Criminalising Commerce:
Sanctions, Compliance, and Corporate Risk in International Arbitration
November, 12 | Wednesday
18:00 – 22:00
Boulevard Plaza Tower 1, Dubai
An Invitation-Only Discussion Under the Chatham House Rules
Sanction regimes intensify and economic warfare becomes a primary tool of geopolitical strategy. The line between commercial disputes and criminal liability has never been more precarious. International businesses now operate in an environment where routine contractual activities can trigger criminal prosecutions, asset freezes, and personal liability for executives.
Where others retreat out of fear or confusion, those who understand the real reach of sanctions find opportunity.
New disputes arise where the counterparties are trying to use the sanction regimes to circumvent their contractual obligations.
This exclusive panel brings together leading practitioners for a candid, off-the-record conversation on how companies can navigate the treacherous intersection of contractual enforcement and regulatory compliance in an age of weaponised commerce.
New disputes arise where the counterparties are trying to use the sanction regimes to circumvent their contractual obligations.
This exclusive panel brings together leading practitioners for a candid, off-the-record conversation on how companies can navigate the treacherous intersection of contractual enforcement and regulatory compliance in an age of weaponised commerce.
Session focus:
As global sanctions regimes expand and evolve with unprecedented speed and scope, routine business activities – including contract performance and arbitration proceedings – can inadvertently trigger criminal exposure. This session explores the critical compliance considerations that directors, general counsel, and financial officers must understand to protect both their organizations and themselves in this new era of economic warfare.
Sanctions affected the parties’ access to dispute resolution mechanisms. What ways are still available to resolve an international dispute in today’s world.
Sanctions affected the parties’ access to dispute resolution mechanisms. What ways are still available to resolve an international dispute in today’s world.
Key Discussion Points:
Contractual Performance as Criminal Act
When does fulfilling contractual obligations or pursuing arbitration amount to "making funds available" to sanctioned entities? We will examine real-world scenarios where legitimate commercial activity crosses into prohibited territory.
Personal Liability Exposure
Understanding the criminal risks facing corporate officers, directors, and legal counsel in an intensifying enforcement environment. Who can be held personally liable, and under what circumstances?
Navigating OFSI and EU Compliance
Practical frameworks for risk management, licensing routes, and burden allocation under UK and EU sanctions regimes. How do enforcement mechanisms align—or conflict—with national legal systems as sanctions multiply?
Mirroring Russian/Belarus sanctions
International businesses are caught between the rock and the hard place. Russia and Belarus introduced their own “counter-sanctions”. Jurisdiction and anti-anti-suits injunction battles.
Arbitral Tribunal Responses
How do arbitral institutions and tribunals handle proceedings tainted by potential sanctions violations or illicit transactions? What precedents are emerging, and what does this mean for future disputes in an era of economic warfare?
Format
This invitation-only event operates under the Chatham House Rules, allowing participants to speak freely and share insights from sensitive, real-world cases without attribution. This creates a safe space for honest discussion of the practical challenges and grey areas that professionals face daily as sanctions become increasingly complex and politically driven.
Who Should Attend:
This session is designed for senior in-house counsel, compliance officers directors of international businesses, and regulatory advisors navigating cross-border commercial disputes in today's volatile geopolitical landscape.
Conference Program
November, 12 | Wednesday
18:00 – 19:00
18:00 – 19:00
Guest registration
19:00 - 20:00
19:00 - 20:00
Presentation by speakers, Q&A
20:00 - 22:00
20:00 - 22:00
Networking, socializing
Registration
