OGH Legal

Overview

OGH Legal is the UAE's, and the Arab world's, only pure-play specialist disputes firm. Founded in Dubai in 2016, OGH has grown into one of the UAE's most consequential litigation practices by every measure: the scale and complexity of its active caseload, the profile of its clients, its consistent win record against the market's established leaders, and a rapidly expanding team of over 40 lawyers, more than 80% of whom bring 15 to 20 years of local court experience.

The firm operates from key hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Cairo. Its live book of work exceeds AED 50 billion in combined quantum - a figure that rises by more than 30% when matters concluded in the past 18 months are included. The client base spans Dubai and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds, European government entities, US Fortune 50 companies, state-owned enterprises, five of the UAE's wealthiest non-royal family houses, and members of UAE royal families and their commercial enterprises, as well as leading UAE and GCC corporates and financial institutions.

What Sets OGH Apart

OGH's model is distinctive and unreplicated in this market. It is the only disputes focused firm. It delivers full-service before local courts across all seven Emirates, including the special courts of ADGM and DIFC.

This is why leading international law firms regularly instruct OGH as preferred co-counsel on UAE law matters, be it in local courts, or arbitration.

In addition, many of the firm’s senior lawyers regularly act as Arab law experts in foreign court, and arbitration proceedings, including past mandates before courts in the UK, Ireland, Canada, the US and Australia.

OGH's sector expertise is equally distinctive. The firm holds a Chambers Spotlight ranking in Restructuring and Insolvency - the only UAE boutique with that specific recognition. Its construction, real estate, banking, commercial, fraud and white-collar crime practices are each supported by dedicated sector experience and landmark mandates rather than general capability.

Scale and Track Record

The firm's partners have handled over 2,000 cases combined. OGH consistently takes on complex mandates and delivers results that predecessor counsel could not achieve. Most relevantly, in 2 large NPL recovery portfolio OGH achieved results on matters that had been unsuccessfully litigated for years without any serious results. This included, pioneering credit-bidding otherwise a process not adopted locally.

Acting on the UAE’s local courts largest claim, in quantum, and representing a foreign government in a multi-jurisdictional action, acting for the main creditors in the UAE’s largest debt-equity swap contentious restructuring, are just a few examples of the AED 50 billion live book of cases currently being handled by OGH.

The firm has doubled in size in the past 18 months and continues to grow. As one institutional client has noted: 'There is rarely a big dispute in the UAE that OGH do not have a role in, of one sort or another.'

Awards & Recognition

▸ Winner: Boutique Firm of the Year — Legal 500 Middle East Awards 2026

▸ Legal 500 EMEA 2026: Tier 1, Dispute Resolution: Local Litigation | Ranked: Construction (including disputes) | Top Ranked Partner: Mohamed ElGhatit | Ranked Partner: Sherif Hikal | Next Generation Partner: Dr. Suzanne Abdullah

▸ Chambers Global 2025: Band 2, Dispute Resolution: Domestic | Spotlight: Restructuring & Insolvency | Ranked: Construction Dispute Resolution

▸ Shortlisted: Domestic Litigation Law Firm of the Year — Chambers Middle East Awards 2025

▸ Winner: Construction Team of the Year — The Oath Middle East Legal Awards 2024

▸ Winner: Banking and Finance Team of the Year | IP Firm of the Year — The Oath Middle East Legal Awards 2023

▸ Finalist: UAE Law Firm of the Year | Construction Law Firm of the Year | Litigation Law Firm of the Year — ALB Middle East Legal Awards

OGH Legal | Business Bay Prime Tower, Burj Khalifa Boulevard, 15th Floor, Office 1507, Dubai, UAE | +971 4 380 8838 | [email protected] | oghlegal.com