Middle East - United Arab Emirates
Horizons & Co Law Firm LLC
Horizons & Co Law Firm LLC is regularly engaged to handle real estate and construction mandates, acting for both property managers, contractors and developers in contractual, damages, and insurance disputes as well as financial institutions in proceedings regarding project financing. The team has also been active in criminal complaints for defamation and slander, confidentiality breaches and bankruptcy proceedings. Ali Ismael Al Zarooni, who handles criminal, financial and tax disputes alongside construction work, heads the team with Areen Jayousi. Legal manager Lilas Alakhras is noted for her wide-reaching practice and Natasja Pollemans joined from KBH Limited in 2023, adding expertise in international trade and energy disputes. Oliver Dupenois and Paul Suckling left the firm in 2023.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team works well together and is geared up to provide good advice to clients. The team is very strong in UAE civil and criminal law advice.'
'Areen Jayousi has an excellent client service approach and takes great care to understand the issues from the client’s perspective needs. He also handled the matter with great sensitivity and understanding of the positions of the various parties. He is very knowledgeable about UAE laws and has great experience navigating local sensitivities. He provides his advice in a way that is comprehensive but cuts through the complexities to focus on the practical realities of the situation, so that the client can see a way through the noise to a positive outcome.'
‘Horizons is a strong independent UAE law firm. They have very good capabilities in the onshore UAE Courts. They are also very active and visible in the market.’
‘Areen Jayousi is an exceptional practitioner with an unrivalled command of local UAE substantive and procedural law. Given his prior experience inhouse, Areen also intimately understands the importance of client care and is extremely user friendly. He is an all round pleasure to deal with and is my 'go to' choice of local UAE Counsel. I instruct Horizons because of Areen.’
‘Areen Jayousi is a well rounded lawyer, who is sought by his clients for his legal advice and unique approach of strategizing. He is an experienced lawyer with very strong knowledge of UAE law.
‘Ali Al Zarooni and Lilas Alakras are excellent. Very good on strategy. ’
‘Dedication and responsive is part of their routine which gives peace of mind to their clients. To me personally is the extra mile they take on every case as they are protecting their own rights not just looking at it as a business, that's the quality you don't find anywhere else which is priceless.'
‘The local litigation is great and I would without hesitation recommend them. The unique combination of western qualified lawyers and local Arabic litigation lawyers working seamlessly together is unique to Horizon's in my experience.’
Key clients
- HSBC
- Horizon Gulf Electromechanical Services LLC
- Heriot Watt University Dubai
- Arabtec Construction LLC & Belhasa Six Construct LLC (ABJV)
- Abaar Investments – PJS subsidiary of Mubadala Investment PJSC
- IMKAN Properties LLC
- FMC
- Constructora San Jose S A, Constructora San Jose S A Abu Dhabi Branch
- Tav Tepe Akfen Investment Construction & Operation Company & Consolidated Contracting Engineering & Procurement S.A.L. - Offshore
- Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC
Work highlights
- Appointed by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, in relation to execution applications for bounced cheques to the value of AED 130,000,000 and applications for the enforcement of two separate mortgages.
- Act for Horizon Gulf Electromechanical Services LLC as a subcontractor in an almost-240 million-dirham dispute concerning the Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital (AJCSH) construction project.
- Acting for Arabtec Construction LLC & Belhasa Six Construct LLC, who are the parties to a joint venture which constructed one of Dubai’s most prestigious hotels, which was severely damaged by fire during a New Year’s Eve celebration, causing damage valued at AED 1.245 billion.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Ali Al Zarooni, Areen Jayousi