parties may not appeal final and binding awards1. This creates a general sense of unpredictability, and as a result, parties and their lawyers usually prefer the comparative certainty that traditional litigation offers. What advice would you give to less experienced legal practitioners who may wish to specialise in ADR? I would strongly encourage young and less experienced legal practitioners to view ADR not as a side attraction but as a primary and viable means of resolving disputes. ADR can provide effective and practical solutions to a client’s legal issues while simultaneously broadening a practitioner’s skill set and bringing professional satisfaction. I recommend that legal practitioners who wish to specialise in ADR may reap its rewards by centring their practice around ADR and carving out a niche for themselves by undergoing the necessary training (such as the training offered by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators) to hone their skills and become a market leader in ADR. Do you have any expectations for how ADR will develop in Ghana in the coming years? The future of ADR in Ghana appears increasingly promising. I anticipate that ADR will continue to grow as a practice area as individuals, corporations, and practitioners turn away from costly and protracted litigation toward costeffective ADR. On the current tangent, I expect that international arbitration will particularly take centre stage within the ADR practice. The world continues to experience globalisation, and Ghana’s positive economic outlook will attract trade and commerce from other global economies. This is bound to create commercial and other international disputes that will require the expertise of Ghanaian ADR practitioners to resolve conflicts and protect the nation's economic interests. EXPERT INSIGHT 61 About Beyeeman Akyea Beyeeman Akyea is an associate at Zoe, Akyea & Co. and a barrister and solicitor licensed to practice in Ghana and in England and Wales. He is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration and is on course to both become accredited by the New York State Bar and become a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration. Beyeeman considers alternative dispute resolution to be a foundational practice area that has greatly assisted him in other areas of his expertise, such as civil litigation, construction and energy law and banking and finance law (fintech law). Zoe, Akyea & Co Zoe, Akyea & Co is a pioneering, long-established and highly regarded corporate, commercial and dispute resolution law firm in Ghana that has maintained a national reputation for providing excellent full-service advice to its clients. 1Section 52, Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2010 (Act 798) Contact Beyeeman Akyea Associate Zoe Akyea & Co Legal Practitioners C114 Aborlebu Crescent, North - Labone, Accra, Ghana Tel: +233 02637 10092 + 44 07873 965748 E: beyeeman.akyea@zoeakyea.org www.zoeakyea.org
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