Court Users’ Committee

Amna Al Owais is currently the Chief Registrar of the DIFC Courts and oversees operations and quality management, supervising the Courts’ Judicial Officers and Registry personnel, as well as the delivery of a comprehensive suite of court public services.

In addition to her role as Chief Registrar of the DIFC Courts, Amna is also Registrar of the Special Tribunal Related to Dubai World, Chairwoman of the DIFC Courts’ Users’ Committee, Chairwoman of the DIFC Courts’ In-House Counsel Committee, and a member of the Consulting Council for the University of Sharjah College of Law. In 2014, Amna was appointed to the Advisory Board of the International Bar Association’s Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee.

In 2014, Amna was selected to join the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development (MBRCLD) – the Young Leaders category, and furthermore in 2018 after the relaunch of the MBRCLD, under the Dubai Executive Office and after an extensive selection process, Amna was selected to join the first batch of the MBRCLD Impactful Leaders Programme. Amna successfully graduated in December 2018.

She also spearheaded the establishment of the DIFC Courts’ Pro Bono Programme, launched in 2009, which is the first scheme of its kind in the Middle East.

In 2019, Amna was invited to join the Dubai Future Councils, a new initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Dubai Future Foundation.

Launched in 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance, Amna was also selected by the University Leadership Council and Université Paris II to be in the first cohort of the International Business Law LLM and graduated summa cum laude in 2020. In September 2019, Amna was also appointed to the College of Law Advisory Board of the University of Dubai.

Amna has also successfully completed the magnificent Director Development Programme for Corporate Governance (4 modules) provided by the prestigious Hawkamah Institute in 2019.

Previous to her employment at the DIFC Courts, Amna practiced as a lawyer in the litigation department with Hadef Al Dhahiri & Associates, now known as Hadef & Partners. Amna holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Law from the University of Sharjah and obtained a Masters (LLM) with Commendation in International Commercial Law from Kingston University, London.

Ayesha was appointed as a Registrar of the DIFC Courts in November 2022. She currently oversees case progression at the DIFC Courts, as well as sitting as a judge and mediator with the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT). Ayesha also hears applications in the Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal and the Enforcement Department. Ayesha also oversees the day-to-day function of the DIFC Courts Wills Service.

Ayesha joined the DIFC Courts in the role of Case Progression Officer in March 2015 and was promoted to the role of Assistant Registrar in 2018. In 2019, Ayesha was appointed as the Deputy Registrar of the Small Claims Tribunal and in 2020 Ayesha was appointed Deputy Registrar of the DIFC Courts.

Ayesha holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and Political Science from University of Saint Joseph Dubai and studied on a scholarship from the Edad Leadership Programme. She is also qualified to appear before the local and federal courts in the UAE.

Colin practises as an independent arbitrator, advocate and mediator under Colin Seow Chambers LLC (www.colinseowchambers.com). He brings with him more than twelve years of judicial and adjudicatory experience in the Singapore Judicial Service dealing with a broad spectrum of commercial disputes.

Colin is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (FSIArb), a Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (FACICA), and an accredited mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) and Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI). He is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Singapore Arbitration Group, the European Chinese Arbitrators Association, the Polish Arbitration Association, and the Hungarian Arbitration Association.

He is admitted as a Panel/List arbitrator in several international arbitration centres, including the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre (BVI IAC), the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), the Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC), the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA), and the Brunei Darussalam Arbitration Centre (BDAC).

Colin is qualified to practise Singapore law as an Advocate and Solicitor, and English law as a Solicitor in England and Wales. He is also registered as a Part II Legal Practitioner at the DIFC Courts with full rights of audience.

Colin is based in Poland and Singapore.

Hamdan is a UAE national, educated at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and has nearly a decade of successful litigation experience across the United Arab Emirates. He started his career in the Banking & Finance department of Al Tamimi & Co in the DIFC office. Furthermore, whilst being part of the Banking & Finance department he also participated in many cases in other departments out of his interest to learn more. In this time he qualified as a practitioner in the UAE and therefore represents clients in the UAE courts including Dubai.

He then joined the Infrastructure Department at Mubadala Development Company in Abu Dhabi. In Mubadala he got involved in the finance department taking part in large university and other infrastructure turn-key projects which involved real estate, construction and finance matters. After setting up Hamdan Alshamsi Lawyers & legal Consultants “HAS”, he decided to set up a full-fledged practice including advisory and transactional work and ever since overseen more than 500 litigation disputes in the UAE courts, DIFC courts and various different arbitration centers and has advised in more than 130 transactions and advisory matters.

Hamdan has built one of Dubai’s most reputable and respected Emirati law practices. He is widely regarded as a top litigator in the Dubai Courts with extensive experience in corporate, banking & finance, and insurance law.

Hamdan advises both local and international companies as well as governmental entities in cases involving complex transactional disputes.

Jacques Visser heads the Legal, Registrars and Regulatory Compliance departments of the DIFC Authority and its wholly owned subsidiary, DIFC Investments Ltd. In his service to the DIFC, he is also entrusted with the following appointments:

• • Supervisory Board Member of the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings Plan (DEWS)
• • Board Member and Chairman of the Investment Committee of the DIFC Fintech Fund
• Board Member and Member of the Investment Committee of the Dubai Future District Fund
• • Board Member of xCube LLC
• • DIFC Commissioner of Data Protection
• • DIFC Security Registrar
• • Secretary to the DIFC Higher Board, the DIFC Authority Board and the DIFC Investments Ltd Board
• • Editor-in-Chief of the Laws of the DIFC publication

Ludmila Yamalova is the founder and Managing Partner of the law firm in Dubai, which she founded and has been managing since 2009.

Ludmila has been actively practicing law for over twenty (20) years, in the U.S.A. and the U.A.E., six (6) of which were in the Silicon Valley, California. There, she worked at DLA Piper and as an Associate General Counsel (AGC) for Finisar Corp (FNSR).

In the U.A.E., Ludmila is a licensed by the Dubai Legal Affairs Department (Ruler’s Court), Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) Courts, and registered as an arbitrator at the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC).

Over the years, Ludmila has gained the reputation of a go-to legal expert in the industry, in the region. She is often quoted and featured by mainstream national and international media. At an international level, these include the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Reuters, etc. Ludmila has also apepared on BBC, CNC, ABC and EuroNews. In the region, she is often quoted by The National, Gulf News, Khaleej Times, LovinDubai, Zawya, Arabian Business and many others.

Ludmila’s active and informative social media presence has led her to be considered as a news outlet by, among other things, the U.A.E. Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE).

Ludmila often hosts legal webinars and training for various private, government and semi-government entities. She has been a regular participant at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF). She also conducts legal webinars for Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).

Mohamed is a Founding and Co-Managing Partner of OGH Legal. He has more than 20 years’ experience working in the Middle East and has been involved in disputes in numerous jurisdictions primarily in the UAE (including DIFC and ADGM), Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Mohamed is a highly regarded Court litigator in the UAE and Egypt. He has acted on more than 500 cases before the local courts. He also regularly acts as counsel and arbitrator in a broad range of complex and transnational disputes in various sectors, including construction, real estate, energy, IT, hotels and tourism, as well as banking and finance.

Mohamed has also handled cases under most of the major arbitration rules, including LCIA, DIAC, ICC, CRCICA, and UNCITRAL.

Mohamed has also handled cases under most of the major arbitration rules, including LCIA, DIAC, ICC, CRCICA, and UNCITRAL.

Before founding OGH Legal, Mohamed was Director (and Registrar) of the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre and the acting head of Hogan Lovells’ Middle East Disputes’ practice. He was previously a member of the AAA ICDR Arabic Rules Committee.

Mohamed is a has been recognised by a number of industry publications including Legal 500 and Chambers since 2012 onwards

Ms Dandan joined the DFSA in September 2015 as General Counsel and Secretary to the Board as well as Head of Legal Affairs.

She is responsible for advising the DFSA’s Board of Directors and its various committees on all legal issues touching upon their functions and responsibilities, as well as governance matters. She also oversees the Board Secretarial function, ensuring the effective management of the affairs of the Board and its committees.

Ms Dandan also heads the DFSA’s Legal Division, which is responsible for managing the DFSA’s legal risk and providing legal advice and support for all aspects of the DFSA’s functions, as well as drafting the administrative laws and rules forming the DFSA’s regulatory framework.

Prior to joining the DFSA, Ms Dandan spent five years as Head of Legal for the corporate and retail banking businesses of Barclays Bank PLC across the Middle East. Before that she served for several years as Senior Legal Advisor for HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, advising on all aspects of HSBC’s operations across the Middle East and North Africa, including their corporate, commercial, private wealth, retail and investment banking business lines.

Ms Dandan obtained her law degree in the United Kingdom and is qualified to practice law in England and Wales, as well as in Hong Kong. Prior to returning to her Middle Eastern roots, Ms Dandan spent over ten years working for international law firms in both London and Hong Kong with a focus on advising large financial institutions and global corporates.

Nathan is the Head of Dispute Resolution at Support Legal. He manages a broad practice in commercial and civil disputes, with a particular focus on technology, media, shareholder, and joint venture disputes. Nathan's passion lies in representing individuals and businesses within the innovation ecosystem, including founders, entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups, and SMEs. He also possesses substantial experience in acting for family offices, as well as HNW and UHNW individuals.

Nathan boasts a career spanning over 13 years, during which he has specialised in complex litigation in the UK, UAE, and Cayman Islands. He has been practicing in the DIFC since 2015 and has worked across the entire spectrum of dispute resolution matters. His experience ranges from handling complex DIFC cases at both the First Instance and Appeal levels to aiding users of the DIFC Small Claims Tribunal.

Nathan has a significant arbitration practice, having worked on some of the longest-running and highest value commercial arbitrations in history. Nathan has acted in arbitrations under the PCA, ICC, LCIA, DIAC, SCC and ADCCAC rules.

Nathan also frequently acts as “co-counsel” on local litigation matters.

Prior to joining Support Legal, Nathan spent 11 years in the Dispute Resolution team at Herbert Smith Freehills, before moving in-house to Crescent Petroleum to act as counsel on its various litigation and arbitration matters.

Philip Punwar is an English qualified practitioner with more than twenty-five years’ arbitration experience. He has been resident in Dubai since 2005 and received his Dubai Golden Visa in 2021. During the course of his practice in the UAE, Philip has been leading counsel in multi-million and multi-billion US dollar arbitrations.

His recent arbitral engagements have concerned real-estate Mega Projects in the Gulf, investment treaty claims arising out of the MENA and South Asia regions, aircraft charter agreements, concession agreements in the water sector and technology disputes in the finance and healthcare sectors.

Philip has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in England and the Dubai International Financial Centre, up to and including the Courts of Appeal of each jurisdiction. He was the first practitioner resident in the UAE to be registered as a DIFC Courts advocate, and the first DIFC Courts practitioner to be appointed by the DIFC Courts to the role of Supervising Legal Representative (SLR).

Philip has significant experience of the laws and practices of both civil and common law jurisdictions gained as counsel and arbitrator in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has a proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and when necessary to assemble and lead interdisciplinary teams of geographically dispersed professionals in the prosecution and defence of complex and high value disputes.

Richard Clarke is an English barrister focused on resolving international commercial disputes, typically involving cross-border claims, civil fraud and insolvency. He advises multinational corporations, investors and individuals on the monetization and defense of claims, financial instruments, judgments and arbitral awards. Mr. Clarke often assists clients facing atypical events with the potential to impact the future course their business, including in M&A, joint venture and shareholder disputes.

Mr. Clarke has acted in complex litigation in the High Court and Court of Appeal in London, DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts and Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). His arbitration portfolio includes awards rendered in accordance with major institutions and rules, including ICC, LCIA, DIAC, ICSID, HKIAC, UNCITRAL and LMAA.

He has been based in the Middle East for over eight years, and has been recognized by Chambers & Partners as "a star of the future," and the Legal 500 as having “made a major impact in the region.”

Previously, Mr. Clarke practiced at Dentons. He is qualified as a barrister in England and Wales, and is admitted in the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts. He earned his LLM at Warwick University, his LLB at Cardiff University and passed his Bar Vocational Course at BPP Law School.

Sarah Malik is an award-winning lawyer who founded SOL International Ltd, a boutique legal consultancy registered at the ADGM in 2018. In its first year SOL was awarded ‘Emerging Law Firm of the Year’ and ‘Recognized Leaders in Dispute Resolution’ in 2019. Sarah achieved ‘Litigator of the Year’ (2022) at the first GCC Women in Law Awards and received an honourable mention as ‘Law Firm Leader of the Year’ category at the same awards. In March 2022, SOL was named by Legal 500 EMEA as ‘A Firm to Watch in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation’ and in 2023 Sarah has been listed as ‘A leading practitioner in ‘The Arbitration Powerlist: Middle East’ Legal 500 EMEA.

Sarah was recognised as one of ‘Asia’s 100 Women Power Leaders 2023’ by White Page International in May 2023. She has also been featured in the special edition of the UAE Managing Partners Report for two consecutive years published by LexisNexis for International Women’s Day and was interviewed by CIArb Global on International Women’s Day in 2021, and by The Worlds Times in 2023.

In March 2023, Sarah was appointed to the inaugural Advisory Committee for the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Advisory Board for ThoughtsLeaders4 FIRE Middle East Summit 2023. She was also appointed to the Advisory Board for Juris Centre for Excellence in Legal Education and Training at Middlesex University, Dubai in January 2023.

Prior to founding SOL, Sarah practiced as a Barrister at a leading set of Commercial Chambers in London for fifteen years, worked as employed Counsel at a prominent UK law firm for two years and headed the Advocacy and Investigations team of an international law firm in Dubai for three and a half years.

She is a member of the SIAC Users Council in the Middle East and is one of 20 appointed on the Lagos Panel of Arbitration Neutrals. Sarah is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and accepts appointments to sit as an Arbitrator. Sarah undertakes international commercial arbitrations as Counsel (DIAC, ADCCAC, DIFC-LCIA, ICC) and practices commercial litigation at the DIFC and ADGM Courts.

Sarah also advises clients in the UAE and internationally on all aspects of employment and labour law issues and is currently instructed as Counsel on the first race discrimination claim against a multi-national bank before the DIFC Courts which goes to trial in Summer 2023.

She is often used as external counsel and advocate by law firms and in-house clients and acts as personal advisor to Ultra High Net Worth private clients.

Sarah partners with numerous academies worldwide including AIAC, AIFC, ADJD and DIFC to provide best practice and training for students, legal professionals, corporate and government organisations. She is regularly invited to speak at conferences within the UAE, GCC and internationally for various organisations including the ICC, CIArb and IBA.

In addition to practice, Sarah is appointed as a visiting lecturer on the LLM programme at Middlesex University, Dubai, in International Commercial Litigation and Arbitration and and co-devised a UAE and DIFC Employment Law module for the LLM for both postgraduate students and industry.

Sarah is also a published author of two legal texts – one on arbitration and one on employment law.

Arun is a Senior Associate at Clifford Chance, Dubai and has been based in Dubai since 2013 having previously trained with the firm in London and Singapore.  Arun specialises in international commercial arbitration and litigation and has acted on complex multi-jurisdictional disputes across a wide range of sectors. He also co-leads Clifford Chance’s technology practice in the Middle East and advises clients on complex tech disputes and on data protection and cyber security related investigations.

Arun is licensed to appear before the DIFC Courts and has conducted advocacy before the DIFC Court of Appeal and also arbitration and dispute adjudication proceedings in various forums.  Arun has edited the authorised commentary on the DIFC Law of Obligations (2nd edition) and is the editor of the Guide to Company Directors (a practitioner’s text on Indian company law) – both Lexis Nexis publications.

Arun is a solicitor of England and Wales and holds a law degree from Kings College London  and is also a qualified engineer with a degree in electronics and communication engineering.  Arun is the Chairperson of the CIArb UAE Young Members Group, a member of the global steering committee for the CIArb YMG and the Middle East Representative of the LCIA YIAG.

Tom has a heavy commercial disputes practice in both arbitration and litigation. His work includes banking, joint ventures, fraud, insurance and reinsurance and disputes arising out of construction projects.

Tom has been involved in some of the highest value and most significant cases before the DIFC Courts. Tom also regularly appears in the English Courts.

Tom drafted the Rules of the DIFC Courts, Dubai World Tribunal and the Courts of the Astana International Financial Centre Courts, where he sits as a judge. He is a member of the English Civil Procedure Rules Committee. He is co-editor of DIFC Courts Practice (2020), the leading work on DIFC law and procedure. He contributes 4 chapters to Foskett on Compromise on arbitration, international dispute resolution, insurance and construction.

Adrian is a commercial dispute resolution specialist. He has substantial experience handling a wide range of general commercial disputes through litigation, arbitration, or alternative dispute resolution (ADR).​

Adrian was admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 1987. In addition he was admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong (1990), as a Solicitor and Barrister of the Australian Capital Territory (1993) and as a Barrister of the High Court of Australia (1993). He has worked in several jurisdictions namely England (1985-89 and 1995-2008), Hong Kong (1989 – 1995) and Dubai, UAE (February 2008 to date).​

He regularly represents his clients as Counsel in arbitrations governed by various institutional rules including DIAC, DIFC-LCIA, ICC, and LMAA. He has also been appointed as a Sole Arbitrator by DIAC for several arbitration matters. He is a member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA).​

Adrian is registered as a Legal Practitioner of the DIFC Courts with full rights of advocacy and has appeared many times as an Advocate before these Courts and before the Special Tribunal relating to Dubai World and its subsidiaries. He is a Deputy Chairperson of the DIFC Courts' Rules Committee. He is a lecturer for the DIFC Academy of Law and handled the leading case heard by the DIFC Court on forum non conveniens.​

He also regularly works with our UAE Advocates in connection with a wide range of disputes before the UAE Courts where the governing law of the dispute is UAE Law as applied in the Emirate of Dubai. Adrian is licensed to advise on UAE Law by the Dubai Government’s Legal Affairs Department.​

Adrian has developed particular experience handling multi-jurisdiction enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards including directly through the UAE Courts or through the DIFC Court as a conduit court for enforcement in onshore Dubai. He has appeared as an expert witness before Courts and Arbitration Tribunals including, before the Sudanese Courts on enforcement of foreign court judgments in England.​

For a considerable part of his legal career Adrian specialised in handling shipping and international trade matters in London (with Waterson Hicks, a boutique specialist shipping and international trade practice) and in Hong Kong (with Clyde & Co) and this remains an important part of his work load. He handles both contentious and non-contentious shipping work. As well as dealing with charterparty and bill of lading disputes he has considerable experience of shipping finance, newbuilding and vessel repair and ship sale/purchase transactions.

Shane Jury is a partner in our disputes, investigations and advisory practice

Shane has been guiding clients in the Middle East for over 12 years to navigate complex commercial disputes and investigations. He has a wealth of expertise in civil fraud, banking, shareholders' and JV disputes, professional negligence and restructuring/insolvency related claims across both arbitration and litigation in the DIFC, ADGM and regional courts. He also has extensive experience in global asset tracing and enforcement mandates.

Shane has a broad arbitration practice advising clients on arbitrations under all major institutional rules (including DIAC, ArbitrateAD, SCCA, ICC, LCIA and SIAC Rules). He has helped clients with arbitration matters in a range of industries, including financial services and funds. He also regularly sits as an arbitrator.

In addition, Shane helps clients to manage compliance and regulatory risks and assists clients with internal investigations and contentious regulatory investigations, including in relation to AML systems and controls and bribery and corruption. Shane has particular expertise advising clients on claims for breaches of regulatory laws, including mis-selling claims.

Shane is recognised as a Leading Individual in Chambers & Partners’ guide for UAE Dispute Resolution 2024, 2023, and as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by the Legal500 for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation (2024, 2023, 2022). He is also ranked in Who's Who Legal for Professional Negligence and as a Future Leader for Arbitration.