Jalal El Ahdab

Jalal’s practice covers international business law, notably in Europe, Africa and the MENA region, focusing on international disputes and foreign investments. Having acted as a counsel, arbitrator and expert in approximately 100 cases, Jalal has in-depth experience in managing complex disputes involving shareholders’ rights, suits against States, class actions, breach of negotiations and bank guarantees. His sector experience includes work for high-profile clients in commodities trade, telecoms, ports, airports, construction, life sciences, sports and more.

In addition to being a regular speaker at international arbitration conferences, Jalal is also the author of numerous articles in the professional legal journals and the co-author of ‘Arbitration with the Arab Countries’ (published by Kluwer in 2011), and managing editor of the International Journal of Arab Arbitration (available on Kluweronline.com). In 2020, Jalal will publish a book on Arbitration Law in France, written jointly with Professor Daniel Mainguy and published by LexisNexis.

Today, Jalal is Lebanon’s UNCITRAL representative and a member of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC. He also chairs the European Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is the vice-chair of the IBA Arab Regional Forum. Jalal is a lecturer in arbitration law at Versailles University and Sciences Po Paris (IEP).

Jalal is qualified to practice in Beirut, Paris and New York, and am equally fluent in Arabic, English and French.

Prof. Dr Nayla Comair-Obeid

Prof. Dr. Nayla Comair-Obeid is the Founding Partner of Obeid Law Firm, a Professor of Law at the Lebanese University and author of The Law of Business Contracts in the Middle East. She is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Executive Board ; Companion of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb); member of China’s International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People’s Court; member of the LCIA Court in London, and Trustee of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration Board of Trustees (CRCICA). She also sits on the ICSID panel of arbitrators and conciliators and is a member of World Business Law of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris. Prof. Comair-Obeid has acted as the President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) (2017) and was a former Chair of the Institute’s Board of Trustees. She is also a former vice chair of the arbitration committee in the International Bar Association and former commissioner of the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) in Geneva.

Prof. Comair-Obeid has been actively involved in more than 100 domestic and international arbitrations as party-appointed arbitrator, chairperson, sole arbitrator, counsel, and expert in various parts of the world in ad hoc arbitrations and under the Rules of the ICSID, ICC, LCIA, SIAC, DIAC, CRCICA, BCDR, DIFC-LCIA, UNCITRAL, etc.

Adv. Ali Ismael Al Zarooni

Managing Partner of Horizons & Co Law Firm, United Arab Emirates

Adv. Ali is the founder and managing partner of Horizons & Co law firm. He is a highly accomplished and meticulous lawyer, having practiced law for 20 years. His area of specialisation is primarily litigation and arbitration with a proven track record of success in dispute matters.

He has represented some of the most prominent companies, establishments and individuals before all levels of courts and various arbitration tribunals. He is a qualified arbitrator registered with Dubai International Arbitration Centre and is licensed as a Private Notary Public by the Dubai Courts.

Adv. Ali has represented clients before public prosecutions, police stations, rent committees, conciliation committees and every level of court in the UAE, across all areas of litigation. He also has a long track record in ratification and nullification of arbitration awards before courts. In addition to private individuals, Adv. Ali has represented several prominent companies in complex arbitration matters.

He has acted as local co-counsel in many such matters before various arbitration tribunals in the UAE and is an expert in negotiations. Numerous settlements on behalf of his corporate and individual clients bear testimony to a respected ability to influence the resolution of disputes in an amicable yet successful manner.

Victor P. Leginsky

Victor Leginsky is a Chartered Arbitrator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is certified as a mediator through the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (London) [CEDR] and works frequently in respect of mediation with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (London) [RICS] and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.  He holds a JD (Juris Doctor) degree and a B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education), both from Canada.  He has served as Arbitrator in over 90 cases, conducting both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations, and has conducted construction-related mediation.  He confines his practice to that of a neutral (arbitrator / mediator), largely in construction and energy-related disputes.  He is immediate past MENA Chapter Director of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN).

Victor is resident of and has been working in the Middle East for 12 years.  He is Regional Pathway Leader for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and teaches Award Writing.  He lectures frequently on dispute resolution in construction, oil and gas and general dispute resolution matters.

Dr. Damilola Olawuyi

Dr. Olawuyi is an international energy Lawyer, an accredited arbitrator, eminent academic and a leading expert in the fields of natural resources, energy and environmental law in the GCC and the MENA region.

Dr. Olawuyi has published several peer-reviewed articles, books, and reports on energy finance, energy infrastructure projects, and local content requirements. His most recent publication is The Human Rights-Based Approach to Carbon Finance (Cambridge University Press, 2016). He has lectured on energy and environmental law in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Dr. Olawuyi has previously worked as an energy lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Calgary, Alberta

Dr. Olawuyi is among the first to have clarified and compiled how local content policies have evolved in petroleum contracts in the GCC and the MENA region, therefore providing a risk analysis and assessment tool for oil and gas companies in the region.

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.