Hall Of Fame

Rising Stars

Firms in the Spotlight Shipping

ADG Legal

ADG Legal logo

ADG Legal, established in 2017 following the merger of Mohammed Al Dahbashi Advocates and Kingsgove Partners, is now a renowned full-service law firm headquartered in Dubai, UAE, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, and London.

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ADG Legal

ADG Legal logo

ADG Legal, established in 2017 following the merger of Mohammed Al Dahbashi Advocates and Kingsgove Partners, is now a renowned full-service law firm headquartered in Dubai, UAE, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, and London.

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Shipping in United Arab Emirates

Al Tamimi & Company

Regarded by many as the number one firm in the region for shipping matters’, Al Tamimi & Company continues to be highly active in the UAE for both contentious and non-contentious work. Omar Omar, regional head of transport and insurance, regularly advises on cargo, container, marine agency, collisions, salvage and insurance claims. The team was significantly bolstered by the addition of ‘outstanding shipping and trade lawyerWesley Wood  , former practice head at Hadef & Partners LLC, who is highly regarded for his expertise across both dry and wet shipping matters. Yazan Al Saoudi is considered a ‘go-to lawyer in the UAE’ for a wide range of P&I clubs, charterers and shipyards. Yasser Madkour and Adam Gray were promoted to senior counsel in January 2023, the former adept at handling international disputes for global P&I clubs.

Practice head(s):

Omar Omar


Other key lawyers:

Wesley Wood; Yazan Al Saoudi; Adam Gray; Yasser Madkour


Testimonials

‘Extremely highly qualified, knowledgeable and experienced. Capable to support different types of work, both contentious and non-contentious.’

‘Yazan Al Saoudi and Omar Omar are our go to lawyers in the UAE and for their other offices in the region in which they operate. ’

‘Strong advice on UAE law and English law. ’

Work highlights


HFW

HFWis one of the few firms in Dubai with a genuine focus on shipping’, regularly representing all major parties within the maritime space, including shipowners, charterers, P&I clubs, insurance underwriters, governments and brokers. The breadth of clients is reflected by a particularly broad span of expertise, from dry shipping and logistics to commodities and corporate and commercial shipping. Yaman Al Hawamdeh leads the offering for the Middle East and while his practice is primarily disputes focussed, he offers considerable non-contentious expertise. Richard Strub demonstrates ‘in-depth knowledge with great commercial sense’, while ship financing expert Tien Taiis a technically excellent and responsive partner.’ The team was bolstered by the addition of marine disputes specialist Rob Lawrence and corporate and finance expert Ian Chung, joining from Clyde & Co LLP  in August 2022.

Practice head(s):

Yaman Al Hawamdeh


Other key lawyers:

Richard Strub; Tien Tai; Rob Lawrence; Ian Chung


Testimonials

‘HFW is one of the few firms in Dubai with a genuine focus on shipping and they seem to cover it well from the finance, corporate and disputes side.’

‘Tien Tai is a technically excellent and responsive partner. He is a pleasure to deal with.’

‘HFW is of course an old and well known firm world wide with a proven track record. Recently a well known lawyer to us joined them in Dubai to head their marine department and as a marine company we decided to start our legal business with them, after also doing a fee comparison where they also compared well on fee’s.’

Key clients

Shuaa Capital


Majid Al Futtaim Properties


Maersk


Hapag Lloyd


Swiss Singapore Overseas Pte Ltd


Bahrain Steel BSCC


Oman Shipping Company


Banque de Commerce et de Placement


Cosco Shipping Ports Limited


National Bank of Fujairah PJSC


Mauritius Commercial Bank


GAC


DP World


TT Club


West of England P&I Club


UK Club


North of England P&I Club


Steamship Mutual


Gard P&I Club


Japan P&I Club


The London Steam-Ship Owners P&I Club


Shipowners’ P&I Club


Skuld


The Standard Club


Swedish Club


The Charterers Club


UBS Switzerland AG


NOC Swiss Ltd


Astro Offshore Pte Ltd


Monjasa


ADNOC L&S


Emirates Global Aluminium


Dubai Dry Docks World


Seafox Middle East DMCC


Aramex


Stanford Marine Group


Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP

Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP continues to develop ‘its young and energetic team’ which has a ‘strong understanding of the local market and needs of businesses operating in the Middle East.’ The shipping practice is equally adept across contentious, non-contentious and transactional work, with a specialist strength in wet shipping matters that include major pollution incidents, fires, explosions and collisions. Rania Tadros is ‘well versed with international shipping practice and law’, while Saif Almobideen, who was promoted to partner in May 2023, is a ‘go-to lawyer’ for shipping and commercial disputes in the region. ‘Savvy and skilled operatorMark Lakin primarily focuses on complex shipping and commodities disputes; Menelaus Kouzoupis joined the Dubai office from London in April 2023. Mohamed El Hawawy was a new arrival in March 2024.

Practice head(s):

Rania Tadros; Mohamed El Hawawy


Other key lawyers:

Saif Almobideen; Menelaus Kouzoupis; Mark Lakin


Testimonials

‘What sets Stephenson Harwood’s shipping practice apart from their counterparts is their relentless commitment to excellence. The team at provides clients with comprehensive legal advice and specialized expertise in all areas of maritime law.’

‘One key element that distinguishes Stephenson Harwood’s shipping practice is its solid capabilities in advising on marine insurance related matters (either under Hull & Machinery policies or P&I Policies) under English law and UAE local laws. The marine insurance and local shipping team led by partner, Saif Almobideen, comprises an outstanding group of bilingual lawyers qualified from civil and common law jurisdictions.’

‘Saif is as an impressive individual within the firm. His unique skills and expertise in complex cross-border litigation disputes, particularly in the areas of shipping, insurance and crisis management make him a valuable asset to the team.

‘They have an experienced team of good lawyers who assist us with maritime disputes, contracts and other legal matters. ’

‘Rania is a very good and experienced lawyer well versed with International shipping and maritime practices and law. It has always been a pleasure working with her. ’

‘Paul Katsouris and Rania Tadros have exceeded our expectations in handling complex cases involving interpretation of contracts and corporate authorities required for ship sale and purchase agreements, advised on joint venture and shareholders agreement in an impressive turnaround time, and continue to advise the company on its trading fleet as well as recycling deals.’

‘Excellent reactivity and knowledge of local practise within the shipping industry.’

‘Mark Lakin is a savvy and skilled operator who combines excellent commercial instincts along with an in depth knowledge of the law.’

Key clients

National Bank of Fujairah


British Marine


Aggregates Manufacturing Trading


FIMBank plc


Sahara Energy Resource Ltd


International Transport Workers’ Federation


Aria Seaway Ltd


First Marine Services


Wan Hai Lines


West of England P&I Club/Owners of the AG Neptune


Hai Xing


TransAsia Private Capital Limited


Ceto Shipping Corporation


Gulf Marine Services (GMS)


ZMI Holdings (ex-name Zakher Marine International)


Global Feeder Shipping Ltd


Global Marketing Systems Inc. (GMS)


TTMS Club


Milaha Integrated Maritime and Logistics


Dubai Express LLC (Freightworks)


General National Maritime Transport Company


Work highlights


  • Instructed by the owners and the P&I insurers of the Vessel, MV Flower of Sea in respect of a major oil pollution incident in the port of Aqaba in Jordan, which has been widely reported in the regional and industry press.
  • Acting in English High Court, LCIA arbitration, Nigerian Court (Lagos & Abuja) and UAE Court proceedings on behalf of Sahara Energy Resource Ltd in its disputes with UAE based trader Ultimate Oil & Gas DMCC and its Nigerian based parent company Rahamaniyya Oil & Gas DMCC arising from a sale contact.
  • Instructed to advise a global commodity trading company on a joint venture with a UAE-based partner in respect of the acquisition and operation of newbuild product oil tankers.

Clyde & Co LLP

The shipping group at Clyde & Co LLP provides a full-service offering in the marine, commodities and offshore energy sectors and is particularly well-regarded for its substantial contentious expertise. The team is highly sought after by many of the largest clients in the industry, spanning a plethora of top shipyards and owners, charters, energy companies, P&I clubs and insurers. David Leckie heads the firm’s offering for the Middle East and Africa and is a renowned dispute resolution specialist in this field, successfully resolving numerous disputes concerning drilling, EPC and offshore service contracts. Leonard Soudagar, who was promoted to partner in May 2023, leads the firm’s marine and commodities practice in the Middle East and also regularly represents top public and private sector clients on complex and high value disputes.

Practice head(s):

David Leckie; Leonard Soudagar


Testimonials

‘They take impeccably specific approach to each case and very prompt in their responses.’

 

Key clients

Al Buhaira National Insurance Company


FIMBank PLC


Work highlights


  • Represented Al Buhaira Insurance Company in a landmark decision before the DIFC Court of Appeal which upheld the jurisdiction of the DIFC Court over a marine insurance coverage dispute.

Fichte & Co.

The best maritime lawyers in Dubai’, Fichte & Co. offers a deep bench of specialists across the full range of maritime law. On the contentious side, the team is increasingly instructed by P&I clubs and H&M insurers on high-stakes litigation; as well as being particularly active in cases concerning damage and recourse claims for both defendants and claimants. Founding and managing partner Jasmin Fichte is one of the most experienced shipping experts in the region and has worked closely with a number of major government entities. Head of shipping Alessandro Tricoli specialises in ship finance, ship sale & purchase, construction and conversion, while ‘star’ head of shipping litigation Ravi Jawani brings vast experience of marine insurance, carriage of goods by sea and international trade law.

Practice head(s):

Jasmin Fichte; Ravi Janawi; Alessandro Tricoli


Testimonials

‘In my vier they are the best maritime lawyers in Dubai.

‘The star is Ravi Jawani for his legal and commercial skills.’

 

Key clients

Vista Capital Goods Wholesalers LLC


Master Energy LLC


Glow Oil FZC


West of England Insurance Services (Luxembourg) S.A. (Vessel – ‘M V LOANNA’)


North Standard (Vessel – ‘M V PETER S’)


Dry Docks World – Dubai (DDW) -Maersk Sana


Southern Petroleum Transportation JSC (“Southern Petroleum”)


Work highlights


  • Represented Vista Capital Goods Wholesalers LLC in a multimillion-dollar multi-jurisdictional dispute over FOB contracts for soybean commodities. Negotiated a successful settlement agreement, obtaining an admission of debt of USD 17 Million plus interest and a default judgment in the DIFC courts.
  • Represented Glow Oil FZC (charterers) in a cargo contamination dispute against shipowners due to breach of the charterparty regarding tank cleaning. Successfully negotiated a mutual termination of the Charterparty and obtained full security for the claim without litigation. Commenced LMAA arbitration, where owners admitted their breach based on pleadings.
  • Represented Southern Petroleum in a prolonged and complex litigation battle spanning seven years involving a bunker delivery claim.

Hadef & Partners LLC

The shipping group at Hadef & Partners LLC  is ‘willing to be zealous in its representation and is able to think outside the box in providing tailored legal advice.’  The breadth of expertise spans the whole of maritime, trade and insurance law, as well as charter-party disputes, shipbuilding contracts, customs issues and collisions. Practice head Adrian Chadwick is ‘smart, commercial, prompt’ and has extensive commercial dispute resolution experience, as does Richard Briggs, with the pair handling a large volume of shipping litigation, arbitration and ADR.

Practice head(s):

Adrian Chadwick


Other key lawyers:

Richard Briggs; Abdulrahman Juma


Testimonials

‘Huge experience and leading lawyers in our areas of practise; easy to work with.’

‘Fully knowledgeable in our practise areas. Richard Briggs and Adrian Chadwick are outstanding.’

‘Strong commercial advice from user friendly team’

Work highlights


Galadari Advocates & Legal Consultants

Galadari Advocates & Legal Consultants is a ‘reputable firm’ for shipping matters in the UAE and covers a diverse range of maritime-related work, with cargo claims, international trade disputes, salvage and insurance-related matters considered key areas of expertise. Managing partner Ahmed Galadari jointly leads the practice and is a respected authority for shipping disputes, especially before the UAE's Arabic-language courts, while co-head Shani Salim brings over two decades of experience of cross-border contentious work.

Practice head(s):

Ahmed Galadari; Shani Salim


Testimonials

‘GALC is one of the very good and reputable firms in the UAE. ’

Key clients

Genmarca Shipping


CNS Logistics


Etihad Engineering and Marine Services FZC


Interface Technical Inspection


Yacht International Co. LLC


MCL Shipping LLC


Master Field Consultancy/Tisa Shipping Inc.


ISS Palumbo Shipping LLC


Work highlights


  • Represented a high net worth individual in a complex international divorce settlement dispute, securing the release of a USD 540 million yacht and protecting assets totalling over USD 1 billion in DIFC Courts, Dubai Courts and the Joint Judicial Committee.
  • Represented a well-established logistics company in a challenging AED 1.5 billion fine for alleged unauthorised storage of excise goods, with the case pending before the Court of First Instance.
  • Acting on behalf of the defendant guarantors in enforcing an English court judgement within UAE jurisdictions for a high-stakes ship finance and mortgage dispute valued at USD 87 million between US lenders and UAE shipowners.

Watson Farley & Williams

Watson Farley & Williams offers a ‘very experienced and responsive’ maritime practice, regularly advising major clients in the UAE and wider Middle East on complex commercial contracts, finance, corporate and dispute resolution matters. With former practice head Andrew Baird departing the firm in November 2023 to move in-house at ADNOC Logistics, Michael Savva now leads the offering and regularly represents owners and operators on a broad array of non-contentious matters, including sale and purchase, charters and contracts of employment. Senior associate Charlotte Knight is also developing an impressive transactional practice and regularly leads on ship finance negotiations.

Practice head(s):

Michael Savva


Other key lawyers:

Charlotte Knight


Testimonials

‘Very experienced and responsive’.

‘Very commercial in approach and prompt to respond.’

Key clients

Neonautica Ships & Boats Trading LLC


National Bank of Fujairah PJSC


National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri)


ABN AMRO Bank N.V.


Astro Offshore


Tomini Shipping


Work highlights


  • Advising Neonautica Ships and Boats Trading LLC, a shipping start-up, on various corporate and commercial matters.
  • Advising a national Middle Eastern ship owner on the sale of 7 oil tankers and the purchase of 2 VLCCs.
  • Assisting a drilling operations company in connection with the sale of three mobile offshore drilling units to the drilling arm of a leading GCC based oil and gas entity.