John Benjamin

John is a Partner in DWF London office specialising in technology and privacy law. He has a broad ranging practice covering both the transactional and litigation fields. He is also highly experienced in negotiating complex commercial agreements and intellectual property related issues.

He has played a key role in some of the technology industry’s largest and most complex transactions and advised a client base of leading global financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, as well as social media, consumer electronics and FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 organisations.

John has a particular expertise in data protection and freedom of information matters. In addition to his transactional experience, he has led on a wide range of contentious matters within these fields, he has a particular interest in advising companies where data is part of their core assets. He also has an interest in mass claims following data breaches and advising companies on complex cross border issues governing the exporting of personal data in connection with regulatory investigations.

John has represented clients on privacy matters in front of the Information Tribunal and the High Court. He has also managed cross-border litigation for clients in a number of jurisdictions around the world. He is noted for his expertise in privacy-related litigation and advising on the transfer of data in the context of cross-border litigation.

Abeer Al Husseini

Director at Fragomen, Dubai

Abeer is a Director at Fragomen’s Dubai office, where she has been a member of the team for eight years. Abeer has extensive expertise is in various UAE jurisdictions to assist UAE-based companies with their immigration and compliance needs, as well as other countries across the Middle East and North Africa region.

Abeer assists clients from a variety of industries, including construction, information technology, media, oil and gas, and finance. She helps companies redesign their existing immigration models to ensure maximum efficiency as well as implement process improvements.

In addition, Abeer has managed the immigration-related aspects of several high and medium volume projects involving mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs and other types of corporate restructuring activities.

Prior to joining Fragomen, Abeer worked in government and diplomatic services.
Abeer speaks Arabic and English.

Shaaban Metwally

Shaaban is a Partner in BSA’s Litigation practice, based in the DIFC office in Dubai. Practicing since 1991, he specialises in various types of litigation and dispute resolution including insurance and reinsurance, debt recovery, maritime, commercial, real estate and other dispute.

Shaaban predominately acts on behalf of international clients including insurance and reinsurance companies, multinational, real estate companies and oil and gas companies.
In addition to representing and advising clients during litigation proceedings, Shaaban has successfully concluded settlements on behalf of clients, provided pre-litigation advice and put forth strategies for clients to follow in order to ensure a positive conclusion to a dispute.

Diana Hamadé

Attorney at Law and Founder – International Advocate Legal Services (IALS)

Diana Hamadé is the founder of the IALS, a private client & dispute resolution law firm in the UAE. Ms. Hamadé has an LL.M. degree in Commercial Law from Aberdeen University following her LLB from the UAE University in Sharia & Law. Diana is the only lawyer registered as a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) in the Middle East.
She is a lawyer with rights of audience before all UAE Courts including DIFC Courts. Diana is actively engaged in Family law matters and her firm is sought by international lawyers for advice in family law matters in the UAE on a regular basis for the purpose of presenting Expert Opinions to legal forums in foreign jurisdictions.
As a Sharia expert, Diana’s expertise is sought by many law firms providing courts and religious councils with advice on Sharia related matters in family law. Diana is hosted as a legal expert/speaker at many conferences locally and internationally and appears
regularly on MBC on their breakfast show.
She also contributes regularly to several publications on legal issues and matters in the UAE. She is the author of the UAE chapter in “The Family Law book”, Jurisdictional comparisons – published by Thomson Reuters and has her own regular column ‘’Legally stylish ‘’ in Villa 88 magazine.
Diana was recognised by The Brief as the Most Influential Female Lawyer in the UAE and as the Best Legal Writer by the National.

Asad Qayyum

Senior Associate at Al Busaidy, Mansoor Jamal and Co

Asad Qayyum is a senior associate in AMJ’s Corporate Commercial department. He has 15 years experience advising clients on a wide range of corporate M & A and corporate finance transactions in Oman, the UK and Pakistan. Prior to joining AMJ, Asad worked in the Corporate and Capital Markets team of city of London-based boutique law firm, Kerman & Co. LLP where he advised UK-based and off-shore companies on IPOs and acquisitions in the mining, oil and gas and agriculture sectors across the globe. Asad is qualified as a barrister of England and Wales and a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. In addition, Asad is an advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan.

Cheryl Cairns

Partner, International Construction at Trowers and Hamlins

Cheryl Cairns is a partner in Trowers and Hamlins’ International Construction Team and has been based in the region since 2007, working across all of the firm’s Middle East offices, which include Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE.
Cheryl’s practice provides contract advisory services for all aspects of construction, engineering and oil and gas projects (especially those procured on an EPC basis) to employers, main contractors, specialist subcontractors and engineering and architectural consultants. Cheryl has extensive experience of advising upon procurement issues, amendments to redress the balance of risk in standard form (in particular FIDIC) and bespoke building contracts, consultancy agreements and forms of ancillary security relating to significant international infrastructure and development projects.
Cheryl also frequently advise clients (both claimants and respondents) in relation to construction dispute resolution, which includes amicable settlement assistance, drafting settlement agreements, mediation, dispute adjudication boards and arbitration proceedings conducted under various arbitration rules (ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, ADCACC) as well as being regularly appointed to sit as an arbitrator. Cheryl also holds a Masters Degree in Construction Law and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Nasser Al Riyami

Partner of Al Khalili, Al Ghailani & Co LLP, Oman

Nasser is a partner of Al Khalili, Al Ghailani & Co LLP, based in Muscat, Oman. He previously worked as an associate at corporate and litigation practice, BSA Muscat office in the Sultanate of Oman. He has litigated on a several number of embezzlement cases of high net worth values. Nasser specializes in Corporate practice and worked on registration and establishment of a five star hotel in the hospitality sector in Oman.

His diverse experience includes dealing with employment cases and working with high net profile clients. Nasser offers pragmatic legal and innovative advice to clients within the oil & gas sector and the banking & finance sector.

Nasser completed his Bachelors in Commercial law at Sultan Qaboos University in 2014 and completed his LLM masters in Corporate and Financial Law at the Kingston University London in 2016 with a commendation recognition with special emphasis on Corporate Governance.

Abdulaziz Al Rashdi

Partner at BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates LLP, Oman

Abdulaziz is a Partner based in BSA Muscat office in the Sultanate of Oman, specialising in litigation and dispute resolution matters. His expertise encompasses a wide range of industries including commercial, civil and administrative disputes, as well as thorough procedural advice with regards to local laws.

Pursuant to the enactment of the US Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), Abdulaziz performed a full assessment of conflicting obligations under both FATCA and the local laws related to the protection of private data and information exchange.

Abdulaziz was part of a team which presented full methodical advice to a major Insurance client in respect of its exposure, and set out a mechanism which ensured the compliance with both FATCA and the local privacy laws.

Abdulaziz holds an LL.B from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman with an emphasis on Private and Public Laws.