Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm

Legal Department

Senior Legal Counsel

Mr. Ricardo Cid is a Portuguese lawyer admitted to the Portuguese Bar Association with extensive experience in the Qatari legal field.

As a Senior Legal Counsel and Head of the International Department at Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm, Mr. Ricardo draws on his diverse legal background to assist our local and international clients on matters that require non-Arabic language support and representation. He is able to offer legal services in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French, offering our international clients the comfort and advantage of communicating in their native language.

Mr. Ricardo is also an arbitrator of the Qatar Sports Arbitration Tribunal and a former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Rowing Federation. Further, Mr. Ricardo holds post-graduate qualifications in Sports Law and has represented athletes, clubs, agents, and coaches in disputes related to labour and sports law. As such, Mr. Ricardo is a knowledgeable contact for our clients in the quickly developing Qatari sports sector.

In addition to his comprehensive experience and qualifications in the field of sports law, Mr. Ricardo expertly advises and represents our clients in matters relating to civil, corporate and commercial, and labour and employment law. His vast experience with Qatari law and judicial procedure combined with his unique ability to advise and represent in several languages allows Mr. Ricardo to efficiently serve our international and non-Arabic speaking clients in a comfortable and familiar manner.

With a focus on international arbitration, Mr. Ricardo regularly advises our corporate clients on complex disputes of significant value that often involve high-profile entities related to public and private assets. He has advised on contracts, projects, and deals valuing in the billions of Qatari riyals and leads our international arbitration team in each English-language case we handle. This role includes making submissions, and statements, and participating in hearings on behalf of our clients at the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration, and the Qatar International Court of Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA). In his years of providing top-tier, reliable representation in this regard, Mr. Ricardo has become very familiar with the commercial and corporate sector of Qatar and makes astute, transformative observations and guidance to ensure maximum security and protection for our clients.

Mr. Ricardo also prioritizes pro-bono work and the development of accessible legal resources for the public. For example, he regularly holds online and in-person training and workshop seminars on topics such as the Qatar Labour Law from which Qatar’s English-speaking population may benefit.

Areas of practice: Corporate & Commercial Construction & Engineering Media, Entertainment & Sports Property & Real Estate Labour & Employment

Portuguese English French Spanish Italian

Member of the Portuguese Bar Association Member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Rowing Federation Member of Qatar Sports Arbitration Tribunal (QSAT)

Law degree from Ciombra University, Portugal Master’s degree in Sports Law from Ciombra University, Portugal