Barristers at Twenty Essex have deep experience in appearing for, and against, parties from the UAE. This includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt in international commercial arbitration (DIFC, ICC, LCIA, LMAA) before international law tribunals and appearing before the apex courts of England and Wales on high profile diplomatic immunity and human rights actions.
Selected credentials
- DIFC-LCIA construction arbitration involving the building of a regional hospital.
- Acting for the defendant in DIFC CFI 021/2015 Theron Entertainment LLC v MAG Financial Services LLC, relating to the lease of property following the establishment of a well-known restaurant in the region.
- LCIA arbitration involving an oil and gas dispute in relation to a Kuwaiti well including an anti-suit injunction to restrain Kuwaiti proceedings.
- LCIA arbitration in a dispute with interests owned by the Qatari royal family relating to an oil concession.
- ICC arbitration – alleged fraud in relation to tender process for and running of services contract relating to oil and gas exploration and development in Middle East.
- Advising shipowners in relation to a dispute whether they were obliged to follow orders to trade to Iran, in light of various US and UN sanctions.
- Acting for medical implant company against distributor in a Middle East.
- Reyes v Al-Malki [2015] ICR 931; [2015] IRLR 289 (Court of Appeal; [2017] UKSC 61 (Supreme Court) for former Saudi Arabian diplomat and his wife in a landmark case on diplomatic immunity.
- Campaign Against the Arms Trade v Secretary of State for Department of Business Innovation and Skills – high profile judicial review of UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
- Instructed in the biggest remaining inter-State case before the Iran-US Claims Tribunal, created to resolve the Tehran hostage crisis.
- Sabbagh v Khoury – English Commercial Court dispute by one of Lebanon’s most prominent families and their construction company, the Middle East’s largest, for alleged conspiracy to deprive shares and other assets.
- The Libyan Investment Authority v Goldman Sachs International – US$1 billion English Commercial Court claim on bank’s conduct in relation to the sovereign wealth fund.
- External legal counsel to the Government of Bahrain on the implementation of the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.
- Freedom and Justice Party of Egypt v Foreign & Commonwealth Office – Judicial Review of the Foreign Secretary’s decision to accord Special Mission Status to Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces.