BLP ENGAGED TO REDRAFT MONGOLIAN ARBITRATION LAWS

 Accord­ing to news published on legalweek.com website on April 7, Berwin Leigh­ton Paisner (BLP) has been engaged by the Mongolian government to redraft the country’s arbitration laws, along with lo­cal outfit New Grata.

A team of lawyers from BLP have been working closely with the Mongolian Ministry of Justice to rework the existing regulation, in a bid to drive foreign investment.

Leading the group is projects partner Marius Toime in Singapore, alongside Lon­don-based disputes partner Carol Mulcahy and Singapore arbitration expert Kent Phil­lips.

The firm acquired the work through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) business plan initiative, which has been seeking to boost participation and dia­logue between the government and Mon­golia’s private sector.

BLP has previously been involved in a number of key projects in Mongolia, work­ing mainly in the mining sector. On the arbitration side the firm has 13 partners globally, working across London, Moscow, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.

“Updating Mongolia’s arbitration laws will help ensure the country has a more sta­ble regulatory footing, necessary if it is to compete with other resource rich nations,” said Toime.

“BLP have been working in Mongolia’s mining industry during over recent years and have witnessed first-hand the opening up of this key sector. As a consequence, we have developed a strong practice in this region”.

BLP has been steadily growing its pres­ence in Asia, with offices now in Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing, and a tie up with Legal Network Consultants (LNC) in Myan­mar through its newly-established Asia net­work.

The firm, which in September 2013 re­corded a 40% drop in profit per equity part­ner (PEP) amid increasing competition in London, is also understood to be eyeing a tie-up with a local firm in Indonesia through the network, as part of a plan to tap emerg­ing markets in South East Asia.