Ton van Doremalen

Partner, Head of Tax, Middle East | DLA Piper

Ton advises both local and international clients in relation to operating their businesses, cross-border investments and activities in a tax efficient and compliant manner.

Ton’s practice encompasses advice on cross-border tax structuring and tax advice relating to M&A transactions for clients such as Gulf-based corporates, sovereign wealth funds, private equity investors, high net worth individuals and family offices.

Ton also advises corporate clients from Europe, North America and Asia on their inbound Middle East inbound transactions and investments, projects and company set-ups.

From a local business perspective, Ton is involved in providing tax advice relating to the introduction of VAT in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

He has over 16 years of experience focusing on tax structuring involving jurisdictions such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the UK and the UAE.

William Reichert

Partner and Head of Corporate, Middle East at Charles Russell Speechlys

William has more than 20 years of experience advising on matters ranging from seed series investments for start-ups, to complex, multi-billion dollar matters across numerous jurisdictions. His experience includes advising on M&A, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital transactions, restructurings and compliance matters.

William’s client base is very diverse and includes local and international clients across a broad range of industry sectors with a particular focus on technology, healthcare, retail, energy and real estate. He is regularly invited to speak at industry and legal events related to these sectors and various other areas.

Prior to moving to the Middle East in 2015, William was based in Moscow, Russia for ten years where he was a founding partner and head of the office of a major international firm. During his tenure in Russia, William advised on some of the largest and most complex M&A, joint venture and private equity investments and transactions in the Russian market. His international experience also includes work in Brussels, Belgium and Paris, France.

William is a dual-qualified lawyer admitted in Minnesota, USA and as a Solicitor, England and Wales. He speaks English, Russian, French and Spanish.

Karie Akeelah

Partner, International Construction – Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Karie has over 15 years’ experience in the construction sector and specialises in contentious construction matters, international arbitration and Middle East law. 

Karie has been practicing in the UAE since 2008 and has established herself as a trusted adviser to a range of private and government clients in the MENA region and internationally in arbitration (DIAC, ADCCAC, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL), litigation (DIFC Courts), adjudication and mediation. Prior to moving to the UAE, Karie was a lawyer at a construction boutique firm in Ottawa, Canada. 

Karie regularly leads clients through disputes, as well as providing support to any contractual advisory and operational issues faced by clients, giving clients trusted advice from the cradle to grave. 

In recent years, Karie’s work has focused on resolving clients’ disputes in major engineering and infrastructure construction projects with complex issues. As project counsel, Karie works closely with clients to avoid or achieve early resolution of disputes through structured negotiation, mediation, risk management and contract compliance measures. 

Karie also has significant experience advising clients in matters before the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and has worked closely with local counsel advising clients in disputes before the Abu Dhabi Courts, including the Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation. Karie has developed an extensive knowledge and understanding of the UAE legal system and has been recognized in the dispute resolution section of The Legal 500 for the United Arab Emirates.  

The Legal 500 has quoted Karie being “intelligent, hardworking, and knowledgeable of the construction dispute process” and “commercially minded and laser-focused on the issues that matter. She is dedicated to her clients’ cause and really goes the extra mile to get the outcome they want”.

Karie speaks English, French and Arabic.

Professor Khawar Qureshi KC

Professor Khawar Qureshi KC has a worldwide practice from McNair International’s offices in London and Qatar. Khawar specialises in Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration and International Law. He is consistently identified as a leader in his fields of practice. He has undertaken arbitrations and litigation for and against commercial and State parties from more than 70 States, including representing the USA, Russian Federation, India, Pakistan and many other States. From 1999-2006 he was one of around 20 “A” Panel UK Govt Treasury Counsel advising and representing UK Government Ministers and institutions on hundreds of matters.

Professor Qureshi KC  was appointed a Visiting Professor in Commercial Law at London University in 2006, a Deputy High Court Judge (civil) in 2013, a Bencher of Middle Temple in 2014 and was Chairman of TheCityUK Legal Services Group from 2010-2015. (www.mcnairinternational.com)

Salman Al-Oraifi

Senior Associate, Dentons

Salman graduated from King Abdulaziz University majoring in law (with first class honours and was top of his class). He then obtained an LLM degree (with honours and Dean’s List) from Georgetown University. Salman joined  international law firm Dentons from a tier 1 practice, along with having international arbitration experience in Washington, DC.  Salman is a top-ranked litigator who has successfully represented both local and foreign corporates in some of the most high profile litigation and arbitration matters in Saudi Arabia. Salman also has training at previous firms in the United States where he experienced best practices in international arbitration for oil & gas disputes. Salman advises clients in wide range of industries in Saudi Arabia, providing them with litigation and arbitrations expertise in accordance with best practice.

Faten Al Naqeeb

Attorney Faten Al Naqeeb

Ms. Faten Al Naqeeb is recognised as one of the powerful and most influential women of the 200 powerful women in the world in Forbes magazine for the year 2014, ranking 44th worldwide, 11th in the Arab world, and 3rd in Kuwait. She is in the Top 100 Powerful Women in the Arab world for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 , 2016 , 2017 and 2018 in a raw according to Arabian Business Magazine, who also named her Businesswoman of the Year in 2013. Attorney Al Naqeeb’s firm, Al-Naqeeb & Partners, has been distinguished as an Enterprise Agility Achiever in the Legal Sector Awards: Entrepreneur of the Year. As such, she was recognised as one of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region’s achieving women by Entrepreneur Middle East.

In addition to publishing in 2015 the first edition of her book: The Legal Guide to Doing Business in Kuwait, for which she drew on her 30 years of experience as an international business law attorney, Ms. Al Naqeeb assisted/co-authored a chapter in Getting the Deal Through: Oil Regulations 2008–2009 for the Oil Sector in Kuwait with Law Business Research Ltd.

Attorney Al-Naqeeb earned her bachelor degree from the Faculty of Law at Kuwait University in 1987, and her Master’s degree in International Law from Cambridge College, She also holds a Diploma in International Contract Drafting and Negotiations from the University of London. And she recently attained an advanced certificate in International Money Laundry “AML” from ICA and University of Manchester. She is licensed in Kuwait as a practicing lawyer before the High Appeal, Cassation and Constitutional Courts in Kuwait since 1987. Ms. Al Naqeeb’s practice areas include general corporate, business, and commercial matters, IT, banking, insurance, and securities laws. Her experience extensively extends to mega infrastructure projects, project finance, and all aspects of the oil and gas industry. More prominently, she serves on a regular basis as an expert before the courts of the US, and many other countries on the laws of Arab countries including Kuwait’s laws; the laws of the GCC countries and other middle east countries. She was also invited to give her professional opinion at institutions such as, the International Court of Arbitration of the international Chamber of commerce (ICC), The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and many other International Arbitrations institutions around the world.

For these reasons and many more, Ms. Faten Al-Naqeeb was chosen to serve as legal consultant and head of the Kuwait legal group responsible for reviewing and submitting the Kuwaiti government compensation claims against Iraq to the United Nations Compensation Commission as a representative of the Kuwaiti government.

She has given numerous lectures and presentations on various aspects of the Kuwaiti laws in several Middle Eastern countries. She has also assisted in authoring articles and chapters in various international legal magazines on various issues relating to Kuwaiti & GCC laws. Ms. Alnaqeeb has given many lectures and workshops at the American university of Kuwait. Further, Ms. Al – Naqeeb speaks in the Women in leadership forums tackling the women in business issues from a legal perspective and in various women empowerment forums. She is also registered and an active mentor at the WMF Kuwait. Ms. AlNaqeeb recently authored and published a journal in Arabic with some of her own poetry titled as “ﻗﻠﺒﻲ ﻣﺎذا ﯾﻘﻮل ﻟﻲ “. “what my heart tells me” The purpose of this journal is to empower and encourage women to achieve their dreams and goals. The journal launched at many libraries and bookstores in Kuwait and the GCC with great success.

One of her imperative recognised efforts in Women empowerment Ms. Al Naqeeb worked with Kuwaiti parliament members and upon their request to draft a bill of law for protection of childhood and motherhood particularly in view of the international treaties among others the protection of women and child against domestic abuse. The draft of law was accepted and approved by the legislators in Kuwait (parliament).Ms. AL Naqeeb was awarded as one of the women leaders in Kuwait where her picture poster was hanged on the walls of “Shaheed Park” as a recognition of her achievements. Also, in her recognition as one of the influential Arab Women in 2018 by Arabian Business magazine, her picture was seen on Dubai Mall pillars in reward for her contribution & achievements. Ms. alnaqeeb made it to the history of Kuwait being awarded as one of the Kuwait women leaders and her bio and achievement was published in the Kuwait leaders book ( a publication sponsored by the Kuwait government). Ms. Al Naqeeb is also considered as one of the first female attorneys who serves as independent Board member in various large corporations in Kuwait. She is currently residing in Kuwait where she oversights her law firm’s Intentional & local practice.