Nabeel Ikram > Vinson & Elkins LLP > Dubai, United Arab Emirates > Lawyer Profile
Vinson & Elkins LLP Offices
Office 1207 Index Tower
P.O. Box 504945
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
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Nabeel Ikram
Position
Partner
Career
Nabeel serves as Head of International Disputes – MENA. He is ranked as a leading lawyer for both construction and dispute resolution by The Legal 500, Chambers Global and Who’s Who Legal, and has over two decades of experience advising clients on construction and commercial disputes.
After qualifying as a lawyer in 2000, he initially focused solely on construction disputes but he also has a flourishing commercial disputes practice. His practice is centred on disputes arising throughout the MENA region (in particular, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) and he has experience of across a range of governing laws. He has been based in Dubai since 2008, prior to which, he practiced in London.
He regularly represent developers, contractors and consultants on some of the largest projects in the region. These include airports, rail and metro projects, skyscrapers, hospitals, hotels, malls, leisure facilities, stadiums, residential, urban re-development projects, power plants, oil refineries, desalination plants, and renewable energy projects.
His commercial disputes practice encompasses a variety of sectors including banking, energy, leisure, hospitality, health, education, retail, telecoms, insurance and the tech sector. Among others, he has led disputes relating to shareholder agreements, Islamic finance transactions, SPAs, put options, franchise agreements, services agreements, distribution agreements, and commercial real estate transactions.
Most disputes Nabeel leads have International Arbitration as the forum but he also has significant litigation experience (in particular in the English, the DIFC and the ADGM Courts) and had conduct of the first construction case which went to trial before the DIFC Courts and the first ever case before the ADGM Courts. He also has extensive experience of all forms of ADR including mediation which is becoming increasingly popular in the region.
Although best known for his disputes practice he has drafted the contract documentation used by market-leading developers and negotiated construction contracts on their behalf for some of the largest projects in the region. He also acts as project counsel for clients, assisting them with risk management and claims preparation in order to achieve their commercial objectives while avoiding a formal dispute.
Having successfully represented clients on some of the largest and most complicated disputes the region has ever seen, it is little wonder Nabeel is highly regarded by his peers and considered as a leading authority on contentious matters across the Middle East.
Education
- M.Sc., Construction Law and Arbitration, King’s College London, 2003
- M.A., Jurisprudence, University of Oxford, St Catherine’s College, 1996
Lawyer Rankings
United Arab Emirates > Construction
(Leading partners)Praised for its ‘collaborative and commercially focused’, Vinson & Elkins LLP is particularly active across the hospitality and retail sectors. Nabeel Ikram and James Loftis jointly oversee the team; Ikram in particular is commended for his ‘consistent, excellent advice.’
United Arab Emirates > Dispute resolution: arbitration and international litigation
Vinson & Elkins LLP is chiefly active on energy, infrastructure and oil and gas-related arbitration, handling complex engineering and construction matters for a range of regional and international industry players. Nabeel Ikram represents developers, contractors and consultants on contentious issues arising from projects. James Loftis splits his time between Dubai and Houston and is frequently sought out by government bodies and national oil companies for representation.