Meet Our Judges 2025

Majdoleen Aboudi - Chief Legal Officer for Africa, India and Middle East, Air Liquide

A Senior Executive Counsel and Compliance Leader with comprehensive experience spanning sectors ranging from chemical gases and power to management consulting, banking, and legal consulting, Majdoleen Aboudi has the expertise in supporting a Multi-Billion USD portfolio, with proven success at building and leading quality cross-border legal teams and implementing legal infrastructure as well as managing external counsel.

Throughout her career, Majdoleen has successfully navigated complex legal landscapes, providing astute guidance and innovative solutions to legal challenges. Her professional achievements include spearheading high-stakes negotiations, crafting meticulous legal strategies, and securing favourable outcomes in landmark cases. Her ability to distil intricate legal matters into clear, actionable plans has been instrumental in driving positive change and mitigating risk for the organisations under her purview.

Majdoleen believes that the role of the General Counsel goes beyond providing the business with mere legal advice and to developing strategies that proactively mitigate risks and help the organisation stay ahead of the curve, in addition to ensuring that the organisation has the right talent, tools, and resources to meet its evolving needs.

Afshan Akhtar - Chief Legal Counsel & Board Secretary, Bapco Refining

With over 20 years of legal experience, Afshan has developed an extensive repertoire of legal knowledge and skills. Afshan has consistently shown her prowess to be able to work in diverse industries at the C-Level and make the legal function a success. Her ability to absorb information, analyse situations and her leadership qualities allow Afshan to provide effective legal solutions. Her skills and achievements have been recognised by the Leadership in Bahrain with Afshan being awarded the National Action Pioneer Award for Outstanding National Service to the Kingdom of Bahrain by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. She is also highly respected in the legal industry evidenced by winning many awards including the General Counsel of the Year and being featured in the Legal 500 GC Power list.

Afshan is currently the Chief Legal Counsel and Board Secretary of Bapco Refining. Prior to Bapco, Afshan held other key positions Bahrain, including working as Group Legal Counsel with Arab Banking Corporation (Bank ABC) and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA).

Before relocating to Bahrain, Afshan was working with Clifford Chance in London, where she was a Senior Associate in the Banking and Finance Team.

Reem Al Alawi is an accomplished legal and corporate governance professional with over 16 years of experience across diverse sectors including telecommunications, oil and gas and semi-government entities.

Currently serving as Chief of Legal and Monitoring at the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), Reem continues to contribute to national development initiatives by providing expert legal counsel, contract negotiation and governance on multi-million dollar contracts for high impact national projects geared towards serving the Labour Fund’s mandate of creating a thriving and sustainable private sector with a highly skilled Bahraini workforce.

Reem is also responsible for Monitoring and Litigation where she oversees critical monitoring, inspection and litigation activities, ensuring compliance and adherence to the Labour Fund’s programs and its objectives. A strong advocate for integrity in public service, Reem is dedicated to safeguarding public funds by identifying and mitigating risks associated with administrative violations, fraud and criminal misuse.

With a deep understanding of both corporate and public sector dynamics, Reem has built a strong reputation for delivering strategic legal counsel, managing complex legal and contractual frameworks along with bringing a wealth of cross-industry expertise to support organizations.

Prior to joining the Labour Fund, Reem held the position of General Counsel at Bapco Upstream (formerly Tatweer Petroleum – Bahrain Field Development Company) where Reem was instrumental in negotiating strategic international agreements with major international oil and gas players in the field of oil and gas upstream activities. Previous to the General Counsel role, Reem held the position of legal counsel in the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and in Batelco, with expertise in regulatory compliance, contract drafting, negotiation and corporate law.

Reem holds a BA Honors Degree in Law and Business Administration and an LLM in International Commercial Law from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. Reem currently serves on the board of Eskan Bank.

Dr. Fawaz Mohammad Alawadhi joined Gulf Bank’s Board of Directors in August 2019. He currently serves as Chief Legal Officer and Acting Chief of Audit and Compliance at Alghanim Industries Group. He is also Head of Legal at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), where he teaches as a law professor at the College of Business Studies. Dr. Alawadhi holds a Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) from Washington University in St. Louis, a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Kuwait University. He is currently completing his MBA at London Business School.

Cristina Amate Muñoz is a Spanish lawyer with 15 years of expertise in legal and contract management for international multimillion-dollar EPC projects in the Middle East. She specializes in construction and system integration within airport infrastructure and currently serves as Head of Legal, Contracts, and Procurement at BEUMER Group Middle East. BEUMER Group is a global leader in intralogistics solutions, specializing in airport baggage handling, parcel logistics, and bulk material handling systems. In her role, Cristina leads complex contract negotiations, oversees compliance and corporate governance across multiple regional subsidiaries, and ensures strategic risk management in international projects. She also plays a key role in dispute resolution avoidance, mitigating conflicts and fostering long-term partnerships in large-scale airport developments.

With a strong background in commercial law, Cristina has worked across diverse industries, including law, infrastructure, and finance. Prior to BEUMER, she held key positions at ACCIONA Cultura, Grupo RLD, BBVA Corporate and Investment, and Deloitte, as well as at the Commercial and Economic Office of the Spanish Embassy in Vietnam.

Beyond her corporate career, Cristina is a passionate advocate for women’s leadership. As one of the few women in a male-dominated industry, she is deeply committed to empowering women in the legal and construction sectors. She actively promotes gender diversity through mentorship and industry forums, making her a valuable judge for the LexisNexis Middle East Awards.

Michelle Ancona Reynolds is a seasoned legal counsel with over 20 years of experience across aviation, finance, defense, and hospitality. She specializes in cross-border transactions, dispute resolution, compliance, complex contract negotiations, as well as business continuity and emergency response planning.

Michelle has played pivotal roles in high-profile projects including design and enhancement of critical infrastructure protection solutions, provision of counter drone solutions to negate current and future threats, development and maturing of unmanned vehicles for land, sea and air through R&D, establishment of laser based training, to the Qatari Ministry of Defense. She has negotiated Qatar Airways’ acquisition of the Sheraton Skyline Hotel, which established its Dhiafatina Hotels subsidiary, as well as operations and facilities management contracts for Hamad International Airport. Her expertise extends to aerospace, aircraft leasing, syndicated loans, finance workouts, and regulatory compliance, combining technical precision with commercial insight.

As VP of ACC MENA, and President of McGill Institute of Air and Space Law Alumni Association, Michelle actively supports in-house legal professionals, driving networking, knowledge-sharing, and professional development across the globe.

Driven by a passion for collaboration and excellence, Michelle continues to shape the legal landscape, delivering strategic solutions and fostering meaningful business connections among professionals worldwide.

Nadia Aqeel is responsible for providing and managing legal support for Zain Bahrain and liaising with regulatory agencies and government authorities in her role as Chief Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Officer. She is also Secretary to the Board and supervises the implementation of its decisions.

Nadia has over 15 years of experience in the legal field, primarily in the telecommunications sector specializing in corporate and competition law and key areas of retail and wholesale compliance and regulation. She holds an LL.B from Hull University and a Postgraduate Diploma in EU Competition Law from King’s College in the United Kingdom.

Umar is the Registrar of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC). He is a dual-qualified solicitor and barrister, and has practised as a self-employed barrister, within government for the Attorney General for England and Wales, and in private practice as a solicitor. Umar has a master’s degree from the University of Oxford (Worcester College), where he graduated at the top of his class, and is currently undertaking a doctorate in law from the same university (St Anne’s College).

Daniela Bartolo is the General Counsel at Careem, where she leads the Legal, Corporate Compliance, and Safety & Security teams. She has been instrumental in supporting Careem’s evolution into the region’s Everything App, enabling growth into digital payments, deliveries, and home services. Her team oversees legal matters across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and other key markets.

At Careem, Daniela is focussed on helping Careem respond to the fast-changing tech landscape with agility and strong legal foundations. She’s also focused on aligning legal strategy with business goals and building a purpose-driven, high-performing team. Prior to joining Careem, Daniela held legal roles at Vodafone Malta and e& UAE, building a strong foundation in the tech and telecom sectors.

She was named General Counsel of the Year (Large Team) at the 2025 LexisNexis Women in Law Awards, where the Careem Legal team also received an Honourable Mention for In-House Team of the Year.

Hilary Bell is an Assistant Professor in the College of Law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. Hilary is an experienced legal practitioner who brings her expertise to the classroom, teaching courses in construction and infrastructure development law, dispute resolution, and legal skills. She is a Solicitor and Notary Public, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a Member of the International Coach Federation. Hilary’s scholarship focuses on legal education and the role of women in legal practice.

Mona Daraei is the General Counsel for Siemens Energy in Qatar and Kuwait. She obtained her law degree in civil and business law in the Netherlands and is a qualified Dutch lawyer.

Mona is a well-seasoned lawyer with extensive experience in commercial, corporate, litigation and energy sector related legal matters. Recognized for her leadership, she was named Highly Commended in the General Counsel of the Year category at the 6th Qatar Business Law Forum. Mona also serves as Qatar’s Country Representative for the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) MENA chapter, reflecting her commitment to advancing the in-house legal profession as a whole. Mona was recently invited to speak at the inaugural GCC Harvard Conference held at Harvard University in Boston, where she shared her perspectives on the legal and business aspects of the future of energy in the GCC.

Mona is also highly active in the field of corporate compliance. She plays a key role in shaping compliance strategies within the energy sector, with a focus on anti-corruption, regulatory adherence, and ethical business conduct. She regularly shares her insights as a speaker at industry events and collaborates with academic institutions such as Hamad Bin Khalifa University to advance compliance practices in Qatar.

Hannah is a legal and digital innovation leader dedicated to reshaping dispute resolution for a more accessible, efficient and tech-enabled future. With over 20 years of experience in international law, spanning the UK, Australia, and the Middle East, she holds an LLB (Hons) and an LLM from leading universities in the United Kingdom and has built a distinguished career at the intersection of law, policy, and sustainable development.

At Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Hannah leads the development of dispute resolution services across the MENA region through the ADGM Dispute Resolution Hearing Centre (DRHC). She is also a CEDR-accredited mediator and serves as Mediator in the ADGM Courts’ Court-Annexed Mediation Scheme, which has an 80% settlement rate. Her practice focuses on civil and commercial disputes, including real estate, employment, and general corporate matters.

Hannah’s work sits at the intersection of law and emerging technologies. ADGM recently launched two global firsts: “Mediation in the Metaverse” and the application of blockchain technology to support the international enforcement of commercial judgments. These initiatives aim to expand access to justice while embedding more sustainable, tech-forward practices in the field of dispute resolution.

Rita El Helou – Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Board Secretary, Lesha Bank LLC (Public)

Rita is the Chief of Legal and Compliance officer and Board Secretary at Lesha Bank. She has over 18 years of experience in both private and public listed companies in legal and compliance, providing guidance in the commercial and operational context. Prior to joining Lesha Bank, Rita, worked for 8 years with Vodafone Qatar P.Q.S.C. and Infinity Solutions LLC. Rita worked also at Jaidah Group and Societe General de Banque au Liban (SGBL). Rita holds an executive MBA from HEC Paris and a master’s degree in Law from the Lebanese University – Filiere Francophone de Droit – Faculty of Law and Political Science. Rita also holds a Mini-MBA in Telecommunications from Telecom and Tech Academy United Kingdom Academy (Qatar) and a certificate from INSEAD in Leading Organizations in Disruptive Times.

Throughout her career, Majdoleen has successfully navigated complex legal landscapes, providing astute guidance and innovative solutions to legal challenges. Her professional achievements include spearheading high-stakes negotiations, crafting meticulous legal strategies, and securing favourable outcomes in landmark cases. Her ability to distil intricate legal matters into clear, actionable plans has been instrumental in driving positive change and mitigating risk for the organisations under her purview.

Majdoleen believes that the role of the General Counsel goes beyond providing the business with mere legal advice and to developing strategies that proactively mitigate risks and help the organisation stay ahead of the curve, in addition to ensuring that the organisation has the right talent, tools, and resources to meet its evolving needs.

Adam Fenwick – General Counsel & Senior Vice President, Cladtek Group

Adam Fenwick is the General Counsel & Senior Vice President at Cladtek Group, where he oversees legal, ESG, contracts management, and compliance across APAC, EMEA, and the Americas. With over ten years of experience in the UAE and globally, Adam works with companies in sectors like oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, renewables, energy, and construction.

An Australian-qualified lawyer with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce, Adam has a strong background in contract and project management, as well as claims resolution. He has a track record of handling complex corporate governance and dispute resolution matters, with experience in many types of contracts, including FIDIC, BIMCO, and LTA.

Adam is known for closing difficult disputes and deals while managing risk on large projects. His combination of technical, financial, and strategic skills allows him to engage with a wide range of stakeholders effectively. As a thought leader, Adam regularly shares insights on dispute resolution, AI in legal practice, and the future of law. He is also the Co-Leader of the ACC MENA’s Construction, Property & Arbitration Chapter.

Amira Fayad is the Associate Director and Company Secretary at Seddiqi Holding. Since joining the business in 2013, she has played a major role in building the framework for the Legal department within the business. Her role spans the Seddiqi Holding portfolio, covering corporate, commercial, intellectual property, regulatory, corporate governance and employment. Additionally, Amira also established and currently oversees the Data Privacy Office at Seddiqi Holding.

Amira’s dedication to excellence is reflected in her attaining the Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPPE) certifications. These credentials underscore her commitment to upholding the highest standards in data privacy and protection.

In 2024, Amira’s contributions were recognised through her appointment as a member of one of the International Trademark Association (INTA) committees, specifically the Global Advisory Council (GAC). This prestigious role highlights her expertise in the realms of intellectual property and regulatory affairs.

Amira Fayad is a bilingual lawyer with over 13 years of exemplary experience in the legal field.

A distinguished legal expert whose exceptional career spans both French and Emirati jurisdictions. Currently serving as the Director of Legal and Compliance at the prestigious Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Ms. Gassem brings a wealth of international legal expertise and institutional leadership to the LexisNexis Award jury panel.

Her legal journey began in France, where she served with distinction as a Vice-President in the Paris Court and Cannes Court. With over 20 years of experience as a French judge, she has presided over numerous complex civil and criminal cases, earning recognition for her integrity, legal acumen, and commitment to justice.

Ms. Gassem’s career has evolved with a global perspective. In the UAE, she contributes to the development of the legal landscape as a Legal Advisor at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, where her deep understanding of UAE law and judicial systems enhances institutional cooperation and legal harmonization across jurisdictions.

Her diverse background, combining academic insight, judicial experience, and regulatory oversight, makes her an invaluable asset to the LexisNexis Award. As a jury member, she exemplifies the principles of excellence, fairness, and innovation that define this prestigious recognition in the legal field.

Dineli Gowribalan is General Counsel and Company Secretary of GRIP Investments, a global capital gateway comprising: GRIP Horizon SARL, a Luxembourg based AIFM registered with the CSSF and GRIP (DIFC) Ltd, an Investment Banking and Fund Management firm established in the DIFC and regulated by the DFSA. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of private funds in BVI, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands.

Dineli is a dual qualified lawyer, admitted as a Solicitor of England & Wales and an Attorney-at-Law in Sri Lanka. She is an accredited ADR ODR International Civil/Commercial Mediator. She also has an Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colombo.

HHJ Christopher Grout sits as a Circuit Judge, assigned to the Southeastern Circuit, and is based at Woolwich Crown Court in London. He specialises in hearing criminal cases.

Prior to this appointment, he held fee-paid judicial posts as a Deputy District Judge, Deputy District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts), and Recorder. She has established the first administrative employment dispute resolution centre in the Middle East operating under the ILO guidelines and is also a certified ITCILO Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) Facilitator, specialised in gender and organisational change.

Christopher was the Registrar of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre from 2012-2022 where he oversaw the case management of civil and commercial disputes and regulatory appeals. Prior to that, he practised as a barrister in London.

Christopher has a passion for advocacy and so, having previously held the post of President of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple’s Mooting Society, regularly assists with advocacy training for undergraduates, graduates, and legal professionals, as well as the judging of advocacy competitions. He also has a keen interest in law and religion, holding a LLM in Canon Law from Cardiff University.

Dr. Emad Hussein is an accomplished Independent Arbitrator and ADR expert with extensive experience serving as Chairman, Sole Arbitrator, and Co-Arbitrator in tribunals under leading arbitral institutions, including the ICC, DIAC, ADCCAC, CRCICA, SCCA, and QICCA.

He is empaneled with prestigious arbitration centers such as SIAC, HKIAC, ADGMAC, and AAA-ICDR, reflecting his global recognition in dispute resolution. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and a Senior Fellow at SIDRA, Dr. Hussein combines practice with academia, regularly training professionals through CIArb’s Fellowship Program.

A certified mediator recognized by the World Bank Group’s CAO, CEDR, IMI, and SIMI, he has delivered mediation courses across the MENA region. Dr. Hussein’s advisory roles include board memberships at BUiD, INNOVADR, and LCICA.

He actively collaborates with UNCITRAL, UNDP, and CLDP, contributing to legislative reforms, institutional development, and enhancing arbitration competitiveness in the MENA region. A prolific researcher and lecturer, his works on ADR are widely published, and he frequently judges international ADR competitions.

Dr. Hussein holds dual PhDs in International Arbitration and Business Management, alongside LLMs from leading UK universities, making him a leading figure in the global ADR community.

Luigia is a lawyer and policy maker with over 30 years of experience in labour laws and conciliation and adjudication of labour disputes.

She is Commissioner of the Employment Standards Office of the QFC, holds a Master Degree in Law, a Master in Human Resources and Communication, and is a qualified conciliator, negotiator and mediator of labour disputes certified by the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITCILO), the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) and trained by Harvard Law School.

Advocate for UN Sustainable Development Goals, Luigia is also a labour inspector trained by the ITCILO, and a certified Participatory Gender Audit Facilitator who supports organisations to comply with the “Social” element of ESG.

She holds an executive programme on Women In Leadership with the London Business School, is a professional trainer on transformative leadership for the ITCILO and regularly speaks at international conferences, including Harvard Law School, Chatham House, International Labour Organization (ILO), World Health Organisation (WHO), International Bar Association (IBA) and International Employment Lawyer (IEL).

Dr. Dina Imad is the Chair of the Public Law Department at Abu Dhabi University and an Assistant Professor of Public Law. Since joining the university in 2018, she has specialized in constitutional and criminal law, with extensive teaching and research experience, including her tenure at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. In July 2023, she was appointed Chair of the College of Law. Dr. Dina has led efforts in accreditation and reaccreditation, curriculum development, and program design to enhance legal education at the university. She previously worked as a legal advisor at Salloum and Partners LLC, focusing on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and legal compliance. Dr. Dina holds a Doctorate in Law with honors from Lebanese University and a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Montpellier 1 in France, graduating with distinction. She actively supervises research projects and publishes in leading law journals.

Roula Khaled is the General Counsel of Khazna Data Centres, a joint venture between G42 and Etisalat. She has over 20 years of experience leading and advising on cross-border and domestic M&A transactions (including acquisitions of data centres and telecom operators), joint ventures, finance deals, restructuring matters and on a wide variety of corporate, commercial and strategic transactions in several jurisdictions including the Gulf Cooperation Council, Asia and Africa.

Before moving in-house, Roula started her career as a private practice lawyer in Paris, Lebanon and the UAE. Her most recent roles were as a Regional Senior Legal Counsel at IBM, where she worked on technology and consulting deals (including GBS) in the UAE and KSA and as a Regional Senior Counsel at Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, where she handled the corporate, commercial, employment, IP and litigation matters, covering UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon and Egypt. Before that, she spent six years as a Legal Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions at Etisalat working on some of the biggest deals in the region, including the acquisition of Maroc Telecom, the sale of Zantel and Canar, and the merger of Etisalat Lanka with Hutch Lanka.

Roula is a Lebanese-qualified lawyer. She has a Degree in Law from the Saint Joseph University in Beirut, an MA in Internal and International Business Law from the French affiliate of the Lebanese University (Filière Francophone de Droit), and a certificate in the Essentials of Business from the American University of Beirut.

As a General Counsel at ZMI Holdings, now a subsidiary of ADNOC Logistics & Services, for almost 8 years Ms Kovalchuk oversees all legal aspects of ZMI Holdings across the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Her role encompasses regulatory compliance, corporate governance, dispute resolution, and risk management, where she provides strategic legal guidance to ensure smooth operations within the complex oil and gas industry. Her expertise includes counsel roles in high-stakes commercial disputes and arbitrations under LMAA, ICC, DIAC Arbitration Rules, as well as mediation.

Before entering the corporate sector, Ms. Kovalchuk served as a legal adviser to a Member of Parliament in Ukraine, where she specialized in environmental legislation and regulatory compliance. She played a key role in shaping sustainable policies and aligning national laws with international standards.

Iryna holds an LLM from a leading London university and is an active member of several global legal and professional organizations. A recognized leader in her field, she has been listed in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist Middle East annually since 2019 and has served as a judge for the LexisNexis Middle East Legal Awards 2024, THE LAW and the ALB Law Awards. She is particularly committed to legal innovation and the advancement of women in the profession.

Victor Leginsky is a Chartered Arbitrator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has served as Arbitrator in well over 100 cases, a large proportion of which are high-value construction cases and conducts both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. He is certified as a mediator through the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (London) [CEDR]. He conducts mediation including construction-related mediations. He confines his practice to that of a neutral (arbitrator / mediator), largely in construction and energy-related disputes.

Victor is an elected member of the steering committee of the ICC UAE Commission on Arbitration & ADR for the term 2023-2025.

Given the many cases he has been appointed to as arbitrator in the Middle East, Victor is adept in the civil law of the region, as well as the common law of Canada, England & Wales and others.

Susan L. Karamanian – Dean, Hamad Bin Khalifa University College of Law

Susan L. Karamanian is Dean of the College of Law at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha. Before joining HBKU Law, she was Provost at the American University of Sharjah, Associate Dean for International and Comparative Legal Studies and Burnett Family Professorial Lecturer at the George Washington University Law School, and a Partner in Locke Lord LLP in Dallas. Susan is on the board of various institutions, including the American Society of International Law (ASIL). She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation. She is a graduate of Auburn University (B.S. Econ.), Oxford University (B.A. Hons.) where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and the University of Texas (J.D.).

Sari Melhem Maddah – Legal Manager, Nesma & Partners Contracting Company UJSC

Mr. Sari Maddah, the legal manager of Nesma & Partners Contracting Company brings a wealth of expertise in integrating legal strategy with business execution, especially in the contracting, infrastructure, energy, and investments in the industrial sectors. Known for a collaborative and proactive approach, Sari is a highly skilled in-house counsel and a mergers and acquisitions charter-holder and has helped Nesma & Partners align its legal and business goals seamlessly.

David O’Sullivan is Group General Counsel for QNB Group, a position he has held since 2012. He has over 25 years’ experience as a lawyer working on corporate and financing transactions in the emerging markets (principally in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe). David oversees one of the largest legal teams in the MENA region with over 130 lawyers across several countries.

Since 2016 he has been a director of the QNB Global Funds ICAV (an EU fund authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland). Since 2018 he has been a director of Ecobank Transnational Inc (“ETI”), a pan-African banking conglomerate with banking operations in 33 African countries. He also sits on the Finance, Risk and Credit Committee of ETI.

Prior to his current position, he worked at Gulf Investment Corporation, HSBC Plc and Clifford Chance LLP.

Mr. O’Sullivan is a solicitor and a CFA charterholder. He has a law degree from Trinity College, Dublin.

Michael Patchett-Joyce is a barrister and Deputy Head of 36 Commercial at the 36 Group, London. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and CEDR-qualified mediator. He has acted as Counsel in many cases heard by the DIFC and ADGM Courts. He sits as an arbitrator or acts as arbitral counsel, particularly in commercial arbitrations seated in the Gulf/MENA regions. Beyond pure commercial law, he has a keen interest in international regulatory law, including environmental law. He has strong professional links across the Gulf and MENA regions. He is a long-standing supporter of the MENA pre-Vis arbitration moot competition and of legal education and capacity-building. He is a frequent and popular speaker at professional and academic conferences. He is a member of the Scientific Board of the MENA Business Law Review and sits on the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) international advisory committee.

Abdul Rahman Batakji is a seasoned General Counsel with over 24 years of legal expertise, specializing in corporate governance, compliance, M&As, litigation, employment law, and contract management. Throughout his career, Abdul Rahman has demonstrated strong ability to provide strategic legal advice to senior executives, and lead complex legal initiatives. He is particularly known for his leadership skills in building and managing high-performing legal teams.

Since 2011, Abdul Rahman has served as General Counsel for the region at Deloitte & Touche (M.E.), where he established the internal legal function to meet the needs of the firm across 15 jurisdictions in the region. His work involved transforming the legal department into a specialized team. Abdul Rahman successfully developed leadership skills within his team, enabling them to handle complex legal matters independently and efficiently.

His strategic advice has been pivotal in guiding the firm through numerous corporate restructuring exercises and M&As across the region. Abdul Rahman has been deeply involved in navigating contentious and regulatory matters; and has successfully managed high-stakes disputes before the DIFC courts amounting to USD 128 million and others in KSA and Jordan.

Abdul Rahman holds a law degree from Lebanese University and is a qualified member of the Beirut Bar Association.

Dr. Amal Rakibi is an international corporate counsel with over 25 years of experience leading legal teams in complex jurisdictions and regulatory environments, providing strategic counsel and cross-functional collaboration across diverse industries and global regions.

Dr. Rakibi currently serves as the General Counsel and Company Secretary at Borouge, a publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. In this role, she provides support to C-suite Executives, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee.

Previously, Dr. Rakibi held the position of Chief Legal Officer at AirAsia, where she spearheaded organizational restructuring, corporate finance initiatives, M&A and IPOs. She also held various leadership roles during her 15-years at Schlumberger, including General Counsel positions for the MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa regions.

In these capacities, Dr. Rakibi led legal operations, provided strategic guidance, and ensured compliance across complex regulatory environments spanning multiple countries. Evolving in a culturally diverse environment, Dr. Rakibi’ s expertise lies in executive leadership, legal operations management, corporate governance, and international law.

Dr. Rakibi has a PhD in International Law from Paris-Sud University and George Washington University. During her PhD journey, Dr. Rakibi collaborated closely with the Elliot School of International Affairs at The George Washington University as a Visiting Researcher, conducting in-depth research on international cooperation and space policy.

Dr. Rakibi is also a French qualified lawyer (Paris Bar School – CAPA), holds a master’s Degree in Aeronautics, Space and Telecommunications Law (Paris-Sud University), a Master’s Degree in International and European law (Sorbonne University), and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Space Science from the University of South Australia.

Drawing upon her diverse academic and technical background, this multidisciplinary approach has not only shaped her perspective as a lawyer but has also instilled her with the agility to adapt to evolving challenges in today’s dynamic international landscape.

Dawn is the Chief Legal & Compliance Officer for Al Dahra Group, which is a UAE headquartered global agribusiness, with large scale farming platforms around the world. She started her career with Eversheds Sutherland LLP in the UK, coming out to Abu Dhabi in 2008 to set up their Abu Dhabi office. Dawn moved in house to Al Dahra Group in 2016. Dawn was the first in house counsel for Al Dahra Group, and has built up the function to include legal, governance and compliance functions. The global team is currently in UAE, Egypt, Serbia and Romania. Dawn led the team to secure Team of the Year in 2024 at the Oath Awards, Legal Era Middle East 2024 – Won Woman Leader In House and Legal 500 Powerlist Middle East 2024 – Food & Tobacco.

A Saudi counsel with extensive expertise in corporate law, arbitration, and legal consultancy. With a deep commitment to advancing the legal profession, and worked on high-profile cases, advised leading businesses, and contributed to the legal development of the startup ecosystem.

Beyond my practice, i am passionate about legal education and advocacy, where i have a remarkable contribution to legal discourse through publishing a weekly legal article for five consecutive years in Arab News under the column The Case. Through this platform, I was lucky to provide an in-depth analysis of critical legal issues, shedding light on corporate law, arbitration, regulatory reforms, and emerging legal challenges.

My presence in the competition reflects my commitment to excellence, justice, and the evolution of international legal standards.

Having trained and qualified as a Barrister (England and Wales), Helen specialises in strategy, negotiation, mediation, arbitration and has proven experience working with in-house legal teams providing advice on commercial contracts, maritime, employment, projects, subcontract issues, corporate & regulatory, intellectual property, technology matters, cyber and space related matters including sanctions, compliance and ESG regulatory issues.

She undertakes a wide range of advisory and drafting work and has particular expertise in international arbitration and provides advisory on complex international disputes, she also has broad experience in the County Court and High Court and accepts drafting and advisory instructions in relation to commercial, public and international private law.

Dr. Rita Waked holds a PhD in International Law from Université Paris II – Panthéon-Assas and an LLM in Litigation, Arbitration, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

She currently serves as Vice-Dean of the School of Law at Saint Joseph University – Dubai and has over 15 years of experience in legal education.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, she regularly delivers legal trainings programs for professionals in different legal areas.

Prior to her academic tenure, Dr. Waked spent over a decade as a legal consultant, advising clients on matters related to arbitration and construction-related disputes across various jurisdictions.

Dr. Waked is admitted to the Beirut Bar Association.

She has authored and contributed to several legal publications in Arabic, French and English.

Marieke Witkamp is a Dutch-trained judge, with five years of legal experience in the Middle East, an LL.M in US law and a Texas bar licence. She has more than 20 years’ dispute resolution experience in a wide range of commercial disputes.

Marieke gained her dispute resolution experience as a judge in the Netherlands, an attorney in Qatar, a lawyer in Texas, USA, and as in-house counsel in Qatar and the Netherlands. She now focuses on her work as an international arbitrator. Her areas of expertise are commercial contracts and maritime, insurance, construction and energy law.

Duncan Wood has worked for the Dubai Legal Affairs Department for 12 years, leading key projects aimed at elevating standards across Dubai’s legal industry through human capital development, regulation, key stakeholder management and strategic initiatives. As well as being legally qualified Duncan holds a master’s in strategic human resource management, enabling him to design and manage projects by blending legal understanding with strategic human capital knowledge. Notable projects include the regions’ first Continual Legal Professional Development program, The Practice Management Quality Mark, and the new Legal Operations qualification with more on the horizon. Underpinning the Department’s commitment to developing more efficient and effective legal entities through better operational decisions and elevating knowledge, skills, and expertise.