Ismailov Otabek Mamasidikovich

Dr. Otabek Ismailov is a scholar of international economic law with expertise in business law, international investment and trade law, arbitration, technology law, and Islamic finance. His work bridges theory and practice across FinTech/RegTech, AML/CFT, blockchain regulation, and sustainable development, with teaching and research experience in Canada, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

PhD in International Law (International Investment Law) — University of Ottawa, Canada (2017)

MA in International Development (Governance & Law) — Nagoya University, Japan (2011)

Master’s in Law — Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan (2005)

Bachelor’s in Law — Ferghana State University, Uzbekistan (2003)

Certificate in Global Islamic Finance & Banking — Alison (2020)

Teaching

Associate Professor, Business Law — Central Asian University, Uzbekistan (2023– )

1. Taught Business Law from Common Law and Civil Law perspectives
2. Covered: Contract, Tort, Property, Business Organizations, Employment, Tax, Dispute Resolution

Commercial Law Lecturer — Mount Allison University, Canada (2022–2023)

1. Canadian legal system, commercial regulation, insolvency, consumer protection, international transactions

Business Law Lecturer — First Nations University of Canada (2021–2022)

1. Canadian Business Law: ADR, torts, contracts, corporations, securities, IP, bankruptcy, insurance, privacy

Business Law Lecturer — Stanford International College, Toronto (2017–2019)

1. Business Law, Canadian legal system, teaching innovation and adult-learning methodology

Research

Post-Doctoral Fellow (FinTech, RegTech, Islamic Finance) — Qatar University (2019–2021)

1. Funded by Qatar Foundation
2. Research on: blockchain regulation, FinTech, RegTech, AML/CFT, AI, Islamic finance, cyber-governance
3. Collaborated with Qatar Financial Center Authority and Qatar Development Bank
4. Organized conferences, supervised students, published and presented internationally

Research Assistant — University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law (2011–2017)

1. Edited book: Improving International Investment Agreements (Routledge, 2013)
2. Legal research, academic editing, teaching support

Legal Practice

Legal Officer — Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan (2007–2009)

1. Contract negotiation and compliance
2. Litigation support, regulatory monitoring, AML-related analysis
3. Compliance reporting for state-owned enterprises

1.     Ismailov, O., Dahdal, A., Calo, Z. (2025). Good dispute resolution frameworks make good friends: Laying the foundations for Qatar-Uzbek relations. Central Asian University Journal of Applied Science, 1(1). [Forthcoming].

2.     Dahdal, A., Truby, J., & Ismailov, O. (2022). The role and potential of blockchain technology in Islamic finance. European Business Law Review, 33(2), 175-192. 

3.     Ismailov, O. (2020). Developing bilateral investment treaties in post-COVID-19 era: Has Qatar neglected the role of treaty non-precluded measures clauses in protecting public health? Qatar Business Law Review, 2(1), 16-21.

4.     Ismailov, O. (2017). Interaction of international investment and trade regimes on interpreting treaty "necessity" clauses: Convergence or divergence? Georgetown Journal of International Law, 18(2), 505-556.

5.     Ismailov, O. (2016). Necessity revisited: Interpreting the non-precluded measures clause of the U.S.-Argentina BIT under systemic integration approach. Transnational Dispute Management Journal, 5(1), 1-20.

1.   “Correlation between Labour Law and Economic Development: Theoretical Perspectives”, Conference on “The Impact of Recent Labour Law Reforms on the Economic Development of Qatar”, Qatar University, College of Law, Center for Law and Development, 25 November 2020, Doha, Qatar.

2.  “Building Efficient Regulatory Framework on Fintech in Qatar: Recent Developments”, International Fintech Symposium, Qatar Financial Center, February 4, 2020, Doha Qatar.

3.   "Learning Lessons from the Argentinian Financial Crisis: A Glimpse into Investor-State Arbitration Cases", 1^st Young Scholars Initiative Conference (Institute for New Economic Thinking), University of Southern California, 22-24 February 2019, Los Angeles, California, USA.

4.  "Conflicts and Reforms in International Investment Regime", Institute of Global Law and Policy Conference on "Law in Global Political Economy: Heterodoxy Now", Harvard University Law School, 2-3 June 2018, Cambridge, MA, USA.

5. "Necessity Revisited: Interpreting the Non-Precluded Measures Clause of the U.S.-Argentina BIT under Systemic Integration Approach", 5^th Doctoral Scholarship Conference at Yale Law School, Yale University, 4-5 December 2015, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

6.     "The Limits of Treaty Interpretation in Investor-State Arbitration: Analysis of Hard Cases against the Republic of Argentina", McGill University Graduate Law Conference on "The Limits of Law", McGill Law School, May 3-4 2018, Montreal, Canada.

7.   "Reconceptualising the Interrelation between International Investment and Trade Law on Interpreting Treaty "Necessity" Clauses", Inter-University Graduate Conference at Cornell Law School on: "Transnational Interests and the Globalization of (In)equality", Cornell University, 14-15 April 2016, Ithaca, NY, USA.

8.     "Interaction of International Investment and Trade Regimes on Interpreting Treaty "Necessity" Clauses: Convergence or Divergence?", American Society of International Law (ASIL) International Economic Law Interest Group 5^th Biennial Conference on: "Making International Economic Law Work: Integrating Disciplines and Broadening Policy Choices", 30 September - 1 October, 2016. Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC, United States.

9.    "Reconciling Public and Private Interests in Investor-State Arbitration Cases Involving Argentina: Necessity, Proportionality or Margin of Appreciation?", University College London Postgraduate and Early Career Conference on: "Art of Balancing: The Role of Law in Reconciling Competing Interests", 30-31 March 2017, University College London, London, UK.

10. "Bridging International Relations with International Law: How International Relations Regime Theory Might Benefit in Resolving Interpretation Issues in International Investment Law", Osgoode Hall Law School Conference on: "Exploring Law and Change through Interdisciplinary Research, New Legal Realism, and Other Perspectives", York University, 18-19 February 2016, Toronto, Canada.

11.  "Self-Judging Nature of Non-Precluded Measures Clauses in BITs: Clarifying Applicable Standards of Interpretation", Third Annual Conference of Graduate Students in Law, University of Ottawa, 13 September 2013, Ottawa, Canada.

12. "Consent to Arbitration in International Investment Law: Uzbekistan’s Experience", Uzbek-Japanese Academic Forum, Nagoya University, 10 September 2010, Nagoya Japan.