutions can work together in the days to come. He said: 

“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with NIAC to support the work that they are doing across Nepal and the Asia-Pacific region to enhance the use of ADR to settle disputes. We need to see better and easier access to this form of dispute resolution and to showcase the benefits of this to businesses.”

Mr. Matrika Niraula expressed his optimism that this MOU can start a new era of Arbitration, Mediation and ADR development in Nepal. He emphasized on the fact that the MOU has created wide and important scope between the two institutions. He said: 

“The MOU with Pinsent Masons is very important for us as it will enhance the NIAC’s capability as well as that of other ADR institutions in Nepal, including the judiciary, the executive and the private sector. This in turn can foster investment and FDI, JV, PPP and the entire Nepalese legal and economic sectors, academic institutions and researchers. We believe that this will be a milestone for Nepal and the NIAC”.

Dr. Mukti Rijal, the chairperson of NIAC called the signing of this MoU a great beginning and a milestone for NIAC and thanked Dr. Dean and the entire PM team.

Chair of APCAM Accreditation Committee Dr. Rajesh Sharma from Australia, spoke on how the decision of Pinsent Masons as a multinational law firm to sign a MoU with a Nepal based institution itself is a big achievement. He hoped this collaboration will strengthen the corporate legal and ADR regime in Nepal and the greater Asia Pacific region.

The ceremony was held virtually via Zoom and was moderated by Ms. Alix Povey of Pinsent Masons.