Abdul Rahman Batakji is a seasoned general counsel with over 24 years of legal expertise, specialising in corporate governance, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, contentious matters, employment law, and contract management. Throughout his career, Abdul Rahman has demonstrated a strong ability to provide strategic legal advice, mitigate risk, and lead complex legal initiatives. He is particularly known for his leadership skills in building and managing high-performing legal teams, as well as his capacity to collaborate closely with executive leadership on critical business decisions.

Since 2011, Abdul Rahman has served as the general counsel for the region at Deloitte and Touche (M.E.), where he established and structured the internal legal function to meet the needs of the firm across 15 jurisdictions in the Middle East. His work involved transforming the legal department into a specialised team that focused on two main pillars: leadership development and the integration of technology solutions to enhance service delivery. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, Abdul Rahman successfully developed leadership skills within his team, enabling them to handle complex legal matters independently and efficiently.

Abdul Rahman’s role goes beyond traditional legal oversight; he is a trusted advisor to the senior leadership of the firm, and various stakeholders. His strategic advice has been pivotal in guiding the firm through numerous corporate restructuring exercises and significant mergers and acquisitions across the region, including key markets like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Kuwait. His expertise in corporate governance and restructuring has also seen him lead on several firm-wide combinations with other Deloitte member firms and acquisitions of small and medium-sized businesses.

In addition to his advisory role, Abdul Rahman has been deeply involved in navigating contentious and regulatory matters. He has successfully managed high-stakes disputes, including a claim before the DIFC courts amounting to USD$ 128 m and a major regulatory dispute in Saudi Arabia valued at USD$ 25 m. His ability to strategically assess and manage these complex cases has protected the firm’s reputation and financial standing.