Olivia Darlington

Olivia joined Clyde & Co’s Dubai office as a partner in the insurance team in April 2023, having spent three years in the UAE with another international law firm.  With a comprehensive understanding of the insurance sector, Olivia possesses a broad range of expertise in handling contentious insurance matters, with particular specialisation in the areas of professional indemnity, financial institutions and directors and officers’ liability, and leading the firm’s MENA cyber insurance practice. Olivia has a deep understanding of the local laws, regulations and practices relating to these specific areas of insurance in the MENA region and regularly presents on these topics. Olivia is also co-chair of the Dubai Sustainable Finance Diversity & Inclusion sub-working group.

Naser Hashem

Naser Hashem is an Associate based in our UAE and KSA offices. Naser has also worked on international disputes in our London office. By combining international best-practice with his local knowledge, he regularly advises on contentious and non-contentious matters across the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Naser is an LLM graduate from Queen Mary, University of London, and also holds a degree in business administration from the University of Miami. Naser is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales.

Keith Hutchison

Keith is recognised as a prominent dispute resolution lawyer in the UAE, with over 16 years’ experience with Clyde & Co in the region.

His expertise encompasses a wide range of commercial dispute resolution matters, with a particular focus on claims involving banking/finance and investment, insolvency and restructuring, fraud, asset recovery and enforcement. Keith has acted on many significant cases before the DIFC Courts (where he has rights to appear as counsel) and the ADGM Courts, including actions for substantive relief and interim remedies (e.g. freezing orders and other forms of injunction). He also has extensive experience acting in arbitration under various institutional rules. He regularly advises on issues under DIFC law, UAE law and ADGM law

In addition to his core dispute resolution work, Keith leads Clyde & Co’s renowned MEA Debt Recovery Unit acting for major trade credit insurers, export credit agencies, as well as regional and international corporations. The practice offers a comprehensive range of recovery services, including pre-action resolution of debt claims through to litigation or alternative dispute resolution.

William Prasifka

William is a barrister with a practice focusing on arbitration as well as litigation before the DIFC and ADGM Courts. He has represented major financial institutions, media and technology companies and various firms operating in the energy and marine sector. William acts as an advocate in complex international arbitrations, freezing injunctions and a variety of commercial disputes. Having been based in Dubai over three years, he has a thorough knowledge of the freezone courts and their integration into the UAE’s legal system.

William holds a degree in history from Columbia University and a law degree from the University of Cambridge. He is called to the bar of England and Wales.

Nicola Kneizeh

Nicola Kneizeh, Associate, Clyde & Co

Nicola is an Associate in the Dispute Resolution Group at Clyde & Co’s Dubai office. Nicola advises clients on contentious and non-contentious commercial matters in the MENA region.

Nicola has an extensive experience in handling commercial litigation disputes before the local courts in the MEAN region including but not limited disputes arising out of commercial contracts, maritime and shipping ventures, international trade contracts, insurance and reinsurance, and real estate.

Nicola’s experience extends to include advising on disputes involving bankruptcy. He also advises on disputes involving enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitration award in the MENA region.

Nicola is fluent in English and Arabic.

Sherif Maher

Sherif is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Group at Clyde & Co’s Dubai office and Cairo office. He divides his time between the two offices.

Sherif advises both local and international clients on commercial contentious matters across the MENA region. He handles a wide range of commercial dispute resolution work with focus on advising clients in commercial litigation before the local courts in the MENA region. He further advises multinational corporations and government-owned entities in international commercial arbitrations under a variety of rules including those of the CRCICA, DIAC and ICC with a focus on arbitrations involving interests in
the Middle East. He has a strong expertise on regional laws and procedures.

Sherif has extensive experience in complex, high value local and international disputes and his practice primarily focuses on resolving Middle East disputes arising out of commercial agreements (e.g. commercial agencies, sale of goods and services agreements, real estate and lease agreements, joint venture and partnership agreements and management contracts). In addition, he advises regularly on disputes involving the enforcement of judgment and arbitration awards, debt recovery and bankruptcy.

Sherif lived in Paris, London, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Cairo. He is fluent in English, Arabic and French.

Lily Hurley

Lily Hurley, Associate, Stephenson Harwood. 

Lily is an associate within the private wealth team based in our Dubai office. She specialises in advising on all aspects of international wealth structuring and succession and tax planning for high-net worth individuals and families, family offices and trustees.

Her expertise spans a wide spectrum of private wealth matters, including the preparation of English wills, DIFC Wills and Abu Dhabi wills, as well as designing family and charitable trust and foundation structures (specifically focussing on DIFC and ADGM) for succession planning purposes and tax efficiency. This involves collaborating with advisors from various jurisdictions to deliver comprehensive solutions for clients seeking succession planning guidance, including drafting of the constitutional documents, guidance memorandums and family charters.

Additionally, Lily advises on UK tax matters, particularly concerning investments in UK real estate, and UAE corporate tax in relation to both private and corporate structures. Drawing from her experience, Lily also advises executors and trustees on the administration of English and cross-border estates.

Alastair Glover

Alastair Glover, Partner, Stephenson Harwood. 

Alastair Glover is a Dubai-based partner and leads Stephenson Harwood’s Middle East private wealth practice. He advises high-net worth individuals and families, family offices and trustees on global estate planning, tax efficient investment structures, assets protection (including prenuptial agreements) and philanthropy.

He has significant experience in international succession planning including regional and international trust and foundation structures, tax advice, immigration and family governance. Alastair also advises on the use of trusts and foundations in commercial transactions and on employee benefit and pension schemes in the UAE.

Alastair’s prominent reputation in the market is reflected through him being ranked as a Band 1 “Leading Individual” for Private Wealth Law by Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide 2023, where clients praise him for being “astute, commercial, and creating very good working relationships, with a deep knowledge of UAE and international matters.”

Alastair is also the technical director for the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP) Arabia and a member of the International Academy of Trusts and Estates Lawyers.