Barrister Nudrat B. Majeed
HEAD OF CHAMBERS
CONTACT
BIOGRAPHY
Barrister Nudrat B. Majeed has been in international legal practice since 1997. After obtaining her Civil, District and Sessions Court practice licence in Pakistan, she moved to London, United Kingdom where she spent approx. ten years working with Mr. Van Vechten (Johnny) Veeder QC and Mr. Toby T. Landau KC of Essex Court Chambers in the field of international arbitration and litigation.
She combined her practical experience of arbitration and litigation with with teaching International Trade Law to Chinese judges and LL.M. students at SOAS, University of London and conducting arbitration training workshops for the United Nations.
Following the guidance of her mentor, Johnny Veeder, Barrister Nudra completed a 4-year B.A. Hons. in Arabic alongside law practice which placed her in the unique position of being able to advise and act as counsel on Common Law as well as Islamic Law issues.
In 2015, she relocated back to Pakistan and has been in active practice in civil / commercial / criminal litigation, domestic / international arbitration and commercial / civil mediation as well as teaching at Government / Law Enforcement and Military institutions.
The success of her swift dispute-disposal rate is, in part, because of her skill in combining multiple modes of dispute resolution and, in other part, because of her extensive association with government personnel / law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies.
2002
Called to the Bar of England & Wales (Barrister)
1997
Qualified as Advocate in Pakistan (Member of the Punjab Bar)
2020 – Current
Heading Four Golf Road Chambers which provides advisory, drafting and litigation services in:
- COMMERCIAL LAW: International / Domestic Arbitration; Commercial / Family Mediation; Cross-Border Disputes; Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) Contracts; Futures / Exchanges / Cryptocurrency; Asset-Tracing / White Collar Investigation / Goods and Services; Recovery of Monies; Breach of Contract; Anti-Money Laundering / Counter-Terrorism Financing.
- CIVIL LAW: Property; Islamic Inheritance; Employment; Service Matters against Govt./Regulatory Bodies.
- CRIMINAL LAW: Non-Contractual Criminal Breach of Trust; Injury; Murder; Drug Trafficking; Forgery; Trespass / Robbery; Contempt of Court.
2005 – Current
Practising Advocate in Pakistan with specialization in areas of International Commercial Arbitration; Contract; Energy; Foreign Investment; Infrastructure; Property; Employment; Regulatory Authorities; Local Bodies; Mediation.
2006 - 2008
High Profile Criminal Cases which include securing release of a (i) death-row prisoner who spent 18 years in prison for a murder committed in self-defence; (ii) foreign lady/ single mother used by drug mafias as a drug mule.
2005
Advisor to the Attorney General’s office on the reform of arbitration law in Pakistan. Co-drafted the international arbitration law of Pakistan which was promulgated as the “Recognition and Enforcement (Arbitration Agreements and Foreign Arbitral Awards) Act, 2011" incorporating the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards into Pakistan law.
1997 - 2004
Began practice in international arbitration and commercial disputes With Mr. Van Vechten (Johnny) Veeder (leading Queen’s Counsel and world authority on International Commercial Arbitration) on issues of contractual breaches under English / International Law; international mining projects; exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons and oil; production-sharing contracts of consortiums involving international conflicts of law, fair and equitable treatment in bilateral investment treaties etc.
2020 - 2021
Commissioned by the Government of Punjab / World Bank to draft statute establishing Commercial Courts in Punjab province (half of Pakistan’s population) and conduct trainings of civil / district level judges to specialize as Commercial Court judges.
2020 - 2021
One of ten-member experts’ group advising the Government of Pakistan on reform of Pakistan law on Bilateral Investment Treaties (BIT), International Investment Agreements (IIA) and the Indus Water Treaty re water issues.
2019 - 2022
One of three-member group that drafted the statute for Ministry of Commerce Trade Dispute Resolution Organization.
2018
Pakistan Representative of the Committee on Cultural Heritage Governance of the International Law Association for R&D on laws governing global cultural heritage.
2004
Consultant to the United National Commission on International Trade Law for training of Shari’ah judges, lawyers and government officials on International Arbitration Law and its inter-face with Islamic Law in Muslim countries in a series of United Nations intensive workshops in Sana’a, Yemen.
2000
United Nations Delegate on Trade Law, New York representing the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) in the UN Working Group on Trade Law dealing with international conventions and rules on International Arbitration.
2021
Member, Government College University Board of Studies, established Dr. Iqbal Law School (DILS) in September 2021. Visiting Faculty.
2020 - 2021
Kinnaird College for Women University Lecturer for Rule of Law and Economic Development on LL.B. Honours program.
2019
Government of Pakistan, National School of Public Policy Guest Lecturer on Indus Water Treaty and South Asia Geo-Politics, Treaties and Water Disputes.
2016
Pakistan Armed Forces Guest Lecturer on Islamic Law, History and Culture.
2014
Guest Lectures on Public International Law, International Arbitration, Comparative Religion, Arbitration and Mediation, Ethics.
2000 - 2005
LL.M. Lecturer, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London University, Lecturer for International Trade Law / Project Finance / ADR. Training of Chinese judges on Judicial Exchange Program
1999 - 2006
Editor of Arbitration International, one of the leading law journals for international arbitration used by leading practitioners, lawyers and academics around the world.
2009 - 2014
School of Oriental and African Studie (SOAS) London, England.
Completed four-year B.A. Honours in Arabic Degree in Classical and Modern Arabic, Grammar, Literature and Early Manuscripts.
2011 -
2012
University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
One-Year Diploma in spoken Arabic.
1996 - 1997
London School of Economics, London, England.
Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Public International and Commercial Law with a 30,000 words thesis on Public International Law Dispute Resolution.
1992 - 1994
Oxford University, Balliol College, England
B.A. in Jurisprudence (Contract Law, Criminal Law, Jurisprudence, Public International Law, Company Law, Moral and Political Philosophy).
1990 - 1992
University of Punjab, Kinnaird College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Master of Arts I (M.A. in English Literature; poets and dramatists from the 14th century to contemporary novelists and playwrights).
1987 -
1989
University of Punjab, Lahore College for Women, Pakistan
Bachelor of Arts (B.A. in Psychology and Journalism).
Apr 2021
‘Strengthening the Rule of Law in Pakistan: New Commercial Courts in Punjab’ - Article published in national daily dated 1 May 2021.
Apr 2021
'Punjab Commercial Courts Ordinance 2021: A New Frontier’ - Article analysing first-ever commercial courts in Pakistan, published in Courting the Law Journal dated 29 April 2021 with further publication in June 2021 in Pakistan’s leading commercial law journal: Commercial Law Digest (CLD).
Mar 2018
‘Weaving the Interfaith Dialogue: Language of Dress on the Silk Road’ - Presidential Address presenting new research at the Convention of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Dec 2003
'Good Faith and Due Process: Lessons from the Shari'ah' - Article published in Arbitration International, Vol.19, Issue 4, 2003
May 2000
'Pakistan Supreme Court Decision on Hubco' Arbitration International - Article published in Arbitration International, Vol.16, Issue 3, 2000.
1998 - 1999
Arbitral Awards of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration - Book Editor on Legal Commentary on Islamic and Egyptian Law.
June 1997
Kashmir and International Law Research paper on “A Proposal for the Resolution of the Kashmir Dispute using International Arbitration.”
2014
Founded the Alam al-Khayal Foundation – Philanthropy for Peace which has been active in addressing civil society issues in Pakistan with a particular focus on programs on Sport for Social Development; Humanitarian Aid; Interest-free Scholarships for Higher Education / Professional Development; Law Reform; and Peace through Music.
2010
Frederick Richter Memorial Prize awarded for most meritorious work in the field of Oriental Art, Literature or Music at SOAS, University of London.
1997
Elected President of the London University Postgraduate Law Society.
1996
Commonwealth Scholarship to Oxford, awarded annually to 4 applicants nation-wide.
1995
Media Award for 'Best Theatre Actress of the Year'.
1994
Best Extempore Debater, Oxford Union Society.
1994
Debate House Opener for Public Debates, Oxford Union Society.
1992 - 1994
Represented Oxford University, Balliol College, in Intercollegiate Tennis Matches.
1992
Shield for Best Debater, Kinnaird College, Lahore
1990
Extra-Curricular Roll of Honour, Lahore College. Awarded to top 3 of 6,000 students.
1990
Academic Roll of Honour, Lahore College. Awarded to top 3 of 6,000 students.
1989
Elected President of the Lahore College Students Union after 14-year ban of military dictatorship. Defeated student candidate of religious political party 'Jamaat-e-Islami' which had been defacto principal of the university for 14 years.
1988
Secretary, Lahore College Debating Society.
1985 - 1987
College Debater. Represented Lahore College in 25 All-Pakistan Debating Competitions. Won prizes in 24.
1985
Academic Merit Scholarship for overall 3rd position in Pakistan in Matriculation.
Urdu (fluent)
English (fluent)
Punjabi (fluent)
Arabic (advanced)
French (elementary)