Rustum Shah > Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP > Dubai, United Arab Emirates > Lawyer Profile

Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP maintains a broad banking and finance practice, with a notable rise in project and real estate financing mandates, representing both sponsors and lenders across the Middle East. The firm is also active in multi-jurisdictional general lending, acquisition finance, and refinancing and restructuring deals, offering both conventional and Islamic finance capabilities. Department head Rustum Shah advises a diverse client base on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions, with a focus on Islamic finance. Murtaza Hussain is recognised as an ‘exceptional young talent,‘ particularly for his expertise in debt and securitisation structures. Chinar Zaidi also comes recommended for her broad practice which includes project finance, asset finance and structured finance. Nijoe Joseph departed the firm in October 2023.

Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP leverages the full scale of its Middle East practice to competently advise clients on energy and infrastructure projects, covering M&A, finance, project development, and disputes. The practice is co-led by Rustum Shah and Ron Nobbs, with the former focused on project finance for financial institutions and the latter highly regarded for his track record in construction and engineering disputes. In addition, Diwakar Agarwal regularly acts on M&A in the technology, healthcare and energy sectors. Toufic Safie continues to be active on social infrastructure mandates, while Murtaza Hussain is instrumental to the firm’s cross-border project financings. Iwan Walters joined the firm in March 2025.