Emergency arbitrator procedures exist for a reason – but only if counsel moves fast enough to use them.
International Arbitration · ICC · LCIA · UNCITRAL · ICSID
International Arbitration Counsel
Advocacy built for tribunals, not just courtrooms.
ME Law acts as counsel and advocate in international commercial and investment-treaty arbitration — under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ICDR, and UNCITRAL, and before ad hoc tribunals. From the seat and governing law to the final award and its enforcement under the New York Convention, we advance high-stakes cross-border disputes with disciplined advocacy and strategic global insight.
Selected Mandates
Anonymised
$
0
M+
ICC Commercial Arbitration
Cross-border contract dispute
Enforceable award on favourable terms
Cross-
Border Award Enforcement
New York Convention · Canadian assets
Award recognised and enforced
Days
Emergency Arbitrator Relief
Interim measures before constitution
Relief obtained before the tribunal was seated
$50M+
Cross-Border
Arbitration Mandates
Direct Access to Lead
Counsel
ICC · LCIA · UNCITRAL
Experience
170+
Countries Enforce
Awards — New York
Convention
Years of
combined
legal
experience
0
Who We Are
A litigation boutique
built for cross-border arbitration.
ME Law is a litigation-only firm that appears in international arbitration as counsel and advocate. We do not treat arbitration as private litigation with different paperwork — we treat it as a distinct discipline, where the seat, the governing law, the institutional rules, and the composition of the tribunal shape the outcome long before the merits are heard.
We act for companies, investors, boards, lenders, and institutional clients in commercial and investment-treaty arbitration under the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ICDR, and UNCITRAL rules — as claimants advancing a claim, respondents defending one, and parties enforcing or resisting an award across borders. Every mandate is led personally by senior counsel.
- ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC & ICDR rules
- Investor-state & treaty arbitration
- Emergency arbitrator & interim measures
- New York Convention enforcement
By the time a cross-border dispute surfaces, its outcome is already constrained — the seat, the rules, and the tribunal were settled in a clause drafted years before. We draft, and arbitrate, accordingly.
The ME Law Standard
Who We Represent
Counsel for parties
with borders to cross.
ME Law is retained by companies, investors, boards, and institutional clients whose disputes cross borders and are governed by an arbitration clause — as claimants, respondents, and parties enforcing or resisting an award. We act where the stakes, the jurisdictions, and the enforcement questions demand specialist arbitration counsel.
01
Multinational & Cross-Border Companies
Commercial, supply, distribution, and joint-venture disputes governed by international arbitration agreements.
02
Foreign Investors
Treaty-based claims against host states, and commercial claims arising from cross-border investments.
03
Boards & Executives
Shareholder, governance, and post-acquisition disputes referred to arbitration.
04
General Counsel & In-House Legal
Arbitration strategy, clause drafting, and lead-counsel support alongside internal legal teams.
05
Award Creditors
Recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Canada under the New York Convention.
06
Award Debtors & Respondents
Resisting enforcement and bringing set-aside or annulment challenges on the available grounds.
07
Lenders, Funds & Financial Institutions
Cross-border financial, ISDA, and counterparty disputes referred to arbitration.
08
Contractors, Developers & Energy Parties
Construction, infrastructure, and energy disputes under institutional and ad hoc rules.
09
Parties Seeking Urgent Relief
Emergency arbitrator applications, interim measures, and court-ordered relief in aid of arbitration.
An award you cannot enforce is a paper victory. We arbitrate with enforcement in mind from the first filing.
Meet Your Litigation Team
Senior counsel —
on your file, personally.
The lawyer who assesses your matter remains accountable for its strategic direction and advocacy. Senior counsel is not a selling point at intake; it is how the mandate is run.
Founder, CEO & Principal Litigation Lawyer
May Elajami
May Elajami leads ME Law’s arbitration practice, acting as counsel and advocate in international commercial and investment-treaty disputes under the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ICDR, and UNCITRAL rules. She advises on the drafting and enforceability of arbitration agreements, the strategic choice of seat and tribunal, emergency and interim relief, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards under the New York Convention.
Law Society of Ontario · Called 2016
Law Society of BC · Called 2024
University of Toronto
Toronto Commercial List
Cross-Border Litigation
Mareva Injunctions & Anton Piller Orders
Appeals & International Arbitration
A lean, precision-focused litigation team. At ME Law, client matters are not handed off — senior counsel remains accountable throughout. Every file reflects the same standard.
Fahriz Dosani
Associate Litigation Lawyer
Focuses on commercial litigation, estate litigation, insolvency, contract disputes, and real estate litigation. Represents businesses and individuals in complex disputes, providing strategic advocacy from pleadings and discoveries through trials, appeals, and negotiated resolutions.
Commercial Litigation
Estate Litigation
Harrison Giovannetti
Associate Lawyer
Deep understanding of corporate and regulatory frameworks to advance his clients’ positions with precision and commercial insight
Commercial Litigation
Contract Disputes
Sukhmeet Bajwa
Legal Assistant
Supports the firm’s litigation team through client intake, client relations, case coordination, and legal administration.
Case Coordination
Legal Administration
Priority Arbitration Counsel
For organizations with recurring cross-border exposure or ongoing arbitral proceedings, ME Law is available to discuss standing arbitration-counsel arrangements.
Seat-strategy advisory · emergency arbitrator readiness · enforcement planning
Representative Matters & Results
Advocacy that travels.
Awards that hold.
A selection of anonymised international arbitration mandates, described by dispute, forum, and outcome. Figures reflect the scale of matters handled, not a promise of a particular result.
ICC · Commercial
In Dispute
$
0
M+
A cross-border supply and distribution dispute governed by an ICC arbitration clause. Careful early work on the seat and procedural framework positioned the client for a favourable, enforceable outcome.
Enforceable award secured on favourable terms
New York Convention
Cross-
Border Enforcement
A foreign counterparty resisted a valid arbitral award by moving assets across jurisdictions. Coordinated recognition-and-enforcement proceedings and freezing relief secured recovery in Canada.
Award recognized and enforced against Canadian assets
Emergency Arbitrator
Days
To Interim Relief
With the tribunal not yet constituted, an emergency arbitrator application preserved the status quo and prevented a party from defeating the purpose of the arbitration.
Interim relief obtained before the tribunal was seated
UNCITRAL · Ad Hoc
Multi-
Party Proceeding
A multi-party ad hoc arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules requiring appointing-authority applications and a carefully designed procedural timetable to keep the proceeding on track.
Proceeding kept on schedule and on strategy
Set-Aside · Seat
Award
Defended
A losing party challenged an award at the seat on jurisdiction and procedural-fairness grounds. The award was defended and upheld, preserving the client’s hard-won result.
Award upheld against set-aside challenge
Investor-State
Treaty
Claim Advanced
A foreign investor faced state conduct affecting the value of its investment. A treaty-based claim was framed and advanced with a disciplined jurisdiction and damages strategy.
Treaty claim advanced on a strong jurisdictional footing
Matters are anonymised to protect client confidentiality. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every matter turns on its own facts.
Why Sophisticated Clients Choose ME Law
A different standard
before the tribunal.
Arbitration rewards preparation, procedural insight, and a strategy built around enforcement. How a litigation-only boutique runs an international arbitration differs on every factor that shapes the award.
| Traditional Approach | Compared | ME Law |
|---|---|---|
| General disputes practice | Arbitration Specialism | Dedicated international arbitration counsel |
| Counsel trained through the CIArb pathway | Arbitration Credentials | Advocacy grounded in institutional-rule expertise |
| Rotating case teams | Counsel Continuity | Led personally by senior counsel, start to finish |
| Clause reviewed once a dispute arises | Clause & Seat Strategy | Engineered at the drafting stage |
| Court-style pleadings | Written Advocacy | Submissions calibrated to the tribunal and the rules |
| Single-jurisdiction focus | Cross-Border Reach | ICC · LCIA · SIAC · HKIAC · ICDR · UNCITRAL · ICSID |
| Judgments enforced treaty-by-treaty | Enforcement Reach | Awards enforceable across 170+ New York Convention states |
| Proceedings on the public record | Confidentiality | Private — and, where agreed, confidential |
| Merits reopened on appeal | Finality of the Award | Final award; narrow, defined challenge grounds |
| Enforcement weighed after the award | Enforcement Planning | Built into strategy from the first filing |
| Purely legal analysis | Commercial Judgment | Strategy aligned to the commercial stakes |
| Access through case teams | Client Access | Direct line to lead counsel |
Client Success Stories
In their words.
“
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“They understood the arbitration from the seat up. The early strategy on the clause and the tribunal was what put us in a winning position.”
General Counsel, International Manufacturer
ICC Commercial Arbitration
“
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“We had an award but the other side had moved the money. They enforced it in Canada and recovered what we were owed.”
Director, Foreign Investment Fund
New York Convention Enforcement
“
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“The tribunal was not yet in place and we needed relief immediately. Their emergency arbitrator application preserved everything that mattered.”
Chief Executive, Cross-Border Joint Venture
Emergency Arbitrator & Interim Measures
Our Arbitration Process
A discipline path,
from clause to award.
International arbitration follows a structured sequence. You always know what is
happening next, and why each decision is being made.
1
Clause & Jurisdiction
We analyse the arbitration agreement, the seat, the governing law, and whether jurisdiction can be established or challenged.
2
Commencement & Tribunal
The claim or response is filed, and arbitrators are selected, challenged, or confirmed under the applicable rules.
3
Procedure & Interim Relief
Terms of reference, the procedural timetable, and any emergency or interim measures are settled early.
4
Evidence & Submissions
Written submissions, document production, and witness and expert evidence are built to persuade the tribunal.
5
Hearing & Award
The case is argued at the evidentiary hearing, and the tribunal renders its award.
6
Enforcement or Challenge
The award is enforced under the New York Convention, or defended against set-aside and annulment challenges.
Featured Case Studies
How arbitrations
are actually won.
Three anonymised mandates, told from clause to outcome.
ICC · Cross-Border
Winning a $50M+ Commercial Arbitration at the Seat That Mattered
Challenge
A cross-border supply and distribution dispute governed by an ICC clause, with the seat and governing law in issue.
Strategy
Early work established the seat and procedural framework most favourable to the client, and submissions were built around an enforceable outcome.
Outcome
An enforceable award was secured on favourable terms, with enforcement risk addressed from the outset.
Lesson
In arbitration, the seat and the clause often decide more than the merits do.
New York Convention
Enforcing a Foreign Award After the Money Had Moved
Challenge
An award creditor held a valid foreign award, but the debtor had shifted assets across jurisdictions to frustrate recovery.
Strategy
Recognition-and-enforcement proceedings under the New York Convention were paired with freezing relief targeting Canadian assets.
Outcome
The award was recognized and enforced in Canada, and recovery was secured.
Lesson
An award is only as good as the enforcement strategy behind it.
Emergency Arbitrator
Obtaining Interim Relief Before the Tribunal Existed
Challenge
A party threatened to defeat the purpose of an arbitration before the tribunal could be constituted.
Strategy
An emergency arbitrator application under the institutional rules preserved the status quo pending constitution of the tribunal.
Outcome
Interim relief was granted, protecting the subject matter of the dispute.
Lesson
Insights & Legal Resources
Insights & Legal Resources
Practical guidance on international arbitration, award enforcement, and cross-border strategy for boards, investors, and in-house legal teams.
Featured Guide
Enforcing a Foreign Arbitral Award in Canada: The New York Convention Explained
A practical guide for award creditors and in-house counsel on recognizing and enforcing foreign arbitral awards in Canada — the New York Convention framework, the narrow grounds for refusal, and how to pair enforcement with asset-preservation relief.
- 16 min read
- Guide
- Updated Jul 2026
Recent Articles
Checklist
Practical clause-drafting and procedural checklists for arbitration.
Case Studies
Real mandates. Real outcomes. Commercial, treaty, and enforcement.
Court Decision
Real mandates. Real outcomes. Commercial, treaty, and enforcement.
FAQs
Answers to common questions about international arbitration and enforcement.
Videos & Webinars
Expert insight on arbitration strategy and cross-border enforcement.
Legal Updates
Stay informed on developments in international arbitration and enforcement.
In arbitration, the decisions made before the first hearing often decide the last.
Industries We Serve
Sector fluency
across borders.
International arbitration turns on the commercial context as much as the law. The sectors below reflect industries in which cross-border disputes and arbitration agreements are most common, and where specialist advocacy makes the difference.
Family Offices
Typical disputes
Estate and trust conflicts, asset preservation, intergenerational transfers, and fraud recovery.
Related services
Estate Litigation
Mareva Injunctions
Fraud Recovery
Institutional Trustees & Fiduciaries
Typical disputes
Contested passings of accounts, fiduciary-duty claims, trustee removal, and beneficiary disputes.
Related services
Estate Litigation
Passing of Accounts
Fiduciary Claims
Public Companies & Boards
Typical disputes
Shareholder actions, governance disputes, and director and officer exposure.
Related services
Shareholder Disputes
Business Torts
Appeals
Financial Institutions & Lenders
Typical disputes
Loan enforcement, guarantees, receivership, priority disputes, and counterparty fraud.
Related services
Receivership
Enforcement
Fraud Recovery
Private Equity & Investment Funds
Typical disputes
Governance failures, related-party transactions, control conflicts, and exit disputes.
Related services
Oppression Remedies
Derivative Actions
Arbitration
Real Estate & Development
Typical disputes
Ownership, title, joint-venture, and trust disputes — and asset division on high-value holdings.
Related services
Real Estate Litigation
Constructive Trust
Injunctions
Technology & Founders
Typical disputes
Shareholder conflicts, investment disputes, IP ownership, and founder exits.
Related services
Shareholder Disputes
Injunctions
Cross-Border
International Businesses
Typical disputes
Cross-border enforcement, arbitration, and multi-jurisdiction asset tracing and preservation.
Related services
International Arbitration
Enforcement
Mareva Injunctions
Frequently Asked Questions
Arbitration Knowledge Centre
Answers to the most common questions about international arbitration — clauses, institutional rules, the seat, interim relief, and enforcement under the New York Convention. Browse by topic, search our knowledge base, or explore related resources.
Popular Questions
What makes an arbitration clause enforceable?
How is a foreign arbitral award enforced in Canada?
What is investor-state arbitration?
What is an emergency arbitrator?
Why does the seat of arbitration matter so much?
Can an arbitral award be appealed?
Related Resources
Related Services
International Commercial Arbitration
Related Articles
Results
Still have questions?
Describe your dispute or arbitration clause — even briefly — and we’ll help you find the right answer, or the right person to call.
We accept mandates where specialist litigation counsel can make a material difference.
That is why each engagement begins with a rigorous strategic assessment.
Begin Your Arbitration Mandate
Discuss a Cross-Border Dispute in Confidence.
ME Law acts as counsel and advocate in international commercial and investment-treaty arbitration — under ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ICDR, and UNCITRAL rules — and in the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. If your dispute is governed by an arbitration clause or spans borders, we invite you to request a confidential consultation.
For organizations with recurring cross-border exposure or ongoing proceedings, we are also available to discuss a standing arbitration-counsel arrangement.
International Arbitration Intake
Direct Line
Intake Email
Jurisdiction
Ontario, British Columbia & International
Practice Focus
International Arbitration · Investor-State · Award Enforcement