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Middle East
We have been working with clients in the GCC region for over 30 years and operating on the ground in the Middle East for over 15 years. With both English and Arabic speaking lawyers, our experienced Middle East team understand your specific requirements and the nuances of each market place in the region.
We undertake some of the region’s highest value transactions and cases and our partners in the Middle East are consistently ranked as leading lawyers in their respective fields in the independent directories such as Chambers Global and Legal 500. We are particularly proud of our investment in lawyers with local law qualifications which brings an important multi-cultural dynamic to our Middle East team.
Our lawyers work seamlessly across the Middle East offices servicing clients from a ‘one team’ perspective regardless of geography and leveraging specific expertise from our other international offices as and when required. We work with a variety of clients and industries including, government entities and regulators, sovereign wealth funds, multi-national and regional corporates, major investors, high-profile families and individuals.
Whatever your requirements, you will find our partners are very hands-on, delivering practical solutions. We will provide you with partner led relationship management and we are dedicated to developing deep rooted relationships enabling us to fully understand your needs and objectives and respond accordingly.
All three of our offices are permanently staffed by lawyers with both local and international experience who are actively involved in the wider Middle East business community.
We continue to grow across all our Middle East offices and we look forward to you joining us on this exciting journey.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
We are one of the largest and most reputable Litigation and Dispute Resolution teams in the Middle East, practicing both Common Law and Civil Law in multiple jurisdictions across a number of sectors.
At Charles Russell Speechlys, we are committed to managing and resolving your disputes as swiftly as possible. Our experienced, partner-led teams work closely with you to fully understand the issues you are facing. We focus our energies on achieving the best possible outcome for you and your organisation using the most appropriate dispute resolution techniques.
We work with governments, regulators, sovereign wealth funds, multinational corporations, major companies and family businesses. Our team has experts across a range of industries from media to medicine, telecoms to trusts, manufacturing to insurance and property to professional negligence.
We work throughout the Middle East on banking and corporate litigation, arbitration, mediation and negotiation; handling some of the most complex, sensitive and high value claims in the region.
We are able to conduct litigation and arbitration matters based on common law or civil law throughout the Gulf region.
A substantial proportion of our team our bilingual in Arabic and English and we are able to advise on and act in local, regional and international matters.
Real Estate
When you work with our award winning Real Estate team you work with a group of experts who believe in cutting through the red tape and making things happen.
We know that real estate matters can often involve complex legal issues, which is why we are committed to providing you with a jargon-free, practical approach.
We deliver a comprehensive range of property related services both locally and regionally to a range of clients including occupiers, corporates, major investors, developers, contractors, consultants, charities, government entities and high- profile families and individuals across the Middle East.
We have our on-the-ground Real Estate practice serves the region from our Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar offices. We believe in working proactively with our clients to understand their legal requirements and objectives and achieve their goals. We pride ourselves in providing practical, commercial and innovative advice which adds value and provides our clients with a competitive advantage.
In addition, we have extensive experience of advising our local clients (both corporates and individuals) in relation to investing into both commercial and residential property in the UK.
We are here to help you with:
- Urban development & regeneration
- Acquisitions and disposals
- Investment and property management
- Property finance
- Hotels & hospitality
- Real estate investment trusts
- Low cost housing/infrastructure projects and PPP’s
- UK Residential Property Investment
Construction, Engineering & Projects
Our award-winning construction team delivers pragmatic, commercial advice geared towards timely, cost effective completion of projects.
Our regionally based Construction, Engineering & Projects team can serve you from our Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar offices.
We deliver a comprehensive range of construction related services both locally, regionally and globally. We advise on contentious and non-contentious issues relating to construction contracts and development, engineering and projects. Our projects cover a wide range of industries and sectors including residential, commercial, marine, infrastructure, healthcare, education, hotels and leisure.
We service both the public and private sectors and act on behalf of government and regulatory clients, project developers, lenders and investors, contractors, subcontractors and consultants. The team is experienced in drafting all forms of construction and engineering contracts including FIDIC, NEC and JCT.
We advise clients on contentious matters and disputes including use of ADR strategy, adjudication, expert determination, local and international construction litigation and arbitration.
We are here to help you with:
- Drafting, negotiating and amending bespoke construction and engineering contracts
- Advising on procurement and tendering
- Drafting and negotiating project forms, consultancy agreements and security documentation
- Advising on contract claims strategy and contract administration disputes, insolvency and dispute resolution matters including local and international arbitration
Banking & Finance
Global banking and finance markets are becoming increasingly complex.
Our team will advise you on the whole range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions including both conventional and Islamic structures and products. We also advise on restructuring existing facilities.
We work with both lender and borrower clients, including the major clearing banks, commercial and private banks, non-bank lenders, investment funds, institutional investors, corporate borrowers, hedge funds and family offices. We also act for some of the leading banking regulators in the region.
We can assist you with complex transactions, whilst providing the hands-on, practical and tailored support that you need. With a Partner-led service and international relationships across the Middle East, UK and Europe, our client relationships are long standing and we will work alongside you as your trusted adviser.
In tandem with the growing importance of Islamic finance, we have developed a team of specialists with expertise across key jurisdictions and practice areas, including banking, corporate finance, real estate and private client capital.
The team specialises in structuring, documenting and negotiating transactions compliant with Shari'ah principles.
We are here to help you with:
- Asset management structuring
- Islamic banking
- Islamic offshore products
- Conventional Banking Agreements
- Key developments in Islamic banking and finance
- Risk management and derivatives
- Loan and security agreements
Corporate
Our Corporate lawyers give pragmatic and commercial advice.
We fully understand our client’s needs and aims from the start, embedding ourselves in their teams and working right alongside them to build strong relationships based on trust.
We act for some of the largest corporates in the Middle East and understand the particular challenges in the region, constantly advising clients on changing governance.
Whether a global brand or a regional entrepreneur our team will set you up for success. We are hands-on supporting a growing business through a major deal, advising investors or management teams on private equity transactions, management buy-outs and buy-ins, or advising a global business on the acquisition trail, our corporate team provides tailored expert advice and commercial common sense. We give fast-growing companies responsive advice that lets them scale-up, develop brands, build market share and attract new investment.
We act as a partner to established multi-nationals who need full-service legal support to operate across multiple jurisdictions.
We are here to help you with:
Commercial
Successful businesses identify opportunities, exploit gains, and assess and minimise associated risk in order to thrive.
We have extensive experience advising international clients across all the firm’s key sectors, particularly in Technology, Media, Telecommunications, Sports, Retail and Financial Services.
We provide advice to multinationals and GCC headquartered companies on all aspects of employment work, including transactional work, day-to-day employee relations and employment litigation. We also provide compliance advice in relation to relevant regulations and legislation, and assist with matters relating to immigration law, team moves, business protection and restrictive covenants.
Our local experts will guide you through the ever-changing employment environment in the region, working closely with you to understand your unique recruitment culture, and any employment issues, acting as an extension of your in-house team. We can also leverage our wider network of employment specialists in other locations of the Firm if required to provide a full international service.
If you’re a regional client, we can act as an extension to your in-house legal team, partnering with your staff, tailoring legal services to support your specific needs and objectives.
We are here to help you with:
- Supply and manufacturing agreements
- Standard terms and conditions of supply and purchase
- Sales, marketing, advertising, promotion and sponsorship agreements
- Representation, agency, distributorship, franchise arrangements, licensing & multi-channel strategies
- Joint ventures, co-operation and collaboration agreements, strategic partnerships
- Procurement and outsourcing
- Technology agreements and consultancy
- All forms of intellectual property contracting, consultancy, prosecution and maintenance
- Licensing, research, development and exploitation agreements
- Data protection
- Employment
- The full range of legal services to the media, entertainment and sports industries
Intellectual Property
Virtually every business worldwide has intellectual property that may be of vital importance to its continued success.
Our role is to enable you to make the most of your intellectual property assets through protection, enforcement and commercialisation. We will work with you to establish your needs and objectives for IP, and will identify the most suitable form, geographical extent, and availability of protection and manage the relevant process.
Our contentious experience ranges from the largest legally and technically complex multi-national patent disputes to copyright, design and trademark disputes involving developing legal issues such as the protection of colour and shape (often with multi-jurisdictional issues and which involve internet based infringements), to smaller disputes which (even though they may be of a limited nature) are often critical to our clients’ businesses.
We use a range of approaches (including alternative dispute resolution techniques) to resolve such matters, while remaining alert to our clients overall commercial objectives.
We are here to help you with:
- Acquisitions and disposals of intellectual property
- Franchising, merchandising & sponsorship
- Joint ownership agreements
- Licensing of all forms of intellectual property and confidential information
- Protocols for schemes of management of intellectual property, including jointly owned portfolios or pools of property
- Related agreements such as research and development agreements and confidentiality undertakings
- Trade mark applications, renewals and watches.
Private Wealth
We are one of the leading Private wealth law firms in the world. We have been specialising in this area for over 250 years. Our private clients have shaped our business, and we’ve worked with them on all aspects of their legal affairs.
At all times we seek to draw on our long history and experience of acting for international private clients in relation to protecting, holding and structuring their assets and wealth. Our role is to enable people to make the most of their wealth now and in the future.
With a full service legal team, our advice is offered in the context of your succession planning, your marriage, your family life and values, your property and your assets. We are deeply embedded in the world of private wealth, advising private banks, trust companies and family offices.
We are here to help you with:
- Estate planning and succession
- Wills and inheritance
- Trust establishment, administration and restructuring
- Charities and philanthropy
- Matrimonial and family law
- Immigration law
- Personal tax and asset planning
- UK taxes and tax compliance
- International tax and trust planning
- Family office structuring and operations
- Pre-IPO and post-IPO trust planning
- Probate and estate administration
- Property (local and international)
- Reputation management
- Trust and estate litigation
- Business planning
- Art and luxury
UAE
At the intersection of Asia and Europe, the UAE is a rapidly growing international hub for global businesses and family offices alike.
Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain has one of the most diverse economies in the Middle East, offering a gateway to the wider region for international investors.
Qatar
We are one of the few international law firms in Doha with lawyers permanently based on the ground advising multinational and local clients doing business in Qatar and the wider region.
Our awards
Related pages
Aviation
We advise major players in the sector on the full breadth of aviation industry related work.
Banking & Finance
We can provide you with clear, jargon-free advice. Our team will advise you on the whole range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions.
Commercial
Our Commercial lawyers work across all the firm’s key sectors, from technology to retail, from global brands to entrepreneurial ventures.
Construction & Engineering
We understand the challenges on large scale construction and engineering projects and can provide you with a personable, highly responsive specialist service.
Corporate
We invest time to get to know you and understand how we can best support you to successfully achieve your business goals.
Dispute Resolution
Our team of experts delivers commercial, pragmatic and strategic advice tailored to your needs and objectives across an unrivalled range of sectors and specialisms.
Intellectual Property
Virtually every business worldwide has intellectual property, some of which can be of vital importance to its continued success.
Private Client
Our Private Clients have shaped the way we do business. We respond to your personal plans across multiple areas in the UK and globally.
Real Estate
Whether we are representing your personal or business interests, we aim to build a long-term partnership with you throughout the entire property asset life cycle.
Our thinking
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