Stephenson Harwood partner Kamal Shah has been named in Africa’s 30 Arbitration Powerlist 2020.

The list is a new initiative – spearheaded by the Africa Arbitration Academy, Africa Arbitration and the Association of Young Arbitrators – to celebrate leaders that have helped to shape the development of arbitration in Africa in 2020. It is supported by a range of leading arbitral institutions and organisations. These include: the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya Branch), Lagos Chamber of Commerce International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC), Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration, Casablanca International Mediation and Arbitration Centre, Lagos Court Of Arbitration, Tanzania Institute of Arbitrators, East Africa International Arbitration Centre, AfricArb, and IResolve (Tanzania).

Shah, head of Stephenson Harwood’s Africa group, was listed in recognition of his wide-ranging arbitration work in Africa, and mentorship of young arbitral talent. Highlights include: his work co-publishing the text of the African Promise, which seeks to tackle the under-representation of Africans on international arbitral tribunals; initiating the Stephenson Harwood mentorship programme for the winner of the Young African Arbitrator of the Year Award 2020; and his involvement with the Association of Young Arbitrators, an organisation which provides a platform for young practitioners. As well as being a London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) court member, Shah was named the President of the LCIA's African Users' Council in June 2019. He is also a court member of LACIAC in Lagos, Nigeria.

Shah specialises in complex, cross-border international arbitration, litigation, and fraud and asset tracing in Africa and India. He acts for governments, government entities, banks, private corporations and high net worth individuals in a range of matters.