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Alastair Holland
Alastair has over 20 years of experience advising clients throughout the Middle East on private and public M&A, equity capital markets, private equity and joint ventures. He advises on the acquisition, disposal and restructuring of assets in the UAE and Middle East region, as well as on day-to-day business matters, particularly commercial contracts and corporate governance. His clients, which include multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses, also benefit from his sector expertise in energy and infrastructure, maritime, leisure, hospitality and retail, manufacturing, healthcare, education and financial services. Alastair has worked in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Frankfurt and, during his long career working in international law firms, he has acted on a variety of landmark transactions including the acquisition of Stoll Moss Theatres by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, Blackstone’s acquisition of Legoland and Merlin Entertainments, and Morrisons’ takeover of Safeway. Alastair is ranked by Chambers & Partners for his expertise in corporate and commercial contracts work. Work highlights Advising Abu Dhabi Ship Building on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters. Advising Edilizi Acrobatica on its acquisition of Enigma (specialised company responsible for cleaning the Burj Khalifa). Advising a Saudi conglomerate on its joint venture with an Aramco JV. Advising an Omani sovereign wealth fund on multiple investments in UAE schools. Advising Etihad Rail in relation to the operational phase of the Etihad Rail Project.
Charlotte Bijlani
Charlotte is an experienced dispute resolution lawyer with full rights of audience before both the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) courts and the higher courts of England and Wales. Charlotte’s practice extends to litigation, international arbitration, expert determination and mediation, as well as advisory work on litigation risk and avoidance. She regularly acts for employers, contractors and funders in construction and engineering disputes across the Middle East, as well as major corporates, developers, investors, financial institutions and high net worth individuals in all types of contentious matters both regionally and in the UK. Charlotte is recognised as a leading dispute resolution and international arbitration lawyer in the UAE by The Legal 500 EMEA describing her as a “superb litigator”, an “outstanding operator”, “strategically-minded” and says that she provides “an unrivalled combination of dedication and shrewdness”.
Emily Widdrington
Emily specialises in shipping finance with over 12 years’ experience advising and acting for banks and ship owners on loan and security documentation. Her experience ranges from advising on high-value ECA-backed financings to loan agreements involving sustainability-linked margin adjustments. She was named a ‘Key Lawyer’ in the Transport Finance and Leasing category by Legal 500. Emily joined Watson Farley & Williams in 2008 and qualified into the Asset Finance group in London in 2010. Since joining she has spent time in the firm’s Singapore, Paris and London offices and has been on two client secondments, the first with an international bank in Norway and the second with a ship owner in Geneva.
Rita Al Semaani Jansen
Rita is a highly experienced corporate and commercial law specialist with experience in the UAE and wider MENA region. She advises clients on corporate and commercial law including in relation to national and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring and franchising.