Rachael Smith

Rachael is a Senior Associate in the MEA employment team of Clyde & Co LLP, based in Dubai. Rachael advises clients on all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, across a variety of industry sectors with a focus on healthcare and technology. She advises clients across all facets of employment including updating employment contracts and policies to ensure compliance with local law, the protection of confidential information and intellectual property in the employment relationship, privacy issues arising in the employment context, advising on international global mobility arrangements and the enforceability of restraint of trade clauses. When disagreements arise in the employment relationship, Rachael provides clients with frank commercial advice from a liability and risk mitigation perspective and regularly assists in high profile employment litigation for clients in the UAE and DIFC courts. Notable work highlights for Rachael for this past year include advising on the employment aspects of an investigation into alleged fraudulent financial transactions and assisting with the defence of a criminal claim lodged by an employee against his superiors for allegedly falsely imprisoning and assaulting him. 

Samantha Ellaby

Samantha is a senior associate in the MEA employment team of Clyde & Co LLP. Whilst she is based in Dubai, her practice covers the MEA region and, particularly, the UAE, Qatar and KSA. Samantha advises clients on the full range of issues throughout the employment life cycle from immigration and recruitment, day to day issues such as performance management and disciplinary matters, managing exits, redundancies and restructures through to post termination issues such as restrictive covenants and confidentiality. Sam has seen an increase in clients seeking support with workplace investigations and has a particular focus on workplace health and safety supporting clients to understand their health and safety obligations and representing clients following a workplace incident.

Ben Brown

Ben is a UK-qualified employment lawyer in Clyde & Co’s MEA employment team, based in Dubai.

Ben advises employers on recruitment and immigration issues, managing performance, employee transfers, manpower supply arrangements, bonus disputes and issues arising on termination of employment including the enforcement of post-termination restrictions and the protection of confidential information. Ben also has extensive experience advising on employment issues arising from complex internal investigations (in relation to both financial wrongdoing and complaints of inappropriate workplace behaviour, including harassment), corporate restructurings, outsourcings and multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions.

Ben recently directly advised the DIFC Authority on DIFC Law No.2 of 2019 (the new DIFC employment Law).

Ben is recognised as a “Next Generation Lawyer” in Legal 500 (“really worth his salt”) and an “Associate to Watch” in Chambers & Partners Global, which commented:

“Market insiders say he is “very good on the law,” explaining: “The law is changing quite a bit and he is very up to speed with new developments.” One client particularly appreciated his ability to “understand Middle Eastern culture and the sensitivities involved in dealing with employees in the region.”

Rebecca Ford

Rebecca is a partner in the MEA employment team of Clyde & Co LLP, based in Dubai and has worked in the Middle East since 2008.  She is particularly interested in the key challenges faced by employers in the modern work environment, such as global mobility, working hours, use of social media, protection of confidential information, and alternative business, incentive and retention structures.  Rebecca has managed high profile employment litigation for clients in the High Court of England & Wales in London, as well as the UAE and DIFC courts and she is a registered practitioner of the DIFC Court.   Notable work highlights for Rebecca for this past year including leading on a project with the DIFC Authority for the introduction of a new DIFC Employment Law and advising on the employment aspects of one of the biggest bank mergers ever to take place in Saudi Arabia.

Rebecca has been described by the legal directories as “a leading lawyer in the employment area”, a “very thoughtful and thorough lawyer” and as ” somebody who is knowledgeable and has extensive experience on how some of the provisions in labour law will be interpreted by the court”.  She is recognised as one of five thought leaders for the Middle East and Africa region by Who’s Who Law 2018.

Andrew Moroney

Andrew has a wide array of experience advising clients in the sports and events sector on sponsorship; broadcasting; merchandising; ticketing; player contracts; intermediary issues; athlete endorsement; disciplinary issues; regulatory matters and disputes. He regularly advises corporate entities, governing bodies, individuals and foreign law firms on matters spanning football, cycling, horseracing, motorsports, golf and tennis. Andrew also has a particular interest in the growing eSports industry.

Before joining Al Tamimi, Andrew was Legal Counsel at the (English) Football Association, primarily focussed on regulatory matters, dispute resolution and risk management. Highlights included re-drafting the FA Rulebook, acting as the Secretariat for the FA Rule K arbitration process and handling a number of cases heard by the UEFA Disciplinary Committee, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Prior to that, Andrew trained and qualified at a large European law firm in London, where he gained further experience advising football, rugby, horseracing and boxing clients on regulatory, corruption and anti-doping matters. Andrew also spent six months working on the landmark inquests into the Hillsborough stadium disaster.

Steven Bainbridge

Steven Bainbridge is a partner and head of the sports law and events management practice at Al Tamimi & Co, the leading Middle East sports law practice representing foreign law firms, individuals, corporate entities, governing bodies and institutions on matters spanning motorsports, horseracing, triathlons, MMA, cycling, golf, tennis, cricket and football across 17 offices in nine countries.

Before establishing the sports practice at Al Tamimi, Steve was General Counsel at Yas Marina Circuit and previously practiced in Tokyo for a number of years representing clients in connection with matters including FIFA World Cups, X-Games, PGA tour sponsorships, videogame licensing, stadium naming rights and athlete endorsements. He is a member of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal, an editorial board member of Lawinsport.com, a regular presenter at industry conferences and a contributor to radio, television, print and online media; and, he has lectured in sports law programs at ISDE (Madrid), St John’s University’s Law School (NY) and Temple University Law School (Japan), amongst others.

Munir Suboh

Munir joined BSA in 2018 as a Partner and Head of the Intellectual Property Practice in our Dubai office. Practicing in the Middle East since 2006, he has worked on numerous contentious and non-contentious IP works including trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents, trade secrets and domain names. He also works on commercialisation and complex disputes of IP rights.

Over the years Munir has advised many high net worth clients on setting up regional strategies for the protection of their IP rights including prosecution, protection, transaction and enforcement. He represents a range of clients from various industry sectors including media, FMCG, tobacco, industrial, pharmaceuticals and many more.

His principal set of expertise encompasses negotiations, settlement mandates and litigation. He also has extensive experience in regulatory works and has experience in consulting clients on consumer protection, antitrust and competition law.

Munir has co-authored and published many articles in prestigious publications, such as the World Trademark- Anti-Counterfeiting Global Guide, INTA Bulletin, Bloomberg, World Trademark Review (WTR) and The International Law Office (ILO).

An active member in INTA who serves as a member in their committees, Munir holds an LL.B from the University of Jordan and an LL.M in Intellectual Property & Information Technology Laws from the University of San Francisco.

Edouard Salwain

Edouard is a Senior Associate in BSA Dubai office in the United Arab Emirates, specialising in corporate and commercial law. He provides practical and professional advice on contractual issues, corporate governance and compliance. His principal areas of practice are commercial law, local and cross-border M&A, distribution, franchising, agency and energy law.

Having practiced law in Oman, Paris and Beirut, Edouard has held positions in both in-house and private practice. Throughout his experience in multiple jurisdictions, he has acquired a thorough and solid experience in representing major banks, law firms, energy companies, and other business organisations across the world on a wide range of matters.

Edouard holds an LLB from Saint Joseph University of Beirut as well as a Masters in Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of Lyon III in France.