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Global Law Experts is pleased to welcome Dr. Ahmed Hankawi, Managing Partner of Etihad Law Firm, as our Exclusive Member for Arbitration law in Iraq. Dr. Hankawi joins GLE with a proven record in commercial disputes, arbitration strategy and regulatory advisory work, credentials that make him a natural choice to represent arbitration expertise on our platform for Iraq. His appointment strengthens GLE’s ability to connect businesses and individuals with leading arbitration counsel in a jurisdiction where careful, locally informed guidance is essential. This addition reinforces our commitment to excellence in Iraqi arbitration.
Dr. Ahmed Hankawi serves as Managing Partner of Etihad Law Firm, where he leads the firm’s corporate, banking and regulatory teams and supervises commercial litigation, appellate matters and arbitration strategy. His practice spans courtroom advocacy, transactional work and regulatory counselling, with over a decade of experience advising multinational corporations, financial institutions, lenders and investors operating in Iraq and the wider region. He is widely recognised for contributions to jurisdictional practice guides and regulatory handbooks, reflecting depth and practical insight into Iraqi commercial law and dispute resolution.
GLE selects Exclusive Members on the basis of demonstrated expertise, client‑focused track record and leadership within their jurisdiction. Dr. Hankawi’s combination of dispute resolution experience, sectoral breadth (including finance, energy, construction & pharmaceuticals) and leadership of a multi‑jurisdictional firm made him an outstanding fit for the role. Independent legal directories and market platforms have cited his standing in Iraq’s commercial and disputes practices, reinforcing the selection.
Beyond casework, Dr. Hankawi’s visible role in institutional initiatives often collaborating with international stakeholders to develop arbitration capacity and legal reform demonstrates the public‑facing leadership GLE values in an Exclusive Member for Arbitration law in Iraq. His recent recognitions and shortlistings in international legal awards further evidence a practice respected both locally and internationally.
Dr. Hankawi’s arbitration practice is built around hybrid, commercially oriented solutions that blend pre‑dispute risk assessment, arbitration counsel, award enforcement and appellate strategy. He regularly advises on cross‑border contractual disputes, project finance disputes and enforcement issues matters that demand fluency in both Iraqi procedural norms and international arbitration practice. This practical orientation helps clients anticipate judicial points of friction and structure dispute resolution clauses that are enforceable in practice.
At firm level, Etihad Law coordinates cross‑border matters from offices in Iraq, the UAE and the UK, enabling multi‑jurisdictional case management and local enforcement planning an important advantage in arbitration where winning an award is often only half the task and domestic enforcement is critical. Dr. Hankawi’s leadership ensures clients benefit from integrated counsel on transactional structuring, regulatory compliance and dispute contingency planning.
Arbitration law in Iraq has evolved materially in recent years and is now shaped by Iraq’s accession to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. Iraq deposited its instrument of accession in 2021 and published the accession law in the Official Gazette, bringing the treaty into domestic effect for awards covered by the legislation. That accession represents a significant step in aligning Iraq with international standards on recognition and enforcement.
However, the practical enforcement environment in Iraq remains developing. Observers and practitioners note reservations that accompanied Iraq’s accession such as reciprocity and commercial‑only application and ongoing judicial learning in applying the Convention. Enforcement against state entities and state‑owned assets continues to present particular challenges, making careful contractual drafting and enforcement planning essential when disputes involve governmental counterparities.
Businesses and individuals confronting cross‑border disputes involving Iraq should be aware of several recurring challenges: domestic judicial familiarity with international conventions is still maturing; certain awards may face resistance when the defendant is a state body or state‑owned enterprise; local procedural and public‑policy concepts can differ from common law approaches; and successful enforcement often depends on bespoke local strategies rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. These factors make local arbitration expertise indispensable.
Given these realities, parties should engage counsel who can combine international arbitration competence with intimate knowledge of Iraqi procedural practice and regulatory interfaces. This combination improves the drafting of arbitration clauses, selection of seat and governing law, management of interim measures, and post‑award enforcement planning. Dr. Hankawi’s practice spanning transactional drafting, regulatory advice and litigation strategy illustrates this integrated approach.
1) Draft with enforcement in mind: Ensure arbitration clauses are clear on seat, law, language and choice of institution or ad hoc rules so that awards can be both obtained and effectively enforced in Iraq and elsewhere. Where state entities are involved, consider alternative protection mechanisms such as payment guarantees or escrow arrangements.
2) Pre‑dispute risk assessment: Conduct regulatory and jurisdictional due diligence before contracting in Iraq. Understanding local licensing, sectoral regulation and public‑order considerations limits the risk that a tribunal’s jurisdiction or an award’s enforceability will be successfully challenged.
3) Plan enforcement strategies early: Even where the New York Convention applies, enforcement pathways should be mapped out at the contract stage identifying likely jurisdictions where assets may be located, local enforcement procedures and the potential need for domestic recognition proceedings. Local counsel with courtroom and appellate experience is essential for this work.
Beyond client work, Dr. Hankawi has engaged in sector‑level initiatives to strengthen commercial dispute resolution in Iraq, participating in conferences, workshops and collaborative projects that bring Iraqi practitioners and international stakeholders into dialogue. These activities support the practical application of international instruments and help build the institutional familiarity necessary for reliable arbitration outcomes. Such public‑facing engagement is an important complement to private practice and underpins GLE’s confidence in his role as an Exclusive Member.
Clients and colleagues who consult Dr. Hankawi through GLE can expect counsel that is commercially grounded, technically robust and focused on enforceable outcomes. Whether the matter requires arbitration clause drafting, representation before an arbitral tribunal, enforcement of foreign awards in Iraq or appellate steps in domestic courts, his team at Etihad Law brings coordinated resources across jurisdictions to support each phase of a dispute. This breadth and depth is precisely why GLE has appointed him as the Exclusive Member for Arbitration law in Iraq.
As Iraq’s commercial landscape continues to attract investment and the legal infrastructure for international dispute resolution becomes more firmly established, parties need arbitration counsel that understands both international norms and local realities. Dr. Ahmed Hankawi’s appointment as GLE’s Exclusive Member for Arbitration law in Iraq offers businesses and individuals access to a lawyer who combines dispute resolution expertise, regulatory insight and practical courtroom experience. We welcome Dr. Hankawi to the GLE community and look forward to the value his membership will bring to anyone seeking authoritative arbitration guidance in Iraq.
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