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.

Raya Al Harthy

Associate, trowers & hamlins, Oman

Raya Al Harthy is an Associate at Kamilia Al Busaidy and Abdullah Al Barwani Law Firm – Trowers and Hamlins’ local affiliate office – in the International Dispute Resolution and Litigation Team, through which the firm provides local and international clients with advocacy services in Omani courts.

Prior to joining trowers & hamlins, Raya was an associate in the International Litigation Department at Curtis, Mallet Prevost Colt and Mosle LLP in their Oman office, where she was involved in high quantum and complex local and international commercial and construction litigation and arbitration.

Raya has acted on behalf of a wide range of clients including: Employers, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. Raya has extensive knowledge on procedural aspects of ad hoc arbitrations, settlement of disputes involving court proceedings and mediation. Raya also has experience in ICC arbitrations (ICC, UNCITRAL) in both Arabic and English language and is actively involved in drafting submissions, enforcement of awards and in nullity applications against local and international awards.

Raya was also an advocate before the Omani courts for 6 years prior to moving to the firm’s Dubai office. During that time, Raya gained extensive insight into local court proceedings. Raya’s areas of experience include commercial, contentious construction and employment.

 

Naif Khalid Hummed Al Quary

Executive Director of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm, Oman

Naif Khalid Humeed Al Quary is a lawyer and employment law specialist based in Muscat.

Presently he is working as the Executive Director of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm. After graduating, Naif was trained under the law firm of Dr. Salim Al Shukeili. Thereafter, he worked with the Ministry of Man Power as a legal Inspector and was promoted to the designation of Inspector Counsellor to deal with the labour disputes, after 3 years of service.

He later joined Muhammed Ibrahim Law Firm as Advocate and Executive Director in the year 2010. In the year 2011 he went to Australia to study in La Trobe University, Melbourne. Then he moved to United Kingdom and pursued LLM from University of East Anglia in Employment Law.

Naif is an expert in employment law, specifically in the area related to unfair dismissal and redundancy. He regularly gives radio talks to the public at large through the Oman radio and TV. He has attended several numbers of International Conferences globally. His profile includes handling highly complicated employment disputes, dealing with both national and international clients, actively participating in resolving labour union registered disputes for various companies etc.

Paul Sheridan

Chairman, Omani-British Lawyers Association (OBLA) & Partner, S & A Law Firm

PAUL SHERIDAN specialises in corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and disputes. His practice is wide-ranging and extends to most aspects of the business world in the region.

He has practiced in, or been involved with, the Gulf region and Turkey since 1983. Paul’s client base includes the Oman Government, multi-nationals in many sectors (including energy, infrastructure, hospitality, leisure/sport, telecommunications, and transport), private equity, investment and sovereign wealth funds, and companies listed on the Muscat Securities Market and many family-owned trading groups in Oman and Turkey. Paul is the Founder and current Chairman of the Omani British Lawyers Association, Founder and an honorary lifetime member of the British Turkish Lawyer Association and Advisor to the Board of Oman Cricket.

Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al–Zadjali

Chairman of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm, Sultanate of Oman

Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-ZADJALI is an Omani national who is the Chairman of Mohammed
Ibrahim Law Firm. He has master’s degree in law and PhD in Criminal Law from Egypt.

He has many years of experience in the legal field. He speaks fluent Arabic and English. He is
conversant in Corporate, Civil, Labour, Intellectual Property, Real Estate and Criminal Laws of
Oman. In the course of practice, he has dealt with mainly Criminal, Civil, Family and Sharia
matters.

He was elected as President of Omani Lawyer’s Association in Muscat in the year 2014. He was elected as a Council Member to Majlis Al Shura in 2015.