We advise and act for a wide range of clients from individuals, through to corporates, financial institutions and governments.

Our commercial approach to dispute resolution reflects a practical understanding of our clients' business problems.

We sit on the DIFC Court Users Committee and were the first law firm to be registered to issue and conduct proceedings before the DIFC Courts.

Regulatory, Investigations and Sanctions

We advise and act on issues arising out of the regulation of the banking, securities, insurance and financial markets. We undertake regulatory investigations and advise on enforcement action, searches and seizures. We advise on anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance. We make it our business to get to know the regulators across the region.

Fraud and Asset Tracing

We advise in relation to fraudulent or other criminal activity within the commercial and financial industry sectors (including employee fraud). We have extensive experience of asset tracing and recovery of proceeds by civil and/or criminal action.

We work swiftly and decisively to protect your interests and advise you what to do during the first crucial hours and days following the discovery of a fraud. We are contactable 24 hours a day.

Banking and Financial Litigation

We advise investment and retail banks, brokers, fund managers, exchanges, financial services business and corporations on disputes that arise in the banking and financial sector.

International Arbitration

We advise on complex disputes arising out of commercial contracts, major infrastructure and construction projects, supply contracts, corporate acquisitions, joint ventures and investment agreements under all the major procedural rules including ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, Dubai Chamber of Commerce/Dubai International Arbitration Centre and the GCC Arbitration Centre in Bahrain.

We are part of the Firm's International Arbitration Group and have lawyers who are members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Corporate/General Commercial

We also regularly act in claims and disputes involving breach of contract, misrepresentation, breach of warranty, joint ventures, commercial agency, directors' duties, minority rights and shareholders.

Examples of some of our recent experience is set out below:

• Regulatory and Sanctions - advising a large European Bank in connection with a worldwide cross-border regulatory investigation involving alleged breaches of US Law and Sanctions. This was the first major regulatory investigation undertaken by the UAE Central Bank and required a coordinated investigation and response to regulators in three separate jurisdictions.
• Investigations: Kuwait/London - assisting an investment bank with an internal investigation involving allegations of employee fraud including conducting employee interviews.
• Dubai International Financial Centre - advising a worldwide security company in relation to an internal investigation involving allegations of breach of data protection legislation, criminal conduct by employees, the company’s regulatory obligations within the DIFC and liaising with the DFSA, the regulator of the DIFC.
• Fraud, Asset Tracing and Anti-Money Laundering - advising a Mauritian bank in connection with the largest fraud in Mauritian banking history. We are assisting Mauritian counsel with a claim for fraudulent misappropriation of bank monies in Mauritius against 38 defendants, bringing related proceedings against Guarantors in England, defending a claim brought by reinsurers against the bank before the English Courts, tracing fraudulently misappropriated funds in five separate jurisdictions and liaising with the criminal authorities in three jurisdictions in relation to money laundering proceedings against the alleged beneficiaries of the fraud.
• Banking and Financial Litigation: Abu Dhabi - acting for an international investment bank in the defence of a multi million dollar claim brought by several customers in relation to alleged trading losses.
• Bahrain/Iraq - assisting an investment bank with the reconciliation of judgments for US$100 million obtained against the Government of Iraq and filing the necessary legal documentation before the English Courts to secure payment of the settlement monies.
• International Arbitration: Jordan/London - Representing a Middle East based pharmaceutical company in a multi-million dollar ICC Arbitration concerning a joint venture dispute involving the collection and consideration of witness evidence in five separate jurisdictions and expert evidence in London and Jordan, and preparation for the arbitration hearing in London.
• Dubai/United States - Advising a US Contractor in a Dubai based UNCITRAL Arbitration relating to the design of a theme park and assisting with the subsequent attempted enforcement of the US$25 million arbitration award obtained in favour of our clients in several jurisdictions.
• Corporate/General Commercial: France/US/Abu Dhabi - Advising two worldwide blue chip companies on the bid process and risk management issues arising out of multi-million dollar tenders for contracts for the provision of air traffic and command and control systems to government entities.
• London/Dubai/Bahrain - Advising a large international hotel chain in relation to significant claims for breach of a hotel management contract, protection of the client’s intellectual property, interim protective measures and arbitration procedure in Bahrain.