Sarah Malik

Sarah achieved ‘Litigator of the Year’ (2022) at the first GCC Women in Law Awards and received an honourable mention as ‘Law Firm Leader of the Year’ category at the same awards. In March 2022, SOL was named by Legal 500 EMEA as ‘A Firm to Watch in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation’.

Sarah was finalist at the First Middle East Blockchain Awards 2022 for ‘Most Influential Woman in Blockchain and Crypto’ in November 2022.

Sarah has been featured in the special edition of the UAE Managing Partners Report for two consecutive years published by LexisNexis for International Women’s Day.

Sarah is appointed to various boards regionally and internationally which include Advisory Committee for the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the Advisory Board for ThoughtsLeaders4 FIRE: Middle East Summit 2023, the Advisory Board for Juris Centre for Excellence in Legal Education and Training at Middlesex University, Dubai, and the DIFC Court Users’ Committee.

In March 2022, she was appointed to advise female tech startups in investment-readiness for She Wins Arabia, a joint initiative between International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

Sarah is the external General Counsel for Dan Holdings since 2019, a multinational technologies firm founded in Dubai in 2018 that invests in blockchain, technology, and green energy startups and has developed blockchain-powered products and services, including Telechat, CoinsApp and BlockFinex.

In August 2022, Sarah was appointed as the External General Counsel for Pixelated Apes, the largest  digital marketplace for crypto collectibles and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Sarah is well versed in negotiating multi-jurisdictional tech deals, SAFE Agreements, SAFT Agreements, and has advised a number of start-ups in the UAE. Sarah has a hands-on approach with the work she is involved in and is currently in communication with overseas regulators in respect of Crypto and Blockchain regulations.

Sarah is frequently invited to speak at conferences within the UAE, GCC and internationally including for ICC, CIArb and IBA.

In November 2023, Sarah will chair a panel for ThoughtsLeaders4  Middle East on ‘Metaverse Litigation: The New Age of Disputes in the Virtual World’.

In November 2023, Sarah will speak on ‘Litigating in and About the Metaverse’ at the IBA Conference 2023 in Paris.

In October 2023, Sarah is speaking on ‘AI and Tech in Disputes’ at the Inaugural Arbitration Day in Algiers.

Sarah spoke at the 7^th International Arbitration Conference: A New Era of Dispute Resolution in Africa on the topic ‘Keeping up with the moving face of technology in Arbitration: The Metaverse, AI, Blockchain and Fintech’ in Kenya in July 2023.

In June 2023, Sarah spoke on ‘Exploring the intersection of women in Web3 and blockchain through the lens of business and law’ in an event hosted by Bin Sevan Advocates & Legal Consultants and LexisNexis.

In May 2023, SOL International Ltd co-hosted and moderated an event at London International Disputes Week (LIDW) 2023 on the topic ‘Bridging the gap: UK and UAE’. Sarah also wrote an article, published by Bond Solon on ‘ChatGPT and the Law: Navigating the Legal Implications of Artificial Intelligence” for LIDW 2023.

Sarah delivered a course as part of the DIFC Professional Development Series on ‘The Metaverse and NFTs Uncovered’ in May 2023 and spoke at CIArb Qatar Conference and AGM on ‘The Use of AI in Arbitration’ in May 2023.

Sarah published an article for the Bombay Stock Exchange Brokers Forum on ‘Emotional and Artificial Intelligence in the Legal Sphere within its Global Insights’ in May 2023 and on ‘Regulation of Virtual Assets Dubai Law No 4/2022’ for LexisNexis Middle East in April 2023.

In March 2023, SOL co-hosted a seminar on ‘ChatGPT and AI in Law’ in collaboration with the DIFC Academy and delivered a course with Disruptive Focus on ‘NFT as Digital Property and Real Assets’.

In November 2022, Sarah spoke at the IBA Young Lawyer Training at the University of Miami on ‘Metaverse: Law and Technology’ and spoke at the Young IBA on ‘The changing landscape  in arbitration: new trends – how the metaverse fits into arbitration.’

In September 2022, SOL organised a webinar on ‘Smart Contracts, NFTs and the Metaverse: Use of Law in a New Virtual World’ in collaboration with 36 Commercial Chambers and  LexisNexis.

Sarah spoke at the 6th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration in Lagos in June 2022 on ‘Metaverse and Arbitration’.

Sarah undertakes commercial work at the DIFC and ADGM Courts often with multi-jurisdictional issues.

In addition to practice, Sarah trains various academies, arbitral institutions, and judiciary worldwide including AIFC, ADJD and DIFC. Sarah is a visiting lecturer on the LLM at Middlesex University, Dubai.

 

Nikita Vaidya

 Nikita Vaidya is a Managing Director at Ankura based in Dubai. She is focused on asset tracing and complex investigations.

Nikita has over 13 years of experience in forensics with specific focus on asset tracing, intelligence gathering, investigations, integrity and reputational due diligence, multijurisdictional asset tracing and recovery, dispute and litigation support, and other complex fraud investigations.

Prior to Ankura, Nikita held senior management roles in the forensic practice of a Big 4 in Dubai and India. She started her career in the investigations and transaction risk management function of Amazon in Germany and India. Throughout her career, Nikita has successfully led several assignments focused on intelligence gathering for due diligence and asset search and recovery support for international and middle eastern banks, sovereign wealth funds, multinational companies across various sectors, and government and semi-government clients.

James Tebbs

James Tebbs is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura based in Dubai, focused on risk, forensics, and compliance. He is an experienced forensic professional with over 20 years in professional practice in the UK and the Middle East.

James has extensive experience in advising clients on financial crime compliance having led the regional practice for one of the Big 4. He has advised major local and international banks, insurance firms and asset managers in all aspects of AML and broader financial crime matters from regulatory compliance to licensing and remediation.

In addition James’ practice covers fraud prevention, fraud detection, and investigation across a range of sectors including financial services, government, construction, family offices, telecoms, healthcare, real estate, media, hospitality, and oil and gas. Prior to joining Ankura, he held senior leadership roles in the forensic practices of two other global professional services firms in the Middle East.

 

Karl Masi

Karl Masi specialises in complex cross-border financial crime disputes and investigations, usually involving allegations of fraud, corruption and dishonesty.

 

Karl is a barrister with over ten years’ experience advising individuals and corporates on a broad range of financial services, regulatory and white collar crime issues. These include matters related to regulators within the UAE (DFSA and FSRA) and multi-jurisdictional matters involving foreign agencies (SFO, DOJ, SEC, BaFin, OFAC and the FCA). He is experienced in large investigations into bribery and corruption, fraud, money laundering, as well as advising individuals on extradition and INTERPOL related matters (including Red Notices).  Karl has particular knowledge of whistleblowing investigations ( for both the individual and corporate) as he was previously seconded for a year to the Global Investigations team of an international investment bank advising on whistleblowing cases.

Karl has also acted in relation to criminal confiscation, civil asset recovery and related enforcement proceedings.

Prior to joining the Dubai office, Karl worked in London for a boutique Tier 1 Financial Crime firm, prior to which he practised at the UK Bar for seven years during which he was instructed as junior counsel to a Barclays’ derivatives trader charged by the SFO with conspiracy to manipulate LIBOR, and instructed as part of the FCA investigation into global FX trading.

 

Max Davis

Max specialises in complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes involving claims of civil fraud and asset recovery for High-Net-Worth individuals, liquidators, and corporates. His practice has a particular focus on digital assets. He is part of the team acting for the Claimants in the landmark cryptocurrency case that is listed for appeal in the DIFC in January 2024.

He has litigated in the courts of the DIFC and ADGM in the Middle East, in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Privy Council in England, and as far afield as in the Cayman Islands, Tanzania and Singapore. He also has extensive experience of complex multi-party LCIA arbitrations.

Max is a founder member of the Middle East chapter of the Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery Group (CFAAR) and co-author of the UAE chapter of the Law Review’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Review. He regularly speaks and writes on all aspects of digital asset law and regulation across the Middle East.

Max is admitted to practise in England and Wales and before the courts of the DIFC and ADGM.

 

Caroline Greenwell

Caroline is a Partner in the commercial disputes and fraud team, who has substantial experience in complex, high profile and multijurisdictional disputes, and financial crime investigations.  The disputes she acts on typically involve breaches of contract and  misrepresentations, tortious / wrongful acts, civil fraud and asset tracing, and / or allegations of bribery and corruption; and regularly involve the need for injunctive relief which she has great experience in obtaining.

 

By way of illustration, Caroline defended corporate clients in the $9 billion AHAB / SAAD in which she was granted limited admission to the Cayman bar. She successfully defended a former employee of a multi-national oil company from high-profile allegations of bribery and corruption in Nigeria before the Milan Court of Appeal. She is currently acting for an individual in connection with the SFO’s prosecution of GPT and others involving allegations of bribery and corruption allegedly occurring in the contracts to supply telecommunications equipment to the Saudi Arabian National Guard. And she is bringing proceedings on behalf of liquidators of various companies against a bank for fraudulent trading in assisting a VAT carousel fraud in the carbon credit market.

 

Caroline is also one of the founding members of the network of fraud and asset recovering practitioners, ACROSS Fraud, and is a regular conference speaker and thought leadership author on issues of fraud, asset recovery, bribery and corruption.

Ben Jones

Ben Jones, Partner, Simmons & Simmons LLP 

Ben specializes in corporate restructuring and insolvency. His focus is on situations where businesses are distressed, providing strategic advice to boards and stakeholders.

Ben is a partner in our Restructuring and Special Situations team in London. He is experienced in advising in situations where companies are, or are likely to become, subject to formal insolvency proceedings, undertaking contingency planning and providing strategic advice to stakeholders, most recently in the airline, real estate and infrastructure sectors. He also has extensive experience in refinancings and distressed M&A.

Ben is named as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 and is a ranked lawyer in Chambers.

Chambers 2021 says: “Ben Jones is a true technician who has genuine expertise in cross-border restructurings and the offshore market. He is very quick to grasp the issues and find practical solutions. He’s a delight to deal with and very reassuring under pressure.” “He brings the same level of energy on issues whether small or big and he thinks about everything.”

Ben is a Fellow of INSOL International, a member of the International Insolvency Institute and IWIRC.