Litigating in the Middle East

Abdulredha Al Lawati

Abdul Redha Haider Advocacy & Counsels

Ahmad Alshorbagy

Al Yaqout and Al Fouzan Legal Group

Angelika Hellweger

Rahman Ravelli

Arno Janssens

Legal Counsel at Abu Dhabi International Arbitration Centre

Arno Janssens serves as Legal Counsel at the Abu Dhabi International Arbitration Centre and as UAE National Representative at the IBA Young Lawyers' Committee. He is qualified as an attorney in the State of New York and is recognized for his expertise in international arbitration and public international law. Prior to joining the Centre, Arno acted as tribunal secretary and counsel in complex international arbitrations under a wide variety of rules. He regularly publishes on developments in international law and international dispute resolution, and serves as Assistant Editor for the MENA region at Kluwer Arbitration Blog. In addition, Arno is active in emergency relief projects with a particular focus on the Horn of Africa. He is the former Chairman of the Al Hasanaat Foundation and took part in several humanitarian missions across the Horn. He has published extensively on the triggers and drivers of conflict and displacement in the region.

Ben Sigler

Stephenson Harwood

Chrysostomos Nicolaou

Patrikios Pavlou & Associates LLC

Claudia El Hage

Al Marri & El Hage Law Offices

Hend Al Mehairi

Karim Nassif

Nassif Arbitration

Mahmood Hussain

Founding Partner at M&CO Legal

Dr. Mahmood Hussain is the Founding Partner at M&CO Legal with over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He is a professor at the University of East Anglia, UK, teaching UAE Sharia law – Islamic Arbitration, and at Pantheon-Assas University Paris II, where he educates students on UAE Labour and Employment law. His expertise in the telecommunications sector includes chairing a Tribunal in a dispute involving a telecommunications regulatory body. As a litigator at Dubai Courts, Dr. Mahmood has achieved many favorable judgments in high-profile cases, and he is recognized for his effective representation of complex legal issues. Dr. Mahmood is a Part II registered practitioner at the DIFC Courts and has the rights of audience before the Federal Supreme Court of UAE. He has been acknowledged by The Legal 500 for his standout litigation skills and strategic approach. He has acted in over 50 international arbitration proceedings under various rules and is accredited by DIAC and ADCCAC. Recently, he joined the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) Roster as an Arbitrator. Dr. Mahmood is a member and current Chair of the ICC-UAE Commission in Arbitration and ADR and a member of the ICC Commission in Paris on Arbitration and ADR. He played a key role in establishing the DIFC Courts, serving as its first Deputy Registrar. He has been involved in significant committees, including the Special Committee for the Rehabilitation and Compensation of former Camel Jockeys and the DIFC Courts Working Group for the DIFC Courts Code of Conduct Complaints Regime. Additionally, he has held board positions, such as being a Board Member of CBC TV Station, Egypt.