Fenwick Elliott LLP

The firm: Fenwick Elliott is the largest specialist construction law firm in the UK serving international clients in the building, engineering and energy sectors, including oil, gas and power. The firm provides commercially driven solutions through a pragmatic and professional approach.

Fenwick Elliott provides a comprehensive range of legal services on every aspect of the construction process. Its expertise includes procurement strategy; contract documentation and negotiation; risk management and dispute avoidance; project support; and decisive dispute resolution, including litigation, arbitration, mediation and adjudication.

Fenwick Elliott has extensive experience advising on major construction, infrastructure and energy projects in the Middle East. The firm has worked with clients for many years on projects in the region, including in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Yemen. Reflecting the importance of the Middle East market for the firm, it opened its first office in the region in 2015 in Dubai, UAE.

Fenwick Elliott has extensive experience advising on major construction, infrastructure and energy projects in the Middle East. We have worked with our clients for many years on projects in the region, including in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Yemen.

Serving our Middle East clients locally – Dubai office: Reflecting the importance of the Middle East market for our firm, we opened our first office in the region in 2015, in Dubai, UAE, headed by Ahmed Ibrahim.

The office continues to build on our many years’ experience advising clients on construction and energy projects in the region and is now our international hub.

Our expertise in the Middle East: What sets Fenwick Elliott apart from our competitors, is the unique combination of extensive knowledge of local laws and court practices in Arab countries, together with our highly regarded international construction law expertise.

As well as offering project support, contract and documentation, dispute avoidance and dispute resolution services. We have extensive experience in handling arbitration proceedings either seated in the region or applying the substantive law of any Arab country. We also support our clients on state court litigations including; on substitutive disputes, judicial supervision and support of arbitral proceedings, and ratification or enforcement of domestic and foreign arbitration awards.

Areas of practice
Dispute avoidance and dispute resolution: Fenwick Elliott is highly experienced in this field and is a leader in the use of alternative dispute resolution. Whilst the firm takes whatever steps are necessary to resolve disputes, its primary focus is to avoid disputes and much of its work is in the form of day to day project support, including strategic advice and review of project correspondence/notices to enable its clients to manage and effectively address problems as they arise, thereby avoiding formal proceedings.

The firm regularly advises upon and conducts complex international arbitrations. It has experience of arbitrations under the DIAC, ADCCAC, QICCA, ICC, LCIA, SIAC, UNCITRAL and ICSID arbitration rules, as well as under ad hoc and bespoke arbitration rules. The firm is used to working closely with in-house counsel and local counsel. The team is also well versed in FIDIC and other dispute resolution boards’ procedures.

The majority of the firm’s work in this field concerns disputes up to $2bn arising out of major international construction, infrastructure and energy projects. The geographical spread of the firm’s work is worldwide. It has developed a close relationship with a number of major international contractors whom it is advising on a number of disputes and strategic matters throughout the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean. The firm also traces assets and seeks enforcement around the world in respect of international arbitration awards and makes calls on bonds or guarantees in many jurisdictions.

Procurement strategy, project, contract and documentation advice: Fenwick Elliott’s expertise in construction projects documentation covers standard form and bespoke contracts; design and build; engineer, procure and construct/turnkey (EPC); joint venture agreements; partnering; alliancing and framework agreements; and service/supply contracts.