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UAE In Brief
UAE In Brief
With its GNP per head among the highest, the United Arab Emirates is in a sustained period of growth, and can be viewed as one of the world’s most vibrant economies. Historically, the emirates have been dependent on hydrocarbons, but progressive and successful government economic diversification aims to ensure that the UAE would be relatively shielded from the dwindling of natural reserves and fluctuations in oil prices.A dynamic economy has led to an influx of new entrants in the legal market, which is seeing continued high levels of work for the leading law firms. Lawyers from both local and international firms are featured in the following pages, and we have identified 190 eminent professionals across 16 practice areas. Inevitably, a number of practice areas are more developed than others and some of the lawyers we identify will not specialise exclusively in the practice area for which they are nominated. Whether the lawyers listed in this directory are specialists or have broader practices, they all demonstrate outstanding legal ability. They have been recommended by clients and peers for their local work, and in some cases for work throughout the region, and internationally. The following firms stood out for the depth and breadth of the expertise they command.
Editorial
Editorial: UAE
Editorial: Arbitration in the UAE
Commercial arbitration is growing in popularity in the United Arab Emirates.
Editorial: Aviation in the UAE
So far 2008 has been a boom year for the United Arab Emirates' aviation industry, with Etihad Airways, the country's national airline, enjoying a 41 per cent rise in passenger figures since 2007, and 3.5 million passengers using Abu Dhabi airport alone between January and May.
Editorial: Banking in the UAE
Banking in the UAE is feeling the benefits of a black gold-rush. The boom in oil prices has led to increased government spending on infrastructure and an uptick in corporate lending. A study by AMEinfo reported a double-figure increase in bank income over 2007, which has shown no signs of slowing in 2008.
Editorial: Capital Markets in the UAE
Capital markets in the UAE look set to maintain their upward trajectory despite the international monetary crisis that is curtailing activity in much of the rest of the world, thanks to liquidity arriving from government investment, oil profits and outward investors.
Editorial: Commercial Litigation in the UAE
Litigation before the local courts is restricted to UAE nationals, and as a result, local firms dominate the litigation listings. International firms are, however, starting to make their mark on the scene, and are able to work on international matters and appear before the courts at the Dubai International Financial Centre, which counts as an independent jurisdiction. These parallel outlets allow local and international firms to excel in the litigation sphere despite the apparent restrictions.
Profiled Firms
Firm Profiles: UAE
Al Tamimi & Company
Established in 1989, Al Tamimi & Company is the largest local, non-affiliated law firm in the UAE with offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Further offices in Baghdad and Doha, and a combined staff of nearly 150 attorneys, make it one of the giants of the Middle East.
Allen & Overy
Allen & Overy’s Dubai office celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, making it one of the oldest multinational subsidiary offices in the UAE.
Clifford Chance LLP
Clifford Chance LLP is one of the longest-standing members of the international legal community operating out of the United Arab Emirates. The firm’s first office in the region opened in 1975 in Sharjah and it now has over 75 lawyers (11 of whom are partners) based in Dubai.
Clyde & Co LLP
Clyde & Co has an eminent reputation in the UAE. With offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the firm has been operating in the region for over 25 years and has more than 130 practitioners on the ground across their Middle East regional offices.
Hadef Al Dhahiri and Associates
Hadef Al Dhahiri and Associates was founded in 1980 and is one of the oldest local firms in the UAE, and with seven entries in five chapters it proves itself to be one of most highly respected.
Focus On Corporate Counsel
Corporate Counsel Q&A: UAE
UAE Corporate Counsel: Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright, Managing director, legal, Dubai International Capital LLC.
With around US$13 billion of assets under management, Dubai International Capital LLC's focus on a mix of emerging markets transactions, public and private equity from its Dubai base is paying dividends in the region's fast-growing market.
UAE Corporate Counsel: David Nicholson
David Nicholson, General counsel, Nakheel.
The company behind some of the UAE's iconic structures, Nakheel, which translates from the Arabic as "palm trees", was founded in 2003.
UAE Corporate Counsel: Robert Swade
Robert Swade, Chief legal officer and company secretary, Jumeirah Group
Last year the World Economic Forum published its first global travel and tourism competitiveness report, in which the UAE placed eighteenth overall: the highest ranking of any country in the MENA region [the Middle East and North Africa region, extending from Morocco to Iran].