Hadef & Partners

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Abdul Hannan Abdul Hannan Mian

Abdul Hannan is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai. He possesses a diverse and multi-jurisdictional experience in dispute resolution and is well-versed with litigation, both in the on-shore UAE courts as well as the DIFC Courts. He also represents clients before various arbitration centers including the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC). Abdul Hannan regularly advises clients on risk-mitigation and works mainly on strategy and advice in dispute resolution matters in the UAE, often with cross-border elements. Other than commercial disputes, his practice extends to white-collar matters, bankruptcy and restructuring, enforcement of foreign judgments and awards and related asset tracing activities.

Abdulrahman Juma

Abdulrahman is a senior litigator and Head of our Dispute Resolution practice. He is licensed to appear before local and federal courts, namely, the Dubai Court of First Instance, Court of Appeals and Court of Cassation, and the UAE Federal Court of First Instance and Court of Appeal. He acts for a range of local and international corporations as well as UAE government entities with a specialist focus on arbitration and all types of commercial and rental disputes before courts and tribunals. Clients know Abdulrahman for his commercial acumen and sensitive, yet rigorous approach to dispute resolution. Before joining Hadef & Partners, Abdulrahman was an officer of the Immigration Department of the UAE Ministry of Interior. He is a graduate of Dubai Police College.

Adrian Chadwick

Adrian is a Commercial Dispute Resolution specialist. He has substantial experience handling a wide range of general commercial disputes through litigation, arbitration, or alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Adrian was admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 1987. In addition, he was admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong (1990), as a Solicitor and Barrister of the Australian Capital Territory (1993) and as a Barrister of the High Court of Australia (1993). He has worked in several jurisdictions namely England (1985-89 and 1995-2008), Hong Kong (1989 – 1995) and Dubai, UAE (February 2008 to date). He regularly represents his clients as Counsel in arbitrations governed by various institutional rules including DIAC, DIFC-LCIA, ICC, and LMAA. He has also been appointed as a Sole Arbitrator by DIAC for several arbitration matters. He is a member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). Adrian is registered as a Legal Practitioner of the DIFC Courts with full rights of advocacy and has appeared many times as an Advocate before these Courts and before the Special Tribunal relating to Dubai World and its subsidiaries. He is a current member of the DIFC Courts’ Rules Committee and a former Chair and Deputy Chair of that Committee. He is a lecturer for the DIFC Academy of Law and handled the leading case heard by the DIFC Court on forum non conveniens. He also regularly works with our UAE Advocates in connection with a wide range of disputes before the UAE Courts where the governing law of the dispute is UAE Law as applied in the Emirate of Dubai. Adrian is licensed to advise on UAE Law by the Dubai Government’s Legal Affairs Department. Adrian has developed particular experience handling multi-jurisdiction enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards including directly through the UAE Courts or through the DIFC Court as a conduit court for enforcement in onshore Dubai. He has appeared as an expert witness before Courts and Arbitration Tribunals including, before the Sudanese Courts on enforcement of foreign court judgments in England. For a considerable part of his legal career Adrian specialised in handling shipping and international trade matters in London (with Waterson Hicks, a boutique specialist shipping and international trade practice) and in Hong Kong (with Clyde & Co) and this remains an important part of his workload. He handles both contentious and non-contentious shipping work. As well as dealing with charterparty and bill of lading disputes he has considerable experience of shipping finance, newbuilding and vessel repair and ship sale/purchase transactions.

Ahmad is Head of the Corporate Department. His practice focuses on: corporate structuring and reorganisations such as domestic and cross border mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and family wealth succession planning and structuring. Ahmad regularly acts for local and international public and private corporations in connection with their mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, reorganisations and spinoffs. He also played a key role in structuring major family succession and reorganisations for a number of local and expat families in the UAE and GCC. Prior to moving to Dubai, Ahmad practised in the areas of corporate, commercial law and tax for a leading Canadian law firm and the largest institutional investor in Canada. Fluent in English, Arabic and French, Ahmad completed his LLB and a Graduate Degree in Taxation and Commercial Law from Canada.

Ahmed Eldemerdash

Ahmed is a qualified senior associate in our Dispute Resolution department. He has 25 years of experience advising on a wide and varied range of complex, national and cross-border disputes, including raising and defending civil, banking, commercial, employment, construction, property and corporate claims. His wide-ranging experience has been heavily focused on banking disputes involving bankruptcy, loan recovery, mortgages, and other commercial matters. Ahmed also has extensive experience with high-value employment matters, including defending high-profile companies against major international claims. Ahmed’s experience also includes advising high-profile governmental entities up to the Supreme Court stage, including multiple government and government-owned energy companies. Ahmed has also successfully resolved disputes through miscellaneous means, including settlement agreements and various alternative dispute resolution methods. Ahmed graduated from Zagazig University in Egypt in 2000 with a LLB and was admitted to the Egyptian Bar Association and is registered as a lawyer before the Egyptian Cassation Court.

Ahmed is a Senior Associate in our Dispute Resolution team in Abu Dhabi. He has 14 years of experience in handling various types of complex commercial and criminal disputes before the UAE Courts. He advises clients on disputes arising out of defaults under facility agreements, enforcement of pledges, tenancy agreements and payment plan contracts. He has extensive experience of handling matters involving disputes between shareholders, enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards before various UAE Courts. This includes disputes involving nullification of arbitral awards and matters requiring enforcement of execution orders in relation to bounced cheques. He also assists clients on various high value claims and matters involving bankruptcy and restructuring arrangements for UAE and international financial institutions. He has been representing clients on obtaining attachment orders and payment orders from the UAE Courts, in addition to handling multi-jurisdictional disputes for international and local clients involving fraud, breach of trust, asset tracing, asset recovery, and obtaining international arrest orders through the local Interpol office in Abu Dhabi. Ahmed obtained his Bachelor of Law from Zagazig University and registered lawyer with the Egyptian bar association. He is fluent in Arabic and English.

Ajai Ramakrishnan

Ajai is a Senior Counsel in the Banking & Finance team in Dubai. Ajai is an experienced lawyer with a wide range of banking and finance experience. Ajai has worked in both private practice and in-house roles and has acted for a diverse range of financial institutions, corporates, borrowers and sponsors. Ajai has extensive experience dealing with financing transactions in a multitude of jurisdictions including the GCC, Singapore, India and Indonesia. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Ajai worked at magic circle and top tier law firms in private practice as well as in-house at Emirates NBD Bank and Etihad Airways. Ajai completed his degree in law at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University of Law, Hyderabad, is admitted to practice law in India and is registered with the Dubai Legal Affairs Department.

Alan is a partner in the Banking & Finance team (having been the first Hadef & Partners Head of Banking). He has extensive experience in advising clients on legal aspects in banking, Islamic finance, project finance, UAE debt capital markets, private public initiatives and privatization. His clients include developers, sponsors, banks, government institutions and private entities. Over the past 25 years, Alan has practiced throughout the Middle East including in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Cairo. He has been involved in one way or another since 1998, in all of the UAE’s key major water and power and sewage infrastructure projects. Prior to working in the Middle East, Alan worked at a Magic Circle global law firm in London, undertaking major institutional commercial property development and funding work and in Dubai on project finance transactions. Alan is an ex Banking Committee member of the IBA and has spoken at INSOL and at numerous IBA Conferences. Since 1998 Alan and his team have been involved in the UAE’s groundbreaking PPPs, infrastructure funds and conventional and Islamic debt restructurings. He currently sits on the boards of a number of IWPPs as Company secretary. Alan is recognized for his I(W)PP project financings (both conventional and Islamic) in the UAE. Alan and his team has provided and continues to provide company secretarial and strategic legal advice to a number of water and power sector clients including: Ruwais Power Co PJSC. Shuweihat Asia Power Co PJSC Gulf Total Tractebel Power Co PJSC. Taweelah Asia Power Co PJSC. Asia Gulf Power Company Ltd (Cayman Islands). Emirates Sembcorp in relation to F1 IWPP. Al Dhafra PV2 solar project.

Ashraf is Head of UAE Real Estate. He leads the team that has been constantly ranked as a tier 1 UAE Real Estate Practice by leading legal publications. Having been in the UAE for over 20 years, Ashraf is widely recognized in the industry and legal directories as a market leader advising on complex real estate, development, and hospitality matters. Ashraf advises on a range of real estate matters, including real estate development, commercial leasing, hospitality, and branded residences. He advises on contentious as well as transactional matters including sale and purchase of high value real estate, joint ventures, property management arrangements, real estate finance, property litigation, master communities, corporate structuring and all aspects of real estate development from project initiation and site acquisition, to post-project completion and management. Ashraf represents a variety of clients including government entities, hotel operators, master developers, UHNW and HNW Individuals and financial institutions. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Ashraf worked for a leading international law firm in London. He completed his LLB at Brunel University and the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, in the UK, before qualifying as an English Solicitor. Ashraf is fluent in English, Hindi and Urdu.

Bilal Abu Snaineh

Bilal is a Partner in our corporate team in Dubai. He has significant experience advising global financial institutions, governments and semi government enterprises, investment managers and private equity funds in the UAE, Europe, the Middle East and USA on wide range of corporate governance matters, general corporate and advisory work. He has experience in family wealth planning, initial public offerings, private placements transactions, joint ventures, corporate structuring and restructuring exercises. Bilal holds LLM Degree in Law from the United Kingdom, he speaks Arabic and English and is a member of the Palestinian Bar Association.

Catriona McDevitt

Catriona is a Partner and Head of our Banking & Finance practice. Catriona acts for both lenders and borrowers and advises on financial regulatory matters, project finance, investment grade syndicated financings, real estate and structured finance. Based in the UAE since 2007, Catriona has extensive regional expertise and brings a commercially driven, pragmatic approach when advising her clients. Catriona is highly sought after for her breadth of English law and UAE law banking expertise and regularly acts for international and regional clients in advising on financial regulatory and digital asset issues in the UAE. Catriona has published extensively on the continually evolving UAE financial regulatory landscape. Catriona also has in-depth in-house experience gained from her previous role as Head of Legal for Wholesale Banking at one of the largest banks in the UAE and is able to bring this combined private practice and in-house expertise, together with her English law and UAE law background, in providing a holistic view and “seeing both sides of the table” when advising clients on complex financings. Prior to coming to the UAE, Catriona worked in London at a magic circle law firm.

Chris Bailey-Gibbs

Chris is a Senior Counsel in the Employment team in Dubai. He has 14 years’ experience advising clients in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. He has expertise in resolving matters of strategic importance and supporting clients through every step, building lasting relationships. Chris has broad experience in many sectors including transport, retail, private equity, construction, manufacturing, food, energy and finance. His practice also covers HR advice, workplace investigations, business protection, restructuring programs and M&A. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Chris worked at an international law firm in the UK, working with a range of national and international clients. His practice often involves partnering with other disciplines, such as real estate, corporate, tax and regulatory.

Diana is a Senior Counsel qualified in English law and a member of Hadef and Partners’ commercial team. She brings over seventeen years of post-qualification experience, twelve of which have been spent in the United Arab Emirates. During this time, she has developed significant expertise in advising both local and international clients on a diverse range of transactional and contractual matters across various business sectors. Her commercial practice is dedicated to delivering practical legal advice on issues that arise throughout a business’s lifecycle. This includes guidance on business and consumer contracting, outsourcing, supply of goods and services, e-commerce, consumer protection, competition law, data privacy, distribution, franchising, and agency law. Throughout her career in both the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, Diana has maintained a specific focus on technology law. Before joining Hadef and Partners, she served as the Legal Director of Procurement and Technology for a multinational media and entertainment corporation, gaining invaluable insights into the practical aspects of adopting and implementing new technologies. Leveraging her expertise in the technology sector, Diana provides specialized legal advice on complex technology contracts for both turnkey and modular technology products and solutions. She also advises clients on the data privacy implications of adopting new technologies and assists them in navigating UAE data privacy laws, particularly in the context of multi-jurisdictional technology systems.

Dina heads the firm’s Regulatory & Government Advisory Practice Group. Dina specializes in legislative drafting and advising on public law and public international law matters. She regularly advises government clients on strategic regulatory initiatives and is widely regarded for her capabilities in legislative drafting, trade law and expertise in international treaties, conventions and other multilateral and bilateral instruments. She is praised for her ability to manage challenging legal issues. Clients value her commitment to continuous communication and her understanding of the importance of first-rate client service. Dina holds a joint JD/LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, Canada. She is qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor in Canada and a member of the Ontario Bar. Dina is fluent in English and speaks Arabic.

Dr. Faraj is responsible for a wide range of matters in a partnership dealing predominantly with government and commercial work and selective commercial litigation and arbitration. Dr. Ahnish has advised in relation to a number of prominent international and local matters. He has also extensive experience in Government regulations including advising on the allocations of powers and jurisdictions between local governmental institutions and the Federal Government as well as drafting of major Abu Dhabi and Federal laws and regulations. He graduated in law from the University of Benghazi and completed his LLM in International Law at Hull University. He went on to complete a PhD in International Law at the University of Cambridge. LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D. and admitted as a practicing Advocate and Legal Consultant: Licensed to appear before the U.A.E. and Libyan Courts. Admitted as an Arbitrator by Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre. Recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Chambers & Partners in 2023.

Fawzi Abdullah Ahnish

Fawzi is a Senior Associate in our Dispute Resolution practice in Abu Dhabi, bringing over 17 years of extensive experience in litigation before the UAE Courts. He adeptly handles litigation matters for both local, GCC and international clients, specializing in commercial, civil, criminal, construction, rental, and labour disputes. Fawzi's expertise includes representing clients in complex disputes involving breach of contract, unjust enrichment, procurement contracts, breach of trust, fraud, and assignment of rights and their validity. He is well-versed in handling all types of labor disputes in the UAE, ensuring comprehensive legal support for our clients. In addition, Fawzi has significant experience in enforcing arrest orders against vessels, arbitral awards, and foreign judgments within the UAE. He excels in executing UAE court judgments against debtors, leveraging his deep understanding of enforcement procedures to secure orders for measures that force the debtors to pay the judgment amount. Fawzi also plays a crucial role in assisting clients with criminal investigations in major financial crime matters, providing essential data to local authorities and managing the required criminal procedures. His dedication and proficiency in execution matters make him an invaluable asset to our clients in achieving their legal objectives. Moreover, Fawzi has extensive experience in assisting clients in negotiating settlements of their disputes. He excels in assessing and coordinating multiple litigation and enforcement proceedings for corporate clients, and possesses unique expertise in successfully negotiating settlements in the UAE and MENA region. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners in 2007, he practised as a trial lawyer, predominantly dealing with civil and commercial cases before the Courts of First Instance and Appeal in Libya. Fawzi holds an LLB from Omar Al Mokhtar University in Libya, 2003 and a Diploma in Diplomatic studies from the Libyan Diplomatic Studies Institute. He is a member of the Libyan Bar Association.

George is a Partner in the Regulatory and Government Advisory Practice, bringing fifteen years of expertise in government, regulatory, tax advisory, public law, and dispute resolution. George has extensive experience advising government and private entities on a wide range of legal and regulatory matters. He also acts as an arbitrator in various contractual and construction disputes and provides strategic advice to private clients challenging government decisions. Before joining Hadef & Partners, George served as a judge for a decade, focusing on government contracts and investment disputes. During this time, he also acted as a legal advisor to key Ministries - Industry, Electricity, and Petroleum - providing strategic counsel on a wide range of legal and regulatory issues. George's advisory role extended to drafting and reviewing various regulations, decisions, contracts, and concession agreements. George began his career as a corporate lawyer at a prominent financial institution, where he assisted in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating bilateral and syndicated loan agreements, security instruments, guarantees, and service-level agreements. He has also worked as a legal consultant at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., gaining valuable insights into international legal frameworks. George holds a distinguished academic record, including an LL.M. from New York University School of Law (NYU) and an LL.M. in International Business Law from Indiana University, USA. He also holds an LL.M. in Administrative Law and an LL.B. from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. George is fluent in both English and Arabic. He is duly qualified in New York and Egypt and is a solicitor of England and Wales.

Hadef Al Dhaheri

His Excellency Dr. Hadef Al Dhaheri founded the firm that bears his name, Hadef & Partners, in 1980 and was a senior partner until his appointment as Minister of Justice for the UAE in February 2008. As Federal Minister of Justice (2008-2014), Dr. Hadef held the position of President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Chairman of the Ministerial Legislative Committee, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Zakat Fund, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies. Dr. Hadef also served as the Vice Chancellor of the UAE University (1994-2007) and as a member of the Faculty of Sharia and Law at the UAE University. He was also a Legal Advisor for the Government of Abu Dhabi (1993-1994) and a member of the following Councils and Authorities:

Harriet McLaughlin

Harriet is a Senior Associate in our Dispute Resolution practice in Dubai. She comes with wide ranging experience of general commercial disputes in the English Courts, DIFC & ADGM Courts, local UAE Courts, Hong Kong Courts, QFC Courts and in arbitration matters under the rules of major arbitral institutions. Harriet acts for major international and local corporations, including banks, airlines and investment funds as well as high-net worth individuals on a wide spectrum of complex and high value disputes. Harriet’s practice has a particular focus on cross-border litigation and arbitration, regularly working alongside foreign co-counsel for UAE based clients. Harriet’s experience includes acting in and advising on shareholder disputes (unfair prejudice claims and derivative actions), warranty and indemnity claims, shipping disputes, technology disputes, insurance disputes, insolvency, agency/franchise disputes, financial disputes, defamation & media matters and commodities and international trade. Harriet also regularly provides advice on the service and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and judgments in the UAE, including challenging the enforcement of arbitral awards through the UAE courts. She was admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales in 2018 after training at a major UK Headquartered International law firm and has worked in several jurisdictions, including England, Hong Kong and Dubai, UAE. Prior to joining Hadef, Harriet work for a major international law firm in its Dubai office, focusing on DIFC and ADGM litigation and commercial arbitration.

Howrey is a Senior Associate in the firm's Regulatory & Government Advisory Practice. Howrey advises public and private sector clients on a wide range of regulatory and compliance matters, including developing legislative frameworks across multiple industries. He also has experience drafting legislation for government clients. In addition to his regulatory work, Howrey represents clients in complex and high-value litigation, with expertise in Islamic and conventional banking disputes, bankruptcy, and other litigation and enforcement proceedings. Before joining Hadef & Partners, Howrey was part of a magic circle law firm in the UK, where he advised on corporate law, commercial transactions, cross-border disputes, compliance, tax, and regulatory investigations. Howrey is admitted as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB Honours) and a Legal Practice Course (LPC) qualification from the University of Huddersfield, as well as an LLM in Legal and Political Philosophy from the University of York. Howrey is fluent in Arabic and English.

Humayun is a Partner within the dispute resolution department specialising in contentious Engineering & Construction matters. He is an experienced arbitration practitioner with 20 years’ experience of advising developers, funders, main contractors (sole and JV), subcontractors (sole and JV), employers (private and government-related), engineers and architects on bringing and defending complex and high-value claims relating to issues such as time, cost and quality, extensions of time, loss and expense, variations, payment and final account claims. Specifically, Humayun has represented clients in arbitrations seated in various jurisdictions including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These have been governed by prominent institutional rules, including those of DIAC, SCCA, LCIA, ICC as well as ad hoc and UNCITRAL Rules. Such disputes have been resolved under a variety of national laws. Humayun also advises construction clients during the execution of their projects. Working in a Project Counsel role, Humayun advises on contractual entitlements and advises on correspondence, notices, variation and claim submissions brought during the life cycle of the project. He has worked on a variety of projects across the Middle East including building, construction, engineering, rail, infrastructure, healthcare, mining and oil and gas projects. Humayun has considerable expertise in the Gulf region, having moved here in 2008. He initially spent three years in Saudi Arabia and was one of the first Western-qualified arbitration specialists to be permanently based there. Thereafter, Humayun worked for four years in Oman and has been subsequently based in the UAE since 2016. He has previously been recognised in the legal directories as "...a first-rate, high-class lawyer who provides excellent legal and commercial advice" and as a "senior lawyer who is very approachable and does not seek to over-complicate his advice" in relation to construction, oil and gas, energy and general commercial disputes.

James heads the Intellectual Property practice at Hadef & Partners and has 20 years of experience in intellectual property law in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Middle East. He has practised in Dubai since 2014. His practice focuses on all aspects of intellectual property, with a particular focus on trade marks, brand protection and enforcement. He has extensive experience in advertising clearance; brand counselling; management of intellectual property portfolios; trade mark clearance, prosecution and enforcement programs in the UAE, across the MENA region and internationally; and advising on copyright creation, ownership and use, both online and in traditional media formats. In conjunction with the Corporate team at Hadef & Partners, James has also led the intellectual property audits in a range of corporate acquisition and investments projects across the hospitality, retail, entertainment and leisure sectors. James has advised clients ranging from small businesses through to market leading multinational companies across a very diverse range of industry sectors including in the areas of hospitality and leisure; entertainment; personal care and beauty; finance; retail; transportation; energy and resources; aviation; technology; construction; pharmaceuticals; luxury goods; and QSR (‘Quick Service Restaurant’) and FMCG (‘Fast Moving Consumer Goods’). James is registered as a legal consultant at the Dubai Legal Affairs Department and is a dual-qualified solicitor admitted in New South Wales (Australia) and England and Wales (United Kingdom). He holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, and Master of Laws (with a focus on technology, media and intellectual property law). In addition to his private practice experience, he has also held in-house roles in the trade marks department of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and so is very aware of the budget and time constraints that brand owners, and in-house legal counsel, are subject to. With the benefit of both in-house experience, and a litigation background earlier in his career (including as a Judge’s Associate in the District Court of New South Wales), James is able to consider intellectual property disputes from the perspective of each client and the circumstances of their particular matters with a view to resolving in the most cost and time effective way. Should court proceedings be required, then he works with the specialist intellectual property litigators and legal advocates at Hadef & Partners at all levels of the UAE courts, including the Court of Cassation, the highest appellate court in the UAE. With a keen interest in fostering awareness of intellectual property, James has been a member of INTA (the International Trademark Association) for a number of years. Since 2018, he has written and delivered intellectual property courses to Dubai based legal consultants as part of the mandatory Continuing Legal Professional Development training required of all licensed legal consultants by the Dubai Legal Affairs Department.

Julie is a Senior Counsel in the Commercial practice. She has more than 20 years legal practice experience, 14 years of which have been within the UAE market. She has expertise in corporate/commercial law, data protection, education, hospitality, cross-border transactions, corporate governance and compliance. Outside of the UAE, she has practised in Canada and in the United Kingdom, and has worked in private practice as well as in-house where she held Senior Legal Counsel and General Counsel positions. Prior to teaming with Hadef & Partners, Julie was the head of the legal team for the Registration Authority at the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) where she led the team responsible for drafting and developing all commercial legislation in the financial centre. Julie was previously General Counsel at an international university in Dubai and acted as the sole in-house counsel for the owner/operator of 31 international schools in the United Arab Emirates. During her time in the education field, Julie provided strategic, business-focused advice to Boards and management teams on all general corporate/commercial matters including drafting and reviewing all commercial agreements, providing legal advice on data protection, leasing, franchising, school management agreements, corporate governance and compliance. Julie has also been in-house counsel for a major international hospitality group where she worked closely with the development team negotiating hotel management agreements across the Middle East and Africa. She was senior associate with Allen & Overy in London and Dubai.

Karim is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai. A US qualified attorney, Karim is a Part II qualified Practitioner with the DIFC Courts and appears regularly before arbitration tribunals. His experience and skill in this area makes him an invaluable member of both the Dispute Resolution team and for our international client base. His dynamic experience encompasses working for both multinational and local entities regarding all manner of disputes in the local UAE Courts, arbitration proceedings, and the DIFC Courts. His practice includes a broad range of commercial matters with particular expertise in shareholder, commercial agency, banking, and real estate disputes. This versatility is a significant asset with disputes in the region given the parallel jurisdictions in the UAE and the multi-pronged nature of disputes. Karim is also a leading Partner in the department’s White-Collar Practice, where he regularly advises and represents individuals, court appointed trustees and governments on Interpol, extradition, fraud, asset tracing, and enforcement matters. His team has acted on several high-profile matters involving billions of dollars in recovered funds. He has also been appointed as a Special Master for the US District Court for the Northern District Court of Illinois. Karim is a member of the American Bar Association, AIJA, and is admitted to the New Jersey and New York State Bars.

Khaled Al Hayyas

Khaled is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution team. He is licensed to appear before local and federal courts. He advises clients on a range of corporate, commercial, criminal, regulatory and employment law matters. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Khaled worked at two reputable law firms in Abu Dhabi as a litigator. He has extensive experience in attending court hearings, expert hearings and handling all court procedures. Khaled holds a Bachelor of Law from Dubai Police Academy and holds a lawyer license from the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies. He is fluent in Arabic and English.

Khalid is a member of the Corporate department and heads Licensing. He has extensive experience of advising both international and local companies as well as family businesses on all matters relating to applicable UAE licensing, registration laws and regulations. Khalid is regularly involved in all types of licensing matters, including complex M&A transactions, corporate and family reorganisations. He is instrumental in ensuring the smooth and efficient completion of all licencing and registration matters with all the relevant UAE governmental departments. Khalid holds a Business and Administration Bachelors Degree from the University of Mustansria, Iraq and Bachelors of Law from Al Jazeera University in the UAE.

Khalid El Sherif

Khalid is a Partner in our litigation practice. Khalid joined Hadef & Partners in January 2013 and has a wide range of experience in criminal, civil and commercial disputes, particularly, corporate disputes, Islamic and conventional banking disputes, real estate and lease disputes, labor disputes, bankruptcy and enforcement of securities. Khalid also advises and represents clients in arbitration proceedings. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Khalid worked as a notary public between the years of 1997 and 2001 in Libya. Khalid has been practicing as a lawyer for over 20 years - he worked as an advocate (with right of audience up to the Court of Appeal in Libya), specializing in representing insurance companies in the courts in Libya. He also worked for the Ministry of Housing in Libya. Khalid is a member of the Libyan Committee for Human Rights and a member of the Libyan Bar Association. Khalid obtained a Bachelor of Law degree in 1995 from Qar Younis University (now Benghazi University), Libya and a Higher Diploma in Criminal Law from the same University in 2006 and holds a master’s degree in criminal procedure in 2022 from Benghazi University, Libya.

Khalid El Derderi

Khalid is a Senior Legal Consultant in the Dispute Resolution practice in Dubai. He has successfully handled all types of cases before both the UAE’s Federal and local Courts. Having worked in the UAE’s Court System since 2005, he has in depth experience of cases in many areas including: Commercial, Civil, Construction, Insurance, Agency, Shipping, Banking, Trade Marks and Labour disputes with a particular focus on Real Estate disputes. Khalid holds a Bachelor Degree in General Law (LLB) (with Honours), a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English & Literature, Postgraduate Diploma in Laws in the specialisation of Maritime & LLM from Queen Mary University of London. He is fluent in Arabic and English.

Laryssa Perkins

Laryssa is a Senior Associate in our Corporate team based in Abu Dhabi. She is an Australian qualified solicitor with extensive experience in advising clients at all stages of the business cycle – from emerging startups to multinational corporations – across a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, including capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate governance. With a commercial mindset and commitment to excellence, Laryssa strives to be a trusted advisor to clients. She is also a published author having been featured in one of Australia’s most cited legal journals, Australian Business Law Review, on business practice and commercial law in Australia and overseas, and in the Governance Institute of Australia’s Governance Directions journal. Laryssa has completed a Master of Laws (High Distinction) specialising in International Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution, a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce, each from Bond University in Australia.

Mahmoud El Gharabawy

Mahmoud El Gharabawy is a Partner in the Corporate practice at Hadef & Partners. Mahmoud has over 18 years of experience in the legal field acquired in both Egypt and the UAE, during which he focuses mainly on corporate, commercial, capital markets, M&A and finance transactions. He has advised various local and international clients on transaction documents and deals involving private and public companies. He has extensive experience in corporate, merger and acquisitions and capital markets, including restructuring, IPOs, private placement, bonds/sukuk issuance, tender offers and rights issue. Mahmoud obtained his law degree from Alexandria University in 2005, and subsequently an LLM in International Commercial & Business Law from Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indiana University in 2010. He is member of the Egyptian Bar Association since his graduation on 2005 and is currently admitted before the Egyptian Courts of Appeal.

Mahmoud is a Senior Associate in the Corporate and M&A practice in Abu Dhabi. Mahmoud has over 19 years of experience in the legal field acquired in both Egypt and the UAE. He is regularly involved in corporate structuring and reorganizations matters. Mahmoud has also worked on several transactions for leading and international companies in relation to due diligence reports, as well as negotiating and drafting transactional documentation. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Mahmoud worked for a regional law firm. He also worked in the legal department of one of the region’s largest property development companies, based in Dubai. Mahmoud obtained his law degree from Cairo University in 2005. He is a member of the Egyptian Bar Association and admitted before the Egyptian Court of Supreme. Mahmoud is fluent in Arabic and English.

Manali is a Senior Associate in the Real Estate practice in Dubai. Manali advises on a range of real estate matters, including real estate development, commercial leasing, hospitality, and branded residences. She advises on transactional as well as contentious matters including sale and purchase of high value real estate, joint ventures, property management arrangements, real estate finance, property litigation, corporate structuring and all aspects of real estate development from project initiation and site acquisition, to post-project completion and management. Manali represents a variety of clients including government entities, developers, investors, UHNW and HNW individuals and financial institutions. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Manali worked in the real estate team of a leading law firm in Mumbai, India. Manali received her Bachelors in Law from the University of Mumbai and is admitted to the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa, India. She gained her Masters in Law from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, USA and is also licensed to practise law in the State of New York, USA. Manali is fluent in English, Hindi and Marathi.

Maria is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai, having practiced in the UAE for over 8 years. She has a wide ranging experience of general commercial litigation in the South African Courts, local UAE Courts, DIFC Courts, the ADGM Courts and in arbitration matters under the rules of the major arbitral institutions such the LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC and the ICC. Maria has recently been appointed by DIAC as an arbitrator in an ongoing arbitration case. Maria has acted for major international corporations, airlines, banks and high net worth individuals, on a variety of complex, high value disputes (often with multi-jurisdictional implications), including but not limited to: real estate disputes, insurance disputes, shareholder disputes, commercial agency disputes, information technology disputes, trade finance disputes and disputes between hotel owners and hotel operators. Maria also regularly advises on: (i) multi-jurisdictional enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards through the UAE Courts and through the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts in the UAE and (ii) asset recovery, such as asset tracing and recovery of assets.

Marwan Abdel Hamid

Marwan is a Partner in the corporate team in Dubai. He is regularly involved in complex corporate structuring and reorganisations matters as well as advising a number of local and expat families in the UAE and GCC. Marwan currently advises on a range of corporate structuring, family wealth planning, advisory and regulatory matters as well as Capital Markets and Initial Public Offering transactions. Marwan holds a Masters in International and European Business Law from Paris 1 University – Panthéon-Sorbonne in which he was also enrolled for his bachelor degree. Marwan has completed a Post Graduate Program in International and Comparative Law from Indiana University.

Michael Farchakh

Michael is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution and Engineering & Construction practices in Dubai. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Michael practiced with a number of international law firms in Paris, Dubai and Beirut. He has experience working on commercial arbitration and litigation matters throughout Africa, Europe and the Middle-East, particularly in the construction and oil & gas industries. Michael has also advised on issues of public international law and international investment law. Michael holds an LL.B. from the Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth and graduate degrees from the Washington University School of Law, the Sorbonne School of Law and the University of Paris East. He is admitted to the Beirut, New York, and United States Supreme Court Bars and is also a registered legal practitioner with the DIFC Courts. Michael is fluent in Arabic, English and French.

Mohamed is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution department. He has over 20 years of litigation experience in the Middle East, advising and handling disputes in the areas of shipping, aviation, financial crime, commercial and banking. He represented high profile GCC companies and international clients in complex litigation matters before all court levels. He also represented clients in resolving their disputes by alternative dispute resolution methods. His clients include some of the world’s largest shipping companies, government agencies, energy companies, port authorities, P&I clubs, airlines, insurers, banks and financial institutions. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Mohamed worked for major international law firms in Dubai and prominent law firms in Kuwait, Egypt and Australia. Mohamed earned his Bachelor of Law from Alexandria University in Egypt and Master of Legal Practice from Western Sydney University in Australia. He has also earned Master of International Trade and Commerce Law from Macquarie University in Australia. Mohamed is admitted as solicitor and barrister before the Supreme Court of New South Wales in Australia. He is also admitted before the High Court of Australia and before the Court of Appeal in Egypt. He is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales in Australia and the Egyptian Bar Association.

Mohamed is a Senior Legal Consultant in our Dispute Resolution team. He has more than 22 years of experience and represents reputable GCC and international corporations in high-value claims involving commercial, labour, insurance, construction and criminal disputes. He also represents his clients in claims involving the attachment of assets, payment order applications, enforcement/nullification of foreign judgments, and arbitral awards in the UAE. Mohamed is registered as a lawyer before the Egyptian Cassation Court. He obtained his bachelor of Sharia and Law from Al Azhar University in Egypt, then worked in the legal department of a reputable bank for 8 years. Mohamed has been practising law in Abu Dhabi for 13 years, and he has a wealth of experience in UAE law and procedures.

Mohamed is a dispute resolution lawyer who specializes in International Arbitration and Litigation before local courts in UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Bahrain, with a focus on Construction and Oil & Gas matters. With over 10 years of experience, Mohamed has worked on large-value, complex arbitrations and litigations, with an emphasis on construction, oil and gas, energy, aviation, investment, agency and distributorship disputes. He has handled cases under the rules of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, the International Chamber of Commerce, the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, and the Dubai International Arbitration Centre. Mohamed comes with significant experience in handling contentious and non-contentious matters under various jurisdictions including UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Libya. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, he practiced with an international law firm in Dubai, and leading law firms in Cairo, that specialized in handling dispute resolution and construction matters across the MENA Region and GCC. He also worked as an in-house Legal Counsel at a prominent holding company in Abu Dhabi, which is holding/managing diversified investments (inside UAE and abroad) in different sectors including construction, F&B, agriculture, aviation, healthcare, technology, IT solutions, education, and hospitality. Mohamed has a Bachelor of Laws from Cairo University (English Department), and a Post Graduate Certificate in Laws from University of London. He is also a member of the Egyptian Bar Association.

Mohammed Abbas Al-Obaidi

Mohammed is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai. He regularly guides local and international clients, including publicly listed companies and sovereign entities, in respect of proceedings in all courts and venues of the UAE. This includes proceedings before both the Arabic-speaking civil law courts as well as the English-speaking common law Dubai International Financial Centre (“DIFC”) Courts and Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) Courts. With experience in both common law and civil law jurisdictions, Mohammed advises on complex cross-border disputes from a holistic point of view, working closely with and advising counsel globally in relation to arbitration and court proceedings in the UAE. Mohammed’s civil and common law experience makes him excellently placed to navigate multi-jurisdictional complex shareholder disputes, as well as advise on the service and enforcement of foreign awards and judgments. In addition to advising on LCIA, UNCITRAL and ICC arbitration proceedings, Mohammed has also assisted major international clients in investigating and pursuing, as well as defending, multi-billion dollar allegations of financial fraud, embezzlement and money laundering, both in the criminal and civil courts. Mohammed regularly advises clients in respect of a broad of range commercial disputes, including shareholder disputes, white-collar crime, commercial fraud, Insolvency, AML, distributorships, sponsorship agreements, and C-Suite employment disputes.

Mohammed Al Dhaheri

Mohammed is Partner within our Dispute Resolution team based in Dubai. He holds rights of audience as an Advocate in the UAE courts. His expertise spans a vast array of court litigation and disputes, including both civil and criminal matters, with a specialized focus on commercial litigation. Beyond these areas, Mohammed has distinguished himself in restructuring bankruptcy cases, offering critical guidance in complex financial restructurings and insolvency matters. Furthermore, Mohammed's expertise as an expert witness has been instrumental in delivering pivotal witness statements in high-profile cases, underscoring his depth of knowledge and credibility in legal matters. His understanding of compliance and administrative law further reinforces his ability to provide comprehensive legal advice that encompasses regulatory adherence and governance. At the core of Mohammed's practice is a profound analysis of UAE law and legislation, enabling him to offer nuanced insights and strategic advice tailored to the unique legal framework of the UAE. His analytical skills and thorough understanding of UAE laws have been invaluable in navigating the complexities of the legal system, ensuring optimal outcomes for our clients.

Mutasim Khalil Ismail

Mutasim is a Senior Legal Consultant in the Dispute Resolution department in Abu Dhabi. He has over 20 years’ experience in the UAE. He has extensive experience in a wide range of litigation and dispute resolution matters involving construction, bankruptcy, insurance, corporate, Islamic banking, commercial agency, medical malpractice, real estate, lease disputes and employment disputes. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Mutasim worked for the Bank of Khartoum (Sudan), and regional law firms in Dubai. Mutasim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Khartoum, Sudan and is fluent in Arabic & English. He is also a member of the Sudanese Bar Association.

Nasser Ali Boausaibah

Nasser is a Senior Advocate in the Dispute Resolution practice in Dubai. He specialises in advising clients on civil and criminal matters. Nasser is a licensed advocate and holds full rights of audience to appear before all courts in UAE, including the Supreme Court (cassation stage). He holds a Masters degree in Private Law from Ajman University.

Natalie is a Senior Counsel in the Regulatory and Government Advisory Practice, with almost 20 years’ multijurisdictional experience in corporate and financial services regulation and compliance. She is highly regarded for her ability to successfully lead the development and implementation of a broad range of policy and legislative frameworks. Natalie has held senior in-house legal regulatory roles with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). Natalie holds degrees of Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Business (International Business) from Queensland University of Technology, a postgraduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia and a Masters of Law (LL.M) in Global Business Law from Columbia University, New York City. She holds an unrestricted practicing certificate in Australia, is admitted in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Queensland, and entered on the Register of the High Court of Australia.

Nazim is an English qualified Senior Counsel with over 10 years’ experience of undertaking a range of international corporate, M&A and commercial transactions for clients in a number of business sectors. Nazim regularly works on various high profile, high-value and highly confidential transactions involving VIP clients in Abu Dhabi, and has been seconded to the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Bayanat AI PLC.

Omar is a sought-after UAE advocate. He represents clients in courts of all levels, and handles complex domestic and cross-border commercial and civil disputes where his wealth of experience in the procedures of UAE courts and depth of knowledge of UAE laws is highly valued by the firm's clients. Omar acts as UAE local counsel in domestic and international litigation and arbitration, including working closely with Hadef & Partners’ Engineering & Construction team representing and acting for various construction industry members. As an UAE advocate, Omar has vast experience in advising corporates and individuals on business fraud-related matters and white-collar crimes both domestically and internationally. He has expertise in both criminal and civil mutual legal assistance and also extradition. Omar frequently delivers mandatory and accredited legal training sessions as part of the Dubai Legal Affairs Department’s CLPD programme. He is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), the Society of Construction Law (SCL) and the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) of which he is the national representative in the UAE. He graduated with honors from the College of Shari’a & Law of the UAE University and obtained his LLM in International Commercial Law from the University of Leicester. Prior joining Hadef & Partners Omar trained with the Dubai Courts and the Dubai Public Prosecution.

Patrick Tweedale

Patrick is a Partner in the Corporate team in Dubai. He advises clients on a broad range of corporate transactions and has significant experience in M&A, private equity, joint ventures and corporate reorganisations. He has particular experience of advising on complex transactions across multiple jurisdictions. Patrick advises institutional investors, corporates and management teams across a wide range of different industry sectors including hotels & leisure, technology and pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Patrick worked in the corporate departments of DLA Piper in London and Dentons in Dubai. He holds a LLB (Law) degree from the University of Manchester, completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Chester and has been admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales since 2005.

Paul is a Partner in the corporate team in Dubai where he advises on a broad range of M&A, joint venture and private equity transactions for both domestic and international clients. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Paul trained with, and then worked in the corporate department of, leading Irish law firm Arthur Cox. Paul holds a Bachelor in Civil Law from University College Dublin and a Diploma in Finance Law from the Law Society of Ireland.

Rami is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution department in Dubai. He holds a Masters Degree in Law and has over 20 years of extensive in-house and law firm experience in handling complex litigation and arbitration matters. Rami advises clients on many areas of dispute resolution including civil, real estate, penal, cybercrimes, customs, antitrust, intellectual property, employment and general commercial litigation. He also has experience of advising on agency law, construction and Islamic banking disputes. Rami has a reputation for establishing new precedents in trademark disputes by successfully developing and executing strategic wins both at trial and on appeal. Rami is an Arab Certified Intellectual Property Practitioner and holds a Professional Diploma in Islamic Finance transactions and is qualified as a Certified Islamic Arbitrator and Expert (CIAE). He has received Appreciation and Contribution Certificates from associations such as World Justice Project, Doing Business IFC and the World Ban. He is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), Emirates Intellectual Property Association and other industry associations such as The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department where he is an accredited lecturer, delivering legal courses to those registered for the Department’s Continuing Legal Professional Development Programme (CLPD)

Rami is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution practice. He has substantial experience handling a wide range of commercial litigations and has acted for leading national and multi-national companies on a variety of complex, high value disputes. His practice includes a broad range of commercial matters with particular experience in commercial contracts, real estate, insurance, intellectual property and debt recovery disputes. Rami has been regularly providing expert’s opinion on various aspects of the UAE law in front of the English Courts. Educated in both the civil and common law systems, Rami holds an LLB from the University of Damascus, Syria, LLM in National and International Business Law from the Faculty of Law Paris II-Pantheon Assas and LLM in International Commercial Law from Leicester University, United Kingdom. He is also qualified as an advocate of the Syrian Bar Association and is licensed to advise on UAE Law by the Dubai Government's Legal Affairs Department. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, he practiced in Syria and in London with leading multinational firms.

Rashed Faidhallah

Rashed is the Head of Execution & Enforcement in the Dispute Resolution practice in Dubai. He specialises in civil and commercial matters and has full rights of audience before the local and federal courts in the UAE. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Rashed worked as a Court Clerk at a regional law firm for four years where he then successfully completed his legal training to become an advocate. Rashed has a Bachelors of Law degree from the Ajman University of Science and Technology.

Richard is a recognised leader in commercial dispute resolution in the UAE and has practised contentious business law in the UAE and Middle East region for most of his career. His areas of specialisation are in the commercial litigation and arbitration fields, particularly with reference to commercial disputes, fraud and asset recovery, maritime, trade and insurance law in the United Arab Emirates and larger Middle East area. Prior to working as Executive Partner at Hadef & Partners, Richard trained with Clifford Chance in London, worked with Clifford Chance in London and Dubai (1992 - 1996), later joining Al Tamimi & Co as partner (1996 - 2004). Richard is a member of the Law Society and a Practicing Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. He is also a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), the Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA), and ICC FraudNet Member for the UAE. Richard is the current past President of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA), and former Chairman of the Host Committee for the IPBA Annual Meeting and Conference held in Dubai from 7 to 10 March 2023. Richard has recently been appointed Board Member of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), and was also the Chairman of the Host Committee of the International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA) Conference which came to Dubai for the first time from 5 to 10 November 2023. Richard was formerly the Chairman of the ICC FraudNet S&P Committee from 2017 - 2019 and member of the ICC FraudNet Advisory Board, and former Vice Chair of the IBA Maritime Committee from 2008 – 2014. Richard is also former Vice Chair and Board Member of the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC).

Sadiq is Managing Partner of Hadef & Partners. He has extensive corporate and commercial law experience, particularly in respect of inward investment, joint ventures, banking and finance, energy and infrastructure, and mergers & acquisitions. In addition to advising multinationals, Sadiq works closely with regional groups in the Middle East in relation to corporate strategy and succession planning. Sadiq holds an LLB from the London School of Economics, London University. He qualified as a Barrister of Gray’s Inn, London in 1987 and later transferred to the Roll of Solicitors of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Previous experience includes Associate at Clifford Chance from 1987 to 1993; and General Counsel of Crescent Petroleum until 1996. Other positions include: member of the Legal Practice Division Nominations Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA); Officer of the IBA’s Law Firm Management Committee; member of the Wealth Management Working Group of the Dubai International Financial Centre; member of the Legislative Committee of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority; member of the Advisory Board of the College of Law, University of Dubai; member of the Advisory Committee of the Dubai Government’s Department of Economy and Tourism. Previous posts include: member of the Legal Practice Division Council of the IBA; Chairman of the Arab Regional Forum, a division of the IBA; Vice-Chair of the Law Practice Management Forum of the American Bar Association’s International Section; member of the Advisory Board of Emirates Law, a quarterly publication of the Dubai Judicial Institute; Chairman of the Development Advisory Board of Dubai College; Chairman of the Owners’ Association of Emirates Hills.

Salih is a senior litigator with over 50 years of experience. He is widely recognised locally and regionally for his diligence, dedication and strategic approach. He has advised on some of the highest profile disputes in the UAE in a broad range of fields including real estate, intellectual property, agency agreements, banking, employment, oil and gas, procurement contracts and others. Salih’s dynamic experience has earned him a reputation as an industry leader in handling complex and high-value disputes in the UAE. One of Salih’s most notable achievements includes the successful application to the General Assembly to reverse a High Federal Court Judgment which led to the reversal of all previous judgments of the Highest Courts in the UAE (across all Emirates) relating to Margin Trade Agreements. This historical achievement evidences Salih’s unmatched skills. Salih was part of our award-winning Chambers Middle East Litigation Team of the Year in 2023 and he was also included in The Legal 500 M.E Arbitration Powerlist 2023. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Salih held multiple senior positions including being a Member of the Court of Appeal in Libya whereby he assessed appeals in various litigation matters including civil, commercial and criminal cases. Prior to this, he worked as a State Lawyer whereby he represented the state in a wide range of national disputes. Soon after qualifying, he worked as an assistant to the Attorney General handling primarily criminal cases. Before qualification, Salih also worked as a lecturer of Law in Derna, Libya for 9 years.

Sundus is a Senior Associate in the Corporate Team in the Dubai Office. Sundus’ advisory expertise in the firm spans across the Corporate/M&A and Banking & Finance teams. Sundus currently advises on a range of corporate structuring, family wealth planning, advisory and regulatory matters as well as mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. Sundus is a licensed attorney of the Supreme Court of New York, The Punjab Bar Council of Pakistan and is also a non-practising Barrister of England & Wales.

Suzanne Gingles

Suzanne is a Senior Counsel in our Employment team based in Dubai. She is a UK qualified solicitor, with more than 10 years of UAE employment law experience, covering both contentious and non-contentious employment matters. Suzanne provides a full range of employment advice and guidance to onshore and offshore employers based across the UAE including those located in the two financial free zones: Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai International Financial Centre. Suzanne advises on all aspects of UAE employment matters including: immigration requirements and visas, the preparation of employment contracts and bonus/incentive agreements, handbooks, policies and procedures, consultancy and secondment arrangements, issues arising from company acquisitions and insolvencies (including employee transfers and redundancies), working time rules, performance improvement plans, disciplinary and grievance issues, employee terminations, restructuring and redundancies, preparation of settlement agreements as well as other key issues such as the enforcement of confidentiality agreements and post termination restrictions. Suzanne also regularly advises on the employment law aspects of workplace investigations and corporate transactions including business and share purchases or sales and re-organisation of businesses for local and multi-national clients. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Suzanne worked in the employment department of a large regional law firm in both its Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices.

Taher Abdeen Ibrahim is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai. He specialises in civil, real estate, criminal, military, employment, and commercial matters and primarily engages in corporate enforcement work and the enforcement of foreign judgments. Taher is also able to assist his clients with Dubai Land Department Transactions. Taher acts for a range of local and international corporations as well as UAE government entities. Clients know him for his vast knowledge of the court systems within the country as he is licensed to appear before The Dubai Court of First Instance, The Dubai Court of Appeals, The Dubai Court of Cassation, The UAE Federal Court of First Instance, The UAE Federal Court of Appeal, and The UAE Military Court. Taher has a right to be by his clients throughout the police station investigations and the public prosecution investigations. He has a Law degree from the United Arab Emirates University with honors.

Tanuja Paramasivam

Tanuja is a Senior Counsel in our Regulatory & Government Advisory Practice. She has extensive experience working with government, including large governmental bodies and organizations. She has over 20 years of experience in regulatory and government advisory, legislative drafting, governance and strategic policy advisory. Tanuja holds Bachelor of Laws (Hon) and Bachelor of Science (Pharmacology) degrees from the University of Sydney, Australia. Tanuja is admitted to practice in the High Court and Federal Court of Australia, as well as the Supreme Courts of New South Wales and Queensland. Tanuja is also a Graduate of the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI, formerly ICSA), UK & Ireland. Bachelor of Law (Honors); Bachelor of Science (Pharmacology); Chartered Company Secretary.

Tareq is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai. He specialises in complex commercial litigation and arbitration proceedings in the onshore courts as well as in DIFC. His contentious practice focusses on a broad range of commercial matters with a particular focus on shareholder and real estate disputes. Tareq also has a broad advisory practice and regularly advises on enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, white-collar crimes, extradition, Interpol red notices, mutual legal assistance in criminal and civil matters and international asset tracings and recovery.

Theunis Claassen

Theunis heads the Corporate Tax Department in Dubai. He specializes in corporate tax, international tax and tax aspects of structuring and M&A and has been practicing as a tax attorney in South Africa since 2013. Theunis advises on a variety of corporate, commercial, structuring and exchange control issues in respect of tax. He has also previously been involved in a number of tax disputes on behalf of large corporates and high-net-worth individuals. He holds Accounting and Law degrees from the University of Stellenbosch, as well as a Masters in Commercial Law and a Master of Commerce in International tax from the University of Cape Town. Prior to joining Hadef & Partners, Theunis practiced as a South African tax attorney from 2013 until 2022, where after he worked in Ireland for a short period.

Victoria is an English qualified solicitor holding a Bachelors degree in Law with more than twenty years’ experience as a practising solicitor gained from both the UK and the UAE markets. Victoria heads the Commercial Practice at Hadef & Partners, frequently advising both local and international clients on cross-border transactions involving, IP and brand protection, commercial agency, data protection, consumer protection and competition law issues, across a wide range of business operational matters including the sale of goods and services, outsourcing, and consultancy arrangements, distribution, franchising, e-commerce, and hospitality management. Victoria’s commercial advisory practice covers a range of corporate commercial topics, in a number of sectors including TMT, food and beverage, FinTech, leisure and hospitality, healthcare and life sciences, education, and consumer goods and retail. She provides strategic advice relating to the growth of her clients’ businesses, and their relationships with their customers and third parties, advising on transactional matters including joint venture, agency, franchising and licensing arrangements. She supports her clients with the preparation and negotiation of partnering and collaboration agreements, technology and software licensing, hosting and support contracts, distribution and manufacturing agreements, IP licensing, hospitality management documentation, data transfer agreements, and customer and supplier terms and conditions. Victoria has been with Hadef & Partners in Dubai since 2012, prior to which she practised at London City firm Lewis Silkin LLP, predominantly advising clients on corporate transactional and commercial matters in the media and healthcare sectors.

Walid is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution department. He specializes in complex Commercial and Corporate arbitration and litigation, often with multi-jurisdictional elements. Walid joined Hadef & Partners in 2005. During that time, he has developed specialist knowledge of managing large scale, disputes and has acted on a number of high-profile banking and commercial matters. Walid advises a diverse group of clients; including publicly traded and multi-national companies, as well as high net worth individuals on various contentious matters including insolvency related issues. Walid also specializes in local and international asset tracings, recovery and investigations and has been recognized as one of the leading individuals in the UAE for asset recovery. He advises on financial crimes as well as on extradition and mutual legal assistance matters. Walid has a Juris Doctorate and is admitted to the Massachusetts State Bar. He routinely lectures, and sits on various panels that deal with a variety of issues relating to regional legal trends and developments.

Yasser is Executive Partner and Head of our Corporate and Commercial Practice in our Abu Dhabi office. Over the years, Yasser has acquired an in depth knowledge of UAE law and has extensive experience advising clients on a wide spectrum of fields of the corporate and commercial laws including, distribution and agency agreements, supply contracts, manufacturing and licensing, joint ventures, media buying, and distribution of pharmaceutical products. Before joining Hadef & Partners, Yasser worked for Shalakany Law Office in both their Egypt and Dubai offices. He completed an LL.B. from Ain Shams University and a Masters’ Degree in International Business Law from Cairo University in association with the University of Paris I Sorbonne. He has also completed International Practice Diplomas from the College of Law of England and Wales. Yasser has authored a range of articles and publications including the UAE chapter for International Agency, Distribution and Licensing Agreements, published by Sweet & Maxwell in 2008. He is fluent in Arabic and English and holds a professional certificate in legal translation from the American University in Cairo.

Zarghona is Partner, Arbitration, and Head of DIFC/ADGM Litigation at Hadef & Partners. She has acted as counsel in numerous commercial arbitrations in the UAE and internationally, both ad-hoc and under the rules of the major arbitral institutions in the region including the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), DIFC-LCIA, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). Zarghona also regularly advises on the enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards through the UAE Courts including the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts. Her international experiences have proven an invaluable element in navigating the UAE disputes landscape. She specialises in a variety of high-value contractual, shareholder, real estate, accounting and banking disputes and has wider experience in consumer laws, insurance, oil and gas, and construction litigation.