Seated from left: SILF president Lalit Bhasin and VIAC secretary general Niamh Leinwather sign the co-operation agreement as others look on.
The Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) and the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC) have signed a co-operation agreement for improving ties between the two institutions and its members. SILF president Lalit Bhasin and Niamh Leinwather, secretary general of the VIAC, signed the agreement on 13 September 2025 in New Delhi.
The agreement aims to improve confidence, predictability and efficiency in cross-border dispute resolution, and strengthen trade and investment between India and the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region.
The signing of the agreement was held during the SILF-VIAC Conference on India and the CEE Region at the Lalit Hotel in New Delhi. Judges, senior government representatives, corporate counsel and arbitration practitioners took part in the conference, which focused on institutional arbitration and Indo-European legal collaboration. Discussions also delved into potential collaborations and opportunities between the regions.
The event had two sessions featuring notable personalities on the panels.
At the inaugural session, the panel included Bhasin, commercial attaché from the Austrian Embassy Kerstin Peckl, India’s additional secretary of the Ministry of Law & Justice Manoj Kumar, Delhi High Court Justice Tejas Karia and Leinwather. This panel discussion centred on arbitration for cross-border commercial disputes and its perceptions.
The final session of the day focused on contract enforcement, institutional arbitration and its policies.
The panel for this session included Dentons Link Legal partner Nusrat Hassan, GE Aerospace regional general counsel Vani Mehta, Fourth Partner Energy’s chief legal officer Shujath Bin Ali and Leinwather. The discussion focused on arbitration clauses and language, expedited and emergency procedures, and the role of AI. Independent counsel Alipak Banerjee moderated the session and said the International Bar Association would soon release a report addressing similar issues.
