Sami Ben Dechiche, Managing Associate
Sami is a New York Bar qualified lawyer with over nine years’ experience in investment funds spent in Europe and the Middle East. He advises on fund structuring, including the drafting of funds relevant documentation such as private placement memoranda and limited partnership agreements, as well as on investments by private and institutional investors into regulated investment structures.
Matthias Ng, Associate
Matthias has a broad experience advising a variety of financial institutions on DIFC, ADGM and “Onshore UAE” regulatory issues, including banking, market infrastructure and payments related matters. Given the growth of the region’s virtual asset sector, he has also assisted a range of virtual asset service providers, such as exchanges, brokers and wallet providers, with navigating the complex virtual asset regulatory space in the UAE and across the GCC.
Nina Fischer, Supervising Associate
Nina specialises in advising leading global asset managers on the provision of cross-border financial services across the GCC as well as advising on general UAE regulatory matters. In particular, her practice focuses on offering an integrated approach throughout the whole lifespan of investment funds, for example, from initial structuring advice, to fund formation, advising on fund raising activities and providing ongoing support throughout the life of the fund. She brings a diverse range of previous experience to Simmons’ Financial Markets team which goes beyond pure financial regulation and adds to the breadth of advice the team can provide.
Adam Wolstenholme, Managing Associate
Adam specialises in advising clients on complex international, cross-border and sensitive areas of law, with a particular emphasis on financial crime and financial services regulatory matters. He has gained a strong background in the local and regional framework and practicalities that are vital to understanding the international and domestic sensitivities in the Middle East. He provides current and pragmatic advice on the region’s anti-money laundering legislation, boycott provisions, anti-bribery legislation, and sanctions regimes. In addition, Adam is regularly instructed to advise both local and international clients on the effects of the recent amendments to the UAE Penal Code and Human Resources Law and how they impact the anti-bribery framework in the UAE.
Muneer Khan, Regional Head, Partner
Muneer heads Simmons & Simmons’ award-winning Middle East financial markets and services regulatory practice, in addition to our international Islamic finance practice. He is also a member of our international FinTech team. He specialises in financial services regulatory matters and advises both regional and international financial institutions and asset management groups on a wide range of regulatory and transactional matters. In particular, Muneer helps international banks and asset management firms to navigate complex cross-border regulatory issues relating to the provision of financial services, including structuring and licensing issues, across the Middle East and the wider regions. Muneer also has significant experience and has recognised expertise in structuring a wide range of complex and innovative funds, financial products and services.
PETER SMITH
Legal Director | Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
Peter is a Legal Director at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP based in the firm’s Dubai office.
Peter is barrister with experience of a wide range of civil and commercial disputes and sectors, including
arbitration, banking and finance, company, employment, insurance, insolvency, media, real estate, technology
and construction, and professional negligence.
In the Legal 500 (UAE Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation), Peter was recommended as a
‘Rising Star’ in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 and was described as “notable” in 2019. He was included in the
inaugural Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist Middle East in 2022 and again in 2023.
Peter is admitted to practise in England and Wales (barrister), Dubai International Financial Centre (Part 1 and
Part 2 registered), and the Emirate of Dubai. He has appeared before the ADGM Court of First Instance and has
rights of audience at the Astana International Financial Centre Court (2019).
Forensic Practice Leader (BDO in UAE and KSA)
Aakash is the Forensic Practice Leader for BDO in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Aakash has over 15 years of experience across India and USA assisting leading organizations across industries/sectors to help prevent, detect, and respond to fraud and integrity breakdowns.
Starting his career with a Big 4 firm in India, he has spent over 8 years in New York as part of forensic practice at a Big 4 firm, which included assisting organizations/law firms on fraud and misconduct matters and related reporting to the regulatory and law enforcement agencies and helping organizations with their fraud prevention programs. He has led and managed many large cross-border investigations, including having done investigations on the ground in India, USA, Oman, KSA, UAE, Qatar, Nigeria, Malaysia, South Korea, and Brazil.
Aakash has overseen the recovery and review of digital evidence with data privacy considerations, including use of the same in court proceedings and is an experienced fraud interviewer. He has helped multiple organizations in assessing and enhancing their overall anti-fraud programs and controls. He has also assisted organizations in assessing and augmenting ethics and compliance programs with a focus on financial services and life sciences sectors. Aakash has also led numerous forensic audits across India and UAE, including some on behalf of banks and regulators.
Aakash regularly speaks at conferences on the topics of anti-fraud and compliance, including role and importance of internal audit and compliance function.
Alishia K. Sullivan, Partner, Lewis & Bockius LLP (Dubai, UAE)
Since 2008, Alishia K. Sullivan has been a resident in the United Arab Emirates where she advises pension
funds, sovereign wealth funds and other institutional investors in connection with their global investment
activities across asset classes and regional and global investment managers in connection with fund formation
and management in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC).
Alishia advises institutional investors, focusing primarily on investments in private funds, including leveraged
buyout, hedge, infrastructure and real estate funds, and direct and co-investments.
She routinely drafts and negotiates the terms of limited partnership agreements, side letters, subscription
agreements, and investment management and advisory agreements in relation to private equity, infrastructure,
real estate, credit, venture capital and hedge funds, side cars, and co-investments. Alishia has negotiated
numerous separately managed accounts on behalf of institutional investors, including discretionary managed
accounts with investment strategies that extend to multiple asset classes and multiple managers. She also has
experience in advising clients on structuring and maintaining their investment subsidiary platforms and
negotiating bespoke investment advisory arrangements. Alishia advises clients on operational matters, including
market opening documents worldwide (with the assistance of local counsel as needed), custody agreements,
securities lending agreements, and non-disclosure agreements.
Alishia is a former member of the board of directors of two non-profit organizations whose missions focus on
the care, empowerment, and education of women and children.
Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Alishia was a partner at another global law firm. She previously worked as inhouse
counsel for a state-owned petroleum company in the Middle East and was a member of the global
projects group of the Washington, DC, office of an international law firm.
Adnan Al Noorani, Chairman of the Board of Leo Investments
Adnan Al Noorani is the founder of the Future Innovation Summit and the Chairman of the Board of Leo Investments, D1 Technologies, Apollo Management and H2H General Trading.
He found D1 Technologies, which is focused on bringing together the best and most innovative the solutions for any kind of business, including sustainable blockchain and supply chain solutions and the Metaverse.
In October 2021 he launched one of the largest semi- government conferences and exhibitions called the Future Innovation Summit. Its core idea is to build strong bridges without barriers between the Government and Private sector entities.
With 19+ years of experience, Adnan Al Noorani has been working with Royal Families of the UAE. His primary expertise is Government Market, UAE Law, Finance, Investments and Business in the GCC region.
The real Sarah Malik is a mum, a business owner, a fun loving individual who enjoys travel, gym, fashion, dining, socializing. She has a renowned international network, celebrates life and has a great set of people around her… women, men, different ages, nationalities, backgrounds, beliefs. Embracing equity is personal and professional to her.
Her journey starts with authenticity.