Arbitration & ADR

Arbitration: The firm's Arbitration department is among its most distinguished and active practice areas, comprising a dedicated team of arbitration specialists and practitioners, several of whom are qualified and sitting arbitrators before leading regional and international institutions. The department represents clients across the full spectrum of arbitral proceedings — from jurisdictional challenges, provisional measures, and procedural applications through to substantive merits hearings, post-award remedies, and enforcement. The team handles both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations and is fully equipped to operate under all major sets of procedural rules.

Institutional Coverage: The department regularly acts in proceedings administered by DIAC, ADCCAC, DCC, Takhkeem, DIFC-LCIA, ADGM Arbitration Centre, ICC, LCIA, ICSID, LMAA, and under UNCITRAL rules. The team handles arbitrations seated in the UAE as well as proceedings with a UAE nexus seated in other jurisdictions, and maintains a thorough working knowledge of the procedural frameworks, institutional practices, and practical realities of each forum.

Judicial Support: The firm is regularly instructed — by clients and by other law firms — to handle the court-side dimensions of arbitration matters across the UAE. This includes applications for preliminary attachment, freezing orders, anti-suit injunctions, and other forms of interim relief before the Dubai Courts, Abu Dhabi Courts, DIFC Courts, and ADGM Courts. The department maintains a strong track record in arbitral award enforcement across all UAE jurisdictions and in defending against annulment and setting-aside applications.

Sector Depth: The department's caseload spans construction, real estate, energy, insurance, commercial joint ventures, and international trade. In construction arbitrations in particular, the team brings a distinctive combination of legal and technical expertise — addressing delay and disruption analysis, prolongation cost claims, variation disputes, and programme-related issues with equal authority.

Mediation & Conciliation: The firm's ADR capabilities extend beyond arbitration to encompass mediation and structured conciliation as effective and commercially viable means of dispute resolution.

The department has established experience in mediations conducted through the Dubai Courts' Mediation and Conciliation Centre, the Dubai Land Department's Mediation Centre, the DIFC Mediation Centre, and the ADGM Mediation Centre, and regularly engages in both court-referred and voluntary mediation proceedings. The team handles mediation across construction, real estate, commercial, and family law matters, and has a consistent record of achieving resolution before disputes escalate to formal proceedings — delivering meaningful savings in time, cost, and commercial disruption for clients.