Vatsala Ratnasabapathy, senior partner and head of Zain & Co.'s Construction, Engineering and Arbitration team, will be moderating a debate forum on 10 October 2025 (Friday) as part of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC)'s Asia ADR Week 2025.

Given her experience and expertise in international arbitration, she will be presiding over two debates, each focused on a contemporary, hot-button issue amongst practitioners in the field:

1. Double-Hatting in International Arbitration: Is It About Money?
   
   The practice of "double-hatting", where legal professionals act as both arbitrators and counsel in different cases, generates intense discussion within the field of international arbitration. Does this dual role offer holistic training opportunities for practitioners or does it blur the lines of legitimacy in the arbitral process?


2. Disclose or be Disqualified: Where is the Line?
   
   Transparency is a key element in safeguarding the integrity of any dispute resolution process. For arbitrators, this would require disclosing any conflicts of interest that may cast doubt on their impartiality in the proceedings. Is there however, a distinction that should be drawn between disclosure and over-exposure of an arbitrator’s personal and professional affairs?

The debates promise to be a vigorous and thrilling battle of minds, with each side composed of eminent local practitioners including Mr. Lam Ko Luen, Mr. Adrian See Jooi Hong, Ms. Janice Tay, Ms. Vee Vian Thien and Mr. Kalaiarasan Rasadurai.

The debates are part of a larger five-day conference hosted by the AIAC, centered on the practice of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The conference aims to bring together key ADR practitioners, stakeholders and enthusiasts, featuring a series of deep dive discussions into the latest ADR trends, challenges and its future moving forward.

The debates will run from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm at the AIAC, Kuala Lumpur.

The registration details and the conference's full event program can be found here.