People Archive - Page 35 of 40 - LexisNexis Middle East

Cheryl Cairns

06/11/2018
by Benjamin Filaferro

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 advises clients (both claimants and respondents) in relation to construction dispute resolution, which includes amicable settlement assistance, drafting settlements agreements, mediation, dispute resolution 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.

Naif Khalid Humaid Sulaiman Al Qari

06/11/201826/02/2020
by Benjamin Filaferro

Executive Director at Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm, Sultanate of Oman

Naif Khalid Humaid Al Qari is a lawyer and employment law specialist based in Muscat.

Presently he is working as the Executive Director of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm. After passing graduation, 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 an Inspector Counsellor to deal with the labour disputes, after 3 years of service.

He later joined Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm as Advocate and Executive Director in the year 2010. In the year 2011 he went to Australlia 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, and especially the area related to unfair dismissal and redundancy. He is regularly gives radio talks at 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.

Abdulziz Alrashdi

06/11/201806/11/2018
by Benjamin Filaferro

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.

Ouarda El Ghannouti

25/10/2018
by Benjamin Filaferro

Senior Associate Aurifer Middle East Tax Consultancy.

Ouarda El Ghannouti is a tax expert with 5 years of experience in tax policy advisory at the Ministry of Finance in the Netherlands and government representation to the EU. She has provided technical support and policy advice to the Dutch State Secretary for Finance and the Minister of Finance on indirect tax policy issues (VAT and real estate transfer tax). She was also responsible for the preparation and writing of tax policy and legislation.

As a tax consultant, she is currently providing tax advice and assistance to companies from diverse sectors and with international operations.

Ouarda holds a bachelor and master degree in Fiscal Economy from the Erasmus University Rotterdam and a Post-Master Indirect Taxation, from the same university. She has been working combining her knowledge in both fields working for the Dutch Ministry of Finance and working with the European institutions.

Laurent Bertin

25/10/201825/10/2018
by Benjamin Filaferro

Adviser Aurifer Middle East Tax Consultancy.

Laurent Bertin is a tax lawyer with more than six years of experience, including two years in the VAT department of a renowned French law firm, followed by four years in the group tax team of a multinational French CAC 40 company dealing with national and international tax matters.

Early 2018 he joined Aurifer and has been assisting businesses in the GCC with their intentional taxation issues and the implementation of VAT.

Laurent holds the Paris Bar certificate, possess a LL.M from McGill University, and a Master in Tax Law from Paris II University.

Thomas Vanhee

25/10/201831/08/2020
by Benjamin Filaferro

Founding Partner Aurifer Middle East Tax Consultancy

In Thomas’s tax career spanning more than a decade, prior to coming to the Gulf, he has worked at tier 1 tax law firms in Brussels and Paris. He provides high quality and innovative tax advice to clients.

He has been involved in several high profile deals and has worked for blue chip and quoted companies and institutions in various sectors (financial sector, real estate sector, retail, manufacturing and the public sector).

In recent years he was heavily involved in European tax policy projects, as well as in projects with several European governments. Thomas also played a key role in drafting the current Saudi Arabia VAT Law.

Thomas teaches VAT in the first Tax LL.M in the Gulf at Paris Sorbonne Abu Dhabi. He also joined his former university, the renowned Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, in teaching an introductory course on tax law to master students. He publishes regularly in international books and tax technical magazines and is a regular speaker at international events.

Thomas holds a law degree of the Catholic University of Leuven (cum laude) and a tax masters degree of Solvay Business School (magna cum laude). He is hands-on, proactive and combines an extensive technical skill set with a sound understanding of what makes businesses tick.

Guillaume Deroubaix

04/10/201809/11/2020
by Madelein Du Plessis

Mr. Deroubaix holds a Master degree in private law, a master degree of International Business and a Post graduate in International Business law.

He has been editorial Director for more than 7 years at LexisNexis before becoming a member of the LexisNexis executive committee, Business Development Director for EMEA and Managing Director Middle East & North Africa since 2014.

Mr. Deroubaix is also a member of La conference des presidents, is president of the Groupe Droit/ Edition juridique et fiscal and created the Paris Mena Legal Club Association.

Finally, Mr. Deroubaix is a professor at the prestigious University Panthéon-Assas (Paris II).

Leonora Riesenburg

04/10/201820/02/2020
by Madelein Du Plessis

Chair of the UAE Branch for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

Leonora Riesenburg is an International Arbitrator and Commercial Mediator, registered with arbitral institutions worldwide including AIAC, CRCICA, DIAC, DIFC-LCIA, EMAC, ICC and LCIA, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the presiding Chair of the UAE Branch of the CIArb and an Independent Member of Board of Management of the CIArb. Dual qualified from the UK as a barrister and a solicitor, Ms. Riesenburg has been in the MENA region since 2007.

She is invested in the advancement of private dispute resolution in all of its forms; including through strategic collaborations, and education and training initiatives. Recognised as a leading female figurehead, Ms. Riesenburg’s professional contributions are marked by many prestigious awards and honorary roles. She is celebrated as ‘Outstanding Woman of the Year’ amongst the international arbitrators and engineering experts community in the UAE (IAEE UAE 2019), ‘Most Influential Woman in ADR in the Middle East’ by Acquisition International Legal Awards 2019, ‘Mediator of the Year in the UAE’ by Acquisition International Dispute Resolution Awards 2018, ‘Arbitrator of the Year in the UAE’ by Acquisition International Dispute Resolution Awards 2017.

Benoit Le Bars

26/09/201826/09/2018
by Madelein Du Plessis

Benoit Le Bars, co-founder and Managing Partner of Lazareff Le Bars, is a recognized expert in international arbitration, with respect to institutional and ad hoc arbitral proceedings, international dispute resolution, and disputes in Africa. His practice focuses principally on commercial and investment arbitration involving complex trade relationships between businesses, investors and States, and spans a broad range of jurisdictions and arbitral institutions (more than 70 countries to date).

In addition to his work as counsel, Benoit is often appointed as arbitrator and has extensive experience in arbitral forums worldwide.

PhD in private law, Benoit Le Bars is also a Professor of law in the United States and in France.

His international arbitration expertise is recognized in leading international legal directories, including Chambers, Legal 500.

Benoit speaks French, English, Spanish and Russian and is a citizen of France.

Gary Born

25/09/201824/10/2022
by Madelein Du Plessis

Chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

Gary Born, Chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, is one of the world’s preeminent authorities on international commercial arbitration and international litigation. He has served as counsel in over 650 arbitrations, including several of the most prominent arbitrations in ICC and ad hoc history. He has sat as an arbitrator in over 200 institutional and ad hoc arbitrations.

Mr Born is the President of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Court of Arbitration and serves in an advisory capacity in other institutions worldwide.

He is a member of the American Law Institute and the Board of Trustees of the British Institute for International and Comparative Law. He has served on the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law, the Advisory Committee of the ALI’s Restatement of US International Arbitration Law, the Advisory Committee of the ALI Restatement of US Foreign Relation Law (Fourth) and as co-chair of the ABA International Section, Committee on International Aspects of Litigation.