A dazzling venue, the finest lawyers and teams, prestigious accolades: The trifecta symbolising the legal industry’s very own “Oscars” was on full display on Nov. 17 at the Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel in the United Arab Emirates.
As evening lights illuminated Dubai’s vibrant landscape, more than 160 private practitioners, in-house counsel, and legal community leaders flocked to the heart of the UAE’s most populous city, where the first in-person ALB Middle East Law Awards made a glamourous entrance.
“Tonight marks our first in-person awards ceremony and there is no better way to celebrate and to bring all of you in the beautiful ballroom in Dubai,” said Amantha Chia, head of Legal Media Business at Thomson Reuters in her welcome speech. “With all the heated action in Middle East and North Africa, plentiful opportunities will occupy legal professionals in the region,” she added.
A total of 66 law firms and in-house teams across all categories submitted around 300 entries for this year’s awards, which featured 30 categories spanning deals, individuals and organisations.
Al Tamimi & Company and White & Case shared the spotlight as the biggest victors of the night with four awards each (excluding deals). AI Tamimi & Company was crowned Middle East Law Firm of the Year, UAE Law Firm of the Year and Kuwait Law Firm of the Year, while also dominating the Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year category.
White & Case won the Deal Firm of the Year and Fintech Law Firm of the Year accolades. The firm’s Dough Peel was freshly minted as Managing Partner of the Year, with associate Fraser Galloway recognised as Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm). White & Case was also present in the deals categories as the firm advised on the Equity Market Deal of the Year award, namely DEWA’s IPO, and the M&A Deal of the Year award, which was Samba Financial Group’s merger with National Commercial Bank in Saudi Arabia.
PepsiCo triumphed in the in-house categories, clinching three awards that included ESG In-House team of the Year. Legal Director Anna Engstrom pulled off a two-award haul, taking home the Women Lawyer of the Year (In-House) and Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House) trophies.
Saudi Aramco trounced the field to claim the hotly contested Middle East In-House Team of the Year award. The In-House Lawyer of the Year title, also much coveted, went to David Nicholas Holiday of Depa Group.
Other strong performers included Bird & Bird, which emerged victorious in the Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year category, with partner Melissa Murray being named Women Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm).
Hage-Chahine Law Firm and Pinsent Masons picked up two awards apiece. Hage-Chahine was hailed as Arbitration Law Firm of the Year and Lebanon Law Firm of the Year, while Pinsent Masons snatched the Qatar Law Firm of the Year and Construction and Real Estate Law Firm of the Year awards.
Khoshaim & Associates snapped up the Saudi Arabia Law Firm of the Year title. The firm also advised on the Debt Market Deal of the Year and M&A Deal of the Year awards.
