Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm

Chairman

Mr. Essa Mohammad Al Sulaiti is a Qatari attorney admitted to practice before the Court of Cassation by the Qatar Lawyers Admission Committee. He serves as an active Board Member of the Qatar Lawyers Association (QLA) and is also a Board Member of the Qatar Experts and Arbitrators Association for Cultural and Awareness (QEAACA).

Drawing on his prior education and experience in reputable law firms, Mr. Al Sulaiti founded Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm in 2015 to effectively align his practice with a personal mission: addressing the emerging legal demands of local and international businesses operating in the State of Qatar.

Mr. Al Sulaiti is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), and an arbitrator certified by the GCC Commercial Arbitration Centre (GCC-CAC), Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA), and Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA), Kuwait Commercial Arbitration Center (KCAC), and Oman Commercial Arbitration Center (OCAC).

Mr. Al Sulaiti has represented clients and served as counsel in international arbitration proceedings held under several rules such as but not limited to; the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA). As an arbitrator, he has been appointed in several disputes as a sole arbitrator and as a member of a tribunal, including as a president of an arbitral tribunal. Throughout his arbitral experience, he has also advised clients on disputes concerning arbitration clauses, governing law, jurisdiction, the enforcement of arbitration awards, and international judgment enforcement.

Mr. Al Sulaiti’s experience includes a broad range of corporate services with a focus on dispute resolution. He also works closely with various local and international clients advising on mergers, acquisitions, takeovers, leveraged buyouts and joint ventures, and has represented several companies, shareholders and directors in corporate/commercial disputes in court and arbitration. Mr. Al Sulaiti’s practice emphasizes counselling clients on company formation/establishment, foreign investment across a full range of industries and a broad variance of corporate governance matters, including structuring, directors’ duties, shareholders’ responsibilities, general meetings/assemblies, corporate compliance matters, legal auditing and due diligence. He was also recognized as a “Recommended Lawyer” for the years 2023 and 2024 by The Legal 500 EMEA Editions.

Mr. Al Sulaiti’s background couples extensive academic experience and hands-on practice in the legal sector of the construction industry. His practice emphasizes resolving complex construction disputes through mediation, and when necessary, arbitration and litigation in relation to projects in Qatar and internationally.

Mr. Al Sulaiti frequently addresses construction claims and has handled hundred-million-dollar litigations and arbitrations involving breach of contract, construction and design defect, delays/damages, variations and impact, default, and termination matters. Given his depth of experience, he has provided an impressive range of services to his clients, including advising on FIDIC, EPC, design/build, design and construction contracts as well as risk management, negotiation of contracts, project legal counselling/guidance and preparation of claims. In this field, Mr. Essa Al Sulaiti received the “Lawyer of the Year” honour at the LegalCommunity MENA Awards 2022 in the field of Infrastructure & Construction. This accolade highlights his exceptional legal skills and contributions, solidifying his reputation as a distinguished practitioner and arbitrator.

Mr. Al Sulaiti represents and regularly counsels main and sub-contractors, project managers, engineers, employers and other members of the construction and government contract industries. This includes the representation of contractors and owners in connection with some of the most prominent projects built throughout the State of Qatar, both public and private.

In the public arena, he has extensive experience counselling, litigating, and arbitrating complex disputes regarding high profile facilities, government construction/civil works and projects pertaining to museums, sport stadiums, rails, bridges, plants, and highways.

In the private sector, Mr. Al Sulaiti has ample experience providing counsel, litigating, arbitrating, and mediating substantial claims concerning private assets including hotels, malls, residential/commercial towers, and medical and manufacturing facilities.

Arabic English

Board Member of Qatar Lawyers Association (QLA). Board Member of Qatar Experts and Arbitrators Association for Cultural and Awareness (QEAACA). Arbitrator at Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA). Arbitrator at Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA). Arbitrator at Kuwait Commercial Arbitration Center (KCAC). Arbitrator at Oman Commercial Arbitration Center (OCAC). Member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). Former Member of the ICC Qatar - Commission on Arbitration & ADR Committee (ICC). Member of the International Chamber of Commerce – Qatar (ICC). Member of the International BAR Association (IBA).

Executive Masters (LLM) in Sports Law from Qatar Olympic Academy (Certified by the Olympic Council of Asia, ANOC, Olympic Solidarity, TAS/CAS) – Qatar. Bachelor's degree in law (LLB) from Swansea University - UK.