In a move to build on its international reputation, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) has named Kiran Sanghera as its new deputy secretary-general, succeeding Eric Ng who left the position last year.
Sanghera, who was most recently the deputy-secretary general at the Sydney-based Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), will rejoin the HKIAC on 20 January.
This will be Sanghera’s third stint at the HKIAC, where she accumulated a decade of experience serving in various roles, including counsel, business development deputy director and special counsel. During her previous tenures, she tapped into the centre’s casework, strategic planning, business development and general management.
Reflecting on her past experiences, Sanghera told China Business Law Journal: “I saw the significant growth of the centre during that time and its increased appeal to users within APAC.
“I have a deep institutional knowledge of the HKIAC, its identity and strategy … I am looking forward to returning to the HKIAC to assist with steering it through the next stages of development.”
In between her days at the HKIAC, Sanghera has also worked for London-headquartered litigation funder, Harbour Litigation Fund, and the ACICA.
Joanne Lau, HKIAC’s secretary-general, expressed confidence in Sanghera’s ability to enhance the centre’s international reputation.
“Kiran is a prominent figure in the field of international dispute resolution,” Lau said. “Fluent in Spanish and French, she [Sanghera] is also uniquely placed to connect with legal and business communities across multiple cultures. She will no doubt add to our current strengths and continue to develop and grow HKIAC’s leading position in the market.”
The HKIAC is the third most preferred arbitral institution in the world, following the Paris-headquartered ICC and SAIC, according to the White & Case and Queen Mary University’s survey in 2021.
As the HKIAC celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, Lau said the centre would be issuing a practice note in the first quarter to provide further guidance on its administered arbitration rules. She also revealed that the centre had event projects in mainland China in the pipeline following its establishment of a Beijing representative office in December 2024.
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