Bar Status :
Licensed to practice in Syria since 1995.
 

Academic Background:

• American World University, Iowa, USA.
  Ph.D. in International Law.
  Dissertation: “The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and its applications in Syrian Law”.

• Western International University, Arizona, USA (London campus)
  M.B.A. in International Business.
  Thesis: “The political & legal factors which affect the International Business Administration of Multinational Enterprises”. ( A grade)

• University of Damascus, faculty of Law, Damascus, Syria.
  LL.B. ( equivalent to law degree).

Experience:

• Al-Kherdaji & Diab Law Firm, Damascus, Syria
  URL: www.kherdajidiab.com
  Partner, 2005- Present

• Al-Kherdaji Law Office, Damascus, Syria
  URL: www.kherdaji.com
  Partner, 2005- Present
  Articled clerk (i.e. internship), 1995-1998
  Counselor, 1998 – 2000
  Partner, 2000 - 2005
   

Area of Practice:

• Counsel in several arbitral cases before the Arbitral Tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC.), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA.) in addition to other Ad hoc panels.
  (i.e. In November 2004 I successfully handled arbitral case before London Court of International Arbitration and obtained an award of a hundred and seventy millions Dollar in favor of a domestic claimant against the defendant which is an American corporation).

• Advise and litigate on behalf of multinational & European companies and Banks in various mercantile disputes.

• Drafting contracts, counseling clients in civil, commercial, and administrative matters.

• Preparing legal studies pertaining to commercial activities in Syria and some other Middle Eastern countries to local & foreign clients.

• Appointed by the ICC as a member in the new task force on reducing time and costs in complex arbitration. The task force has been constituted to initially solicit views on this topic of the specific difficulties in respect of time and costs that have arisen in arbitration cases, and to hear ideas from those members that suffered those difficulties as to how they might be avoided in the future.

• Participated, through the National Committee of ICC - Syria, in revising and commenting on the draft of Syrian Arbitration Act.

Awards:
Graduate student of the year 1996: Western International University (London campus).

Published articles:
- Member of the editing board of the "Arbitration Journal", Beirut, Lebanon.
- Syrian Lawyers Magazine: “The importance of the Incoterms in the International sale of goods contracts” Issue No.9-10 year 2000.
- Several papers presented at international seminars such as: “The new directions of arbitration in the Arab investment laws – comparative study”.

Seminars & training sessions:

Speaker at the following seminars:

• Speaker at the training course "Mechanism of drafting contracts" & "Module Clauses in Contract" held in Salalah – Oman, August 2007, organized by G.C.C. Commercial Arbitration Center. Speaker at the seminar “The Vital Role of State Courts in Arbitration” held in Sharm El Sheikh – Egypt, November 2005, organized by the Arab Union of International Arbitration and The Cairo Regional Center For International Commercial Arbitration.

• Speaker at the seminar “The new directions of arbitration in the Arab investment laws” held in Al-Rabat – Moroco, July 2004, organized by the Arab Federal of Arbitration and Al Rabat Center of Conciliation and Arbitration.

• Speaker at the seminar “Lawyers for the new Millennium” held in Damascus in October 2003 in cooperation with law society of England & Wales, the delegation of the European Commission, the Arab Lawyers Union and the Syrian Bar Association.

Attended the following seminars:

• Participant as the delegate of Arab Association of International Arbitration in the 50th session of the UNCITRAL held in UN headquarters in New York in February 2009.

• Participant as the delegate of Arab Association of International Arbitration in the 47th session of the UNCITRAL held in UN building in Vienna in September 2007.

• Attended the international entry course qualifying for the associate membership of the chartered institute of arbitrators held during 30-June – 2 July 2007 in Cairo – Egypt.

• Participant at the seminar "The Protection and Promotion of Hispano-Arab Trade & Investment" held in Madrid – Spain, November 2006, organized by Spanish court of international arbitration.

• Participant at the workshop “The Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credit UCP600” held in Damascus – Syria, July 2006, organized by the national committee of International Chamber of Commerce in Syria.

• Participant at the assembly "Improving the Islamic Financial Sector" held in Kuwait May 2006, organized by the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions , Bahrain.

• Participant as an observer in the annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank held in Kuwait in May 2006.

• Participant at the workshop "International Business Dispute Resolution – A view from Europe and its Increasing Relevance for the Business Communities of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and West Bank & Gaza" held in Arbitration Center of Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon) – May 9-10, 2006, organized by ADR Center – Italy, sponsored by the European Commission as one aspect of a major project to improve conditions for international trade between EU and MEDA countries.

• Participant at the seminar "Islamic Banking's Horizons" held in Damascus – Syria, March 2006, organized by the Syrian Minister of Finance.

• Participant at the seminar “Enforcing Foreign & International Arbitral Awards in Syria and France” held in Damascus – Syria, November 2005, organized by “Law & Commerce Institution” Paris, France and Damascus Bar of Association.

• Participant at the workshop “Draft of the Syrian Competition Law” held in Damascus – Syria, October 2005, organized by the national committee of International Chamber of Commerce in Syria.

• Participant as the delegate of Arab Association of International Arbitration in the 42nd session of the UNCITRAL held in UN headquarters in New York in January 2005.

• Participant at the seminar “Meeting Business Needs in the Middle East – effective dispute resolution for the region” held in Dubai – UAE, November 2004, organized by Dubai International Arbitration Center, ICC, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

• Participant at the seminar held in Cairo in December 2003 “Banking Risk Management, Restructuring and Disputes Settlement” sponsored by Cairo Regional Center for the International Commercial Arbitration.

• Participant at the seminar held in Damascus in August 2001 “The new directions of arbitration in the Arabian legislations” sponsored by G.C.C Commercial Arbitration Center.
   

Professional Affiliations:

• Member of the Syrian Bar Association since 1995, Licensed to practice in Syria since 1998.

• Member of the Arab forum board of the International Bar Association.

• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) national member in the Syrian Arab Republic

• Member of the board of directors of Arab Association of International Arbitration, Paris, France.
   

Languages:
Native Arabic and very good English.