Dentons > Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates > Firm Profile
Dentons Offices
SUITE 1204, AL GHAITH TOWER, HAMDAN STREET
P.O.BOX 47656
ABU DHABI
United Arab Emirates
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Dentons > The Legal 500 Rankings
United Arab Emirates > Banking and finance: Corporate finance (including Islamic lending) Tier 2
Dentons has a strong banking and finance practice, advising a wide range of clients - including banks, corporations, governments, multilateral agencies, and financial intermediaries - on a full spectrum of transactions. Practice head Alex Roussos is well regarded for his expertise in conventional and Islamic finance transactions, particularly in relation to debt, hybrid and equity-linked capital markets transactions. Qasim Aslam leads the Islamic finance group in the region, while Stephen Knight’s practice is focused on project finance. Paul Jarvis is noted for his expertise in domestic and cross-border asset financing matters.Practice head(s):
Alex Roussos
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The best team in the UAE. I have been dealing with the team for more than a decade, and they are always proactive and responsive, and have the right business acumen providing the right structures and solutions to any deal-breaker points. It is a homogenous team with the right mix of personalities and expertise.’
‘Qasim Aslam is simply fantastic. He is very good at communicating, pragmatic and commercial. He is an experienced partner and a good strategic thinker for big transactional cases.’
‘Commitment and flexibility.’
‘Very pragmatic approach when giving advice. Commercially sound and focuses on real legal risks which is always valuable to both in-house teams and commercial units.’
Key clients
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC
Aldar Properties PJSC
American Community School – Abu Dhabi
Banco Santander S.A
Barclays Bank
Commercial Bank of Dubai PJSC
Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC
Deutsche Bank
Emirates NBD Bank PJSC
Etihad Airways PJSC
First Abu Dhabi Bank
GEMS Education
HSBC Middle East Limited
Islamic Development Bank
ING Bank
JP Morgan Chase
Kuwait International Bank
Khaleeji Commercial Bank
Majid Al Futtaim
Mashreqbank PSC
National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah
National Bank of Bahrain
Standard Chartered Bank
Work highlights
- Advising a syndicate of banks, including Emirates NBD Capital Limited and First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, in their capacity as initial mandated lead arrangers, on an English law governed US$3 billion unsecured syndicated financing to The Arab Republic of Egypt acting through the Ministry of Finance by way of a split Islamic Murabaha and conventional “Green Loan” structure.
- Advising Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank as the arrangers on a US$135 million Islamic pre- and post-delivery financing for a joint venture company incorporated by Al Seer Marine Supplies and Equipment Company PJSC and BGN INT DMCC, for the construction of two “green” vessels.
- Advising American Community School, Abu Dhabi on the construction and financing of a new campus on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi by way of an AED280 million facility provided by FAB with support from the Government of Abu Dhabi.
United Arab Emirates > Capital markets Tier 2
Dentons has capital markets expertise across a wide range of areas, though it is particularly well regarded for its DCM practice. It also has particular expertise in Rule 144A transactions, with specialist US securities lawyers on the team, as well as a growing ESG debt capital markets practice across the Middle East. Alex Roussos heads the team with extensive experience advising on debt, hybrid, and equity-linked capital markets transactions. James Osun-Sanmi is also noted for his expertise acting on both conventional and Islamic international debt capital markets transactions.Practice head(s):
Alex Roussos
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Alex Ruossos and James Osun-Sanmi are key practitioners of note.’
Key clients
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
Dubai Islamic Bank
Barclays Bank
Citigroup
Standard Chartered Bank
Emirates NBD
First Abu Dhabi Bank
HSBC
JP Morgan
Kuwait Finance House
Commercial Bank of Dubai
Islamic Development Bank
Qatar International Islamic Bank
Bank of Sharjah
Burgan Bank KPSC
National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah
National Bank of Oman
Oman Electricity Transmission Company
Oman Arab Bank SAOC
Mashreq Bank
Sharjah Islamic Bank
Emirates REIT
UBS Investment Bank
Morgan Stanley
Gulf International Bank
BNP Paribas
Credit Suisse
Credit Agricole
Societe Generale
Work highlights
- Advising the joint lead managers in respect of the update of Majid Al Futtaim’s global medium-term note programme and the update of its trust certificate (sukuk) issuance programme.
- Acting as Oman Arab Bank SAOC’s legal counsel on its debut issuance of Basel III compliant additional tier 1 capital securities.
- Advising on IsDB’s sukuk issuance of US$1.7 billion, issued under IsDB’s US$25 billion trust certificate issuance programme.
United Arab Emirates > Construction Tier 2
Dentons has a dedicated construction team based in the UAE, with a presence in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. On the contentious side, it has particular expertise in airport disputes. On the non-contentious side, it is noted for its energy and utility projects expertise. Practice head Dean Ryburn has significant experience advising contractors on infrastructure and construction disputes and Mhairi Main Gracia heads the regional energy and infrastructure team. Ian Dalley and managing partner Alastair Young are noted for their expertise in international engineering and construction projects and disputes. Senior associate Suzannah Fairbairn has particular expertise in arbitrations.Practice head(s):
Dean Ryburn
Other key lawyers:
Ian Dalley; Alastair Young; Suzannah Fairbairn
Testimonials
‘Very strong UAE and Middle East experience, particularly in large arbitrations.’
‘Very knowledgeable and capable of applying the knowledge well too.’
‘Good solid team with great leadership and depth of talent. Dentons is prepared to be flexible with billing but always accurate.’
‘Dean Ryburn has managed the team and case well. His communication is solid and he knows when to involve the client and how. He and Alastair Young manage the complexity in joint ventures well.’
‘Dentons’ team lead construction negotiations. Hassan Damanhouri and Kanishka Singh are excellent.’
Key clients
National Central Cooling Company PJSC
Work highlights
- Advising the National Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed) on the construction, development, operation and maintenance of district cooling facilities and related chilled water distribution systems in Egypt.
United Arab Emirates > Dispute resolution: arbitration and international litigation Tier 2
Dentons’ UAE dispute resolution team has particular sector expertise in banking and finance, shareholder and corporate governance, hospitality, white-collar criminal defence, construction, real estate, and healthcare. The team is co-led by Andrew Cheung, who has significant experience handling cross-border commercial arbitrations and DIFC court claims, and Dean Ryburn, who specialises in construction and infrastructure-related disputes. Middle East managing partner Alastair Young focuses on engineering and construction disputes. Senior associates Faris Shehabi and Zahra Rose Khawaja are also noted for their commercial disputes expertise.Practice head(s):
Andrew Cheung; Dean Ryburn
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
The State Bank of Mauritius
Haulotte Middle East FZE
Work highlights
- Advised The State Bank of Mauritius and successfully obtained a finding of fraud before the DIFC Court in December 2021.
- Acting for the UAE branch of Haulotte Group SA, a major French aerial work platform manufacturer, in a dispute against its UAE distributor and agent United Gulf Equipment Rental LLC.
United Arab Emirates > Dispute resolution: compliance and investigations Tier 2
Dentons’ corporate investigations and compliance team has particular strength in UK and European sanctions, bribery, and money laundering matters, as well as related regulatory programme work. Andrew Cheung, who specialises in preventative measures and compliance violation crisis management investigations, and Shiraz Sethi, who has particular experience in employment-related matters, including whistleblowing, fraud, forgery and breach of contract cases, co-lead the team. Legal manager Ali Al Assaad is also noted for his expertise in employment-related matters.Practice head(s):
Andrew Cheung; Shiraz Sethi
Other key lawyers:
Ali Al Assaad; Patrick Hassam
Key clients
The State Bank of Mauritius
Work highlights
- Successfully obtained a finding in fraud before the DIFC court in December 2021. The first and second defendant attempted to raise a claim against the SBM in the Sharjah Court in breach of the facilities agreement entered into SBM. The team successfully obtained an anti-suit injunction from the DIFC prohibiting pursuit of substantive claims against SBM outside the DIFC Court.
United Arab Emirates > Infrastructure and projects (including project finance) Tier 2
Dentons’ energy, transport, and infrastructure team has broad expertise, with the team handling both local and cross-border transactional and regulatory matters, as well as having infrastructure and projects disputes capabilities. It also has expertise in project development mandates, including in green hydrogen projects. Jon Nash has extensive experience advising on UAE project development matters and Udayan Mukherjee and Stephen Knight are noted for their expertise in project finance transactions. Mhairi Main Garcia left the firm.Other key lawyers:
Key clients
ACWA Power International
Maysan Properties SAOC
Gemalto Middle East FZ LLC
Al Husainiyah Power Generation Company
Samba Financial Group
National Central Cooling Company PJSC
Emirates Global Aluminium
Sumitomo Corporation
Gulf Investment Corporation
Korea Electric Power Corporation
Al Blagha Holding
Tamasuk Holding
Agility
Veolia
Aldar Properties PJSC
Etihad Rail
Snam
American Community School Abu Dhabi
Wintershall
Al Futtaim Properties
Lamprell
Work highlights
- Advising ICE on its green hydrogen projects in both Oman and Saudi Arabia.
- Advising Tabreed on its acquisition of the equity interests of Mubadala Infrastructure Partners in the Maryah Island district cooling facilities in Abu Dhabi.
- Advising a consortium on its bids for multiple projects being procured by Saudi Aramco for the design, development and construction of multi-faceted accommodation projects (including utilities and supporting infrastructure) in Saudi Arabia.
United Arab Emirates > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3
Dentons has a substantive corporate offering that is particularly active in the energy, defence, TMT, real estate, and healthcare sectors. With the firm’s wider regional network, as well as strong local and international expertise, it is also able to assist in cross-border transactional matters. Practice head Iain Black has significant experience acting on M&A and joint venture mandates in the region. Catherine Beckett has a broad practice, covering M&A transactions alongside equity capital markets and business establishment matters.Practice head(s):
Iain Black
Testimonials
‘The team is very responsive and always provides the full picture with respect to a certain matter. Their attitude is very professional.’
Key clients
National Central Cooling Company
Alamar Foods DMCC
BASF
Children’s National Medical Centre
Delta Partners
DHL
DMCC
DWTC
Gulf Capital
MENA Infrastructure Fund
Redington International
Sharjah Islamic Bank
Sweetheart Kitchen
Snam
Delivery Hero
Work highlights
- Advising Tabreed in relation to its new joint venture with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.
- Advising Tabreed on the purchase of the shareholding of Mubadala Infrastructure Partners Limited in the Maryah Island district cooling facilities in Abu Dhabi.
- Advising Delivery Hero on their participation in Dubai-based buy-now pay later platform Tabby’s series B investment round.
United Arab Emirates > Employment Tier 3
Dentons utilises the team's ‘excellent knowledge’ to assist clients with employment law developments in the UAE, including the evolution of the region’s labour laws. The team is particularly noted for providing an end-to-end service in relation to labour disputes before local courts. Regional head of employment Shiraz Sethi works with multinational clients across a wide range of sectors, advising on all aspects of employment law including recruitment, restrictive covenants and workplace investigations. Senior legal consultant Catherine Beckett is experienced in non-contentious employment matters and legal manager Ali Al Assaad focuses on employment litigation before the local courts.Practice head(s):
Shiraz Sethi
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Good understanding of client’s needs and always a fast and detailed response.’
‘Shiraz Sethi is a pleasure to work with, she always provides detailed and well thought out advice quickly and with the client’s business in mind.’
‘A firm with significant resources; a strong international reputation, professional approach to client relationships, and client and resolution focused.’
‘They have the relevant legal experience and take a commercial approach to matters.’
‘Shiraz Sethi is highly engaged and experienced in employment matters.’
‘Shiraz Sethi is outstanding’
‘No one is more knowledgeable than Shiraz Sethi on DIFC employment law or better able to help his clients navigate developments and changes in the law. Because he has been working to develop this body of law for so long, he is also well connected and able to get answers to very nuanced questions. His advice is always thoughtful, business-focused and action-oriented.’
Key clients
FlightSafety
DRW
Nike
Emerson
Emerging Markets Property Group (EMPG) Holding Limited
Experian
3M
Deloitte LLP Dubai
Petronas
Marsh
Work highlights
- Retained by Nike to advise and localise its diversity and inclusion policies for the United Arab Emirates.
- Provided employment advice to Flight Safety’s legal and HR team based in the USA specifically in relation to a long-standing employee in the UAE and ensuring compliance with the new UAE Labour Law.
- Retained by Petronas to review and amend its employment documentation (offer letter and employment contract) in light of the newly introduced UAE Labour Law.
United Arab Emirates > Real estate Tier 3
Dentons services some of the region’s largest landlords, occupiers, developers and financial institutions across a wide range of real estate and property matters. The practice operates from Dubai and is led by head of corporate Iain Black, in hand with Nick Simpson who has recently overseen a substantial increase in the volume of work related to franchising, agreements and registration, and REITs and sukuk transactions. Senior associate Joe Carroll is highly regarded, particularly for financings, hospitality and mixed-use projects.Practice head(s):
Nick Simpson; Iain Black
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Joe Carroll is excellent and applies deep knowledge of the real estate market to his clients needs.’
Key clients
ADQ
Al Masaood
Asyad Group
DAMAC Real Estate Development Limited
DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC (ADCB)
Inmarsat Global Limited
Keyz Investment Enterprises
National Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed)
Majid Al Futtaim (MAF)
Al Farwaniya Property Developments LLC
Alamar Foods
MENA Infrastructure Fund
Sweetheart Kitchen
Noor Bank PJSC
Gulf Related (part of the Related group of companies, one of the largest real estate developers in the USA)
SENAAT (General Holding Corporation PJSC) (one of the UAE’s largest industrial investment companies)
Work highlights
- As exclusive legal counsel to a PIF subsidiary, advising on the roll-out of AMC’s cinemas across the Kingdom, including advising upon lease and development agreements, supplier contracts, construction, fit-out and consultancy contracts and ongoing advice in respect of SCC’s joint venture with AMC.
- Advising Emaar Hospitality Group on its suite of hotel management agreements and branded residence agreements.
United Arab Emirates > Shipping
Dentons > Firm Profile
Dentons is the world’s largest law firm. Our global team builds agile, tailored solutions to meet the local, national and global needs of private and public clients of all sizes all over the world. We are the first truly polycentric global law firm and our structure affords flexibility in responding to client business needs wherever in the world they arise.
Our presence in the Middle East is among the largest of any international law firm and spans the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt and our offices collaborate closely both across the region and internationally. With over 50 years of experience in these markets, our long-standing relationships with government officials, financial institutions and other intermediaries provide a strategic advantage for our clients.
Dentons has been operating in the UAE since 1968, when our Abu Dhabi office was established, and has seen the region develop over the years. Our Dubai office was established in 1969 and has wide experience across all of our areas of practice. The two offices cooperate closely to provide regional and international clients with the benefits of a fully integrated practice in the United Arab Emirates. The firm has been involved in landmark events, with Dentons’ lawyers acting as counsel to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and helping to draft the treaty that united the Emirates.
Clients benefit from our unrivalled understanding of the legal and business environment gained from both our unique experience in helping to shape the legal and regulatory landscape of the UAE, as well as our long-standing relationships with local business communities and governments.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Dubai Office Managing Partner | Alastair Young | alastair.young@dentons.com | +971 4 402 0999 |
Abu Dhabi Office Managing Partner | Ian Dalley | ian.dalley@dentons.com | +971 2 613 1516 |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Nathaniel Armstrong | Nathaniel is a senior associate in the Firm’s Banking and Finance practice… | View Profile | |
Ian Dalley | Ian is dual-qualified as a professional engineer and as a lawyer, in… | View Profile | |
Paul Jarvis | Paul is a banking and finance partner and has been based in… | View Profile |
Solicitor Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Pardeep Jagpal | Pardeep is a senior associate in the Dubai Commercial and Technology, Media… | View Profile |
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