About
Haleema’s practice encompasses advising multinational companies, banks, governments, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals on a range of complex matters; including those pertaining to general commercial litigation and arbitration, banking and finance, investigations, as well as international and regional enforcement. Haleema has a particular focus on litigation in the English Courts, the DIFC Courts, and the UAE Courts as well as arbitration and mediation in London, Bahrain, and in the UAE; including under the rules of the DIFC-LCIA, LCIA, ICC, DIAC and the BCDR-AAA. Haleema has also completed a secondment to the DIFC Courts’ Registry.
Prior to qualifying as a lawyer, Haleema worked British Foreign & Development Commonwealth Office in South Africa, Botswana, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem and Zambia. Haleema maintains a strong interest in Pro Bono work and is actively involved in a number of associated initiatives.
Haleema is admitted to practice in England and Wales, the Dubai International Financial Centre (Part 1 registered), and the Emirate of Dubai.
Haleema is fluent in Urdu and Punjabi.
Experience
- Defending proceedings in the English Commercial Court in respect of the high-value sale of an Islamic Manuscript.
- Successfully defending a UAE investment company in an AED 800 million+ partnership dispute with a foreign listed property developer in an LCIA arbitration. Commencing related court proceedings in Singapore and the DIFC Courts.
- Commencing arbitral proceedings (under the rules of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre) against a commercial entity in the UAE on behalf of a global telecommunications company for breaches of a supply contract.
- Acting for the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Bahrain in relation to the structural separation of the Bahrain Telecommunications Company BSC(c); the first project of its kind in the GCC.
- Working as part of the team on the Awal Bank Administration, which involved 75 litigation suits in over 7 different jurisdictions.
- Advising a Luxembourg investment fund on litigation options in the UAE Courts and bringing subsequent legal action against the UAE branch of a foreign parent company.
- Representing a global luxury automotive manufacturer in defending DIFC-LCIA proceedings relating to the termination of an import agreement and managing related proceedings (including anti-suit applications) in the Courts of Pakistan.
- Acting for a leading UAE electronics retailer in defending DIFC-LCIA proceedings relating to commission payments under a distribution agreement.
- Acting in complex, multi-jurisdictional litigation for a prominent UAE insurer in the DIFC and Dubai Courts.
- Advising a global loyalty and travel consolidator company and conducting forensic investigations in respect of a dispute relating to the misappropriation of Intellectual Property. This matter also involved assisting with (and obtaining) a subpoena under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 for the disclosure of information (which was then used in evidence in parallel proceedings in the Dubai Courts).
