Kuala Lumpur (MLTIC News Service): Lawyer Tan Sri Cecil Abraham, a senior partner with Zul Rafique & Partners, has been appointed as the president of the tribunal in the International Convention for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) arbitration between Enron Corporation and Argentine Republic to be held in Washington, DC. Tan Sri Abraham is the first Malaysian to chair an ICSID arbitration.

Tan Sri Cecil Abraham, a senior counsel with over 250 reported cases, holds the rare distinction of having acted as counsel for two prime ministers. He has acted as an arbitrator in several high-profile international commercial arbitrations. He has also acted as a counsel for the Government of Malaysia in an investment arbitration held under the ICSID. 

Tan Sri Cecil Abraham is the first Malaysian full bencher of the Middle Temple. He is also an advisor to MLTIC, a Free Access to Law web portal on Malaysian law and tax.

Earlier, the Malaysian government had appointed Tan Sri Cecil Abraham along with 3 others - Tan Sri Steve Shim, Tan Sri Siti Norma Yaakob and Vinayak Pradhan - to the ICSID panel of arbitrators and conciliators. 

About ICSID: ICSID is an autonomous international institution established under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (the ICSID or the Washington Convention) with over one hundred and forty member States. The primary purpose of ICSID is to provide facilities for conciliation and arbitration of international investment disputes. ICSID is currently the leading international arbitration institution devoted to investor-State dispute settlement, and plays an important role in the field of international investment and economic development.