Habib Al Mulla & Partners

Banking and Financial Disputes, Restructuring & Insolvency, and Litigation

Partner and Head of Banking and Financial Disputes

Ali is a Partner and the Head of Banking and Financial Disputes, with over a decade of experience in dispute resolution. His practice focuses on complex local and cross-border commercial, banking, financial, intellectual property, and insolvency litigation.

His litigation portfolio has entailed acting for prominent global, regional and local financial institutions in high-profile cases that have been the subject of media coverage and public scrutiny in the UAE and abroad.

He also specializes in advising and acting for international luxury retail and consumer product brands in commercial agency, distribution, franchising, product liability and IP enforcement matters.

A member of the Beirut Bar Association, Ali matriculated at the Lebanese University where he also finished a year of postgraduate studies before then specializing in International Commercial Law at City, University of London. He later underwent placements at Shearman & Sterling (London) and DLA Piper (Kuwait) before joining Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla in Dubai.

Recognised as a Leading Associate by Legal 500 EMEA 2025 and spotlighted by Chambers Global 2026 for Restructuring/Insolvency: Onshore Court Litigation, Ali has established himself as a formidable advocate for international luxury retail brands, advising on commercial agency, distribution, and franchise disputes.

Legal 500 noticed him as a ‘key name’ and he has been referred to as “an excellent lawyer” by his clients who mainly operate in the sectors of banking, finance, energy, luxury goods and consumer products. In addition to heading the Firm’s Banking and Finance Team, Ali is a regular commentator on the trends and practices in the UAE. He also engages heavily with various societal stakeholders and practitioners in discussing and commenting on legislations (in both Arabic and English), whether in workshops or seminars (with the most recent of which being for Dubai Chambers) and in external publications.

English, Arabic

→ Licensed by the Beirut Bar Association

→ Licensed by the Dubai Legal Affairs Department

City University of London: LL.M. (Master of Laws) with Commendation (Merit) in International Commercial Law (2015-2016). His dissertation focused on Intellectual Property Law and received a Distinction.

Lebanese University: - M2 Master’s Research Programme with a specialization in Business Law (On hold). - M1 Master’s Taught Programme with a specialization in Law (2014-2015)1. LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) (2011-2014).