Rules Committee

In 2022, H.E. Justice Ali Al Madhani was appointed by the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as a Deputy Chief Justice of the DIFC Courts.

Justice Al Madhani also served as a Senior Judge of Court of Appeal and Head of International Relations of Judicial Affairs at the DIFC Courts, during which, he expanded his expertise within the complex commercial, financial, and civil cases, and oversaw the DIFC Courts international connectivity with civil and commercial jurisdictions across the globe.

H.E. Justice Ali Al Madhani’s journey with the DIFC Courts began in 2005, where he was first appointed as a Senior Judicial Officer. In January 2008, H.E. Justice Ali was sworn in as a Judge of the DIFC Courts, and in April 2008 he was appointed and sworn in as a Court of Appeal Judge. He was later appointed as a member of the Joint Committee of the Dubai Courts.

H.E. Justice Al Madhani is the Current Chairman of the Middle East Board for Courts Administration under the International Association for Court Administration (IACA). In December 2021, Justice Ali Al Madhani graduated from ‘Dubai Leaders Program’ at the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development.

His Excellency served as a Public Prosecutor for Dubai Public Prosecution from 1994 to 1998. In 1998, he was appointed by the Ruler of Dubai to serve as a Judge in the Dubai Courts. During his tenure at Dubai Courts, he adjudicated over a large number of commercial, criminal and civil cases. In late 2004, H.E. Justice Al Madhani joined the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to provide expertise on domestic issues and the application of UAE and Dubai legislation to DFSA. In 2007, H.E. Justice Ali has received his Master’s Degree from SOAS University of 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.

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.

Legal Expert for ship finance matters, Alessandro Tricoli‘s broad knowledge further encompasses many areas of the firm’s contentious work, with a particular emphasis on charter party and cargo disputes in which he advises a number of the firm’s shipping clients and P&I Clubs. Consequently, Alessandro regularly deals with foreign counsel and drafts counter expert reports for the UAE Courts.

Given his finance background, Alessandro’s clients naturally include ultra-high net worth families and individuals, and their family offices or private investments companies, for whom he regularly advises on wealth structuring and management as well as wealth and legacy protection.

Before joining Fichte & Co Alessandro practiced in Italy with a top-tier insurance law firm, during which time he also assisted the Chair of Maritime Law at the University of Bologna. He then moved to the UK to enhance his knowledge of Maritime Law, studying at the University of Southampton and gaining international work experience in London.

Alessandro Tricoli is named as a recommended lawyer in the Legal 500 EMEA since 2011, who “gives sound, relevant, advice on the matter at hand.” He is included in the Who’s Who Legal (Transport), and was recognized as Shipping & Maritime Lawyer of the Year (UAE 2016). He is a regular speaker at presentations and seminars as well as a habitual contributor to different journals on various legal topics.

Damian is head of the Commercial Litigation and Compliance team in the Middle East region. He is based in the Dubai office but is regularly instructed on disputes across the region.

Damian is a senior litigation partner with over 20 years' dispute resolution involving a number of local and international courts as well as various arbitral institutions including the LCIA, ICC, DIAC and UNCITRAL. He has been acting for Middle East based clients for over 15 years on both regional and international disputes.

He advises on a broad range of commercial disputes including M&A and finance disputes, fraud and asset tracing, shareholder and joint venture disputes, insurance disputes including claims and coverage disputes, IT and Telecoms disputes and sports law (both contractual and media related). He is a registered lawyer before the DIFC courts and is experienced in all forms of alternative dispute resolution including mediation.

He has been recognized as a leading individual for Dispute Resolution in the Legal Directories for a number of years: Chambers comments that 'Damian's experience and charm are a proven winning formula, and clients applaud his track record in big ticket dispute work.'

David Russell KC commenced legal practice in 1974. He is admitted to practise in Australia, England and Wales (Lincoln’s Inn), the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre, New York (as a Legal Consultant), New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. He currently practises in Dubai, London, and Abu Dhabi (Outer Temple Chambers), Sydney (Ground Floor Wentworth Chambers) and Brisbane (Sir Harry Gibbs Chambers).

He has lectured at the University of Sydney for the Master of Taxation course, the University of Queensland for the Master of Laws course and served as an Adjunct Professor of the University of Queensland. He is the co-editor of the Oxford University Press Journal Trusts & Trustees.

He was the Inaugural Chairman of the STEP International Client Special Interest Group, was Deputy Chair and a director of STEP and a member of its World Wide Council and various Committees, and is a co-chair of the United Arab Emirates Chapter of the International Section of the New York State Bar Association, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Section, an Academician of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, a Member of the Middle East and North Africa Branch Committee of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (UK), a member of the Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers, a Freeman of the City of London and an Honorary Member of the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong. In 2016 he chaired the DIFC’s Wealth Management Review Working Group.

Deirdre Walker is a dispute resolution lawyer based in Dubai.

Deirdre has experience in all forms of dispute resolution including litigation, mediation and arbitration as well as general commercial dispute resolution with a particular specialism in commercial fraud and interlocutory applications. She has extensive experience of urgent applications for freezing injunctions and ancillary relief and in the recovery of assets.

Deirdre was called to the Bar in 1986 and following a period of 18 months at the Department of Trade & Industry she joined the corporate department of the London practice in 1989. In 1991 she transferred to the dispute resolution department and in 1997 she became a partner.

Deirdre is recommended in The Legal 500 for her expertise in fraud matters and in Chambers and Partners as a leading litigator; she is also an accredited CEDR Mediator.

Graham Lovett is one of the foremost disputes practitioners in Dubai and is top ranked by both Chambers and The Legal 500. He has extensive, market-leading commercial litigation and international arbitration experience covering a wide range of sectors and disputes and frequently represents clients before the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts. In October 2021, His Highness the Ruler of Dubai appointed Mr. Lovett as a director of the board of the recently expanded Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the largest arbitration center in the Middle East. Mr. Lovett is the only non-Emirati to serve as a DIAC board director.

With a practice that is a mix of litigation and arbitration, Mr. Lovett handles complex, sensitive disputes involving joint ventures, shareholders, banking and finance, and fraud, as well as more technical matters involving high-end infrastructure disputes, project work, energy disputes and more.

James Abbott is head of the disputes practice in the Middle East. James specialises in commercial litigation, arbitration and ADR. James has significant experience of cross-border banking and financial litigation, including fraud and asset tracing, regulatory investigations, sanctions issues, joint venture and shareholder disputes.

He has advised on a number of major infrastructure and construction projects and represents insurers and reinsurers. James has experience of arbitration under the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, ICSID and DIAC Rules.

Sheila leads investigations and counsels multinational companies on compliance with anti-corruption/bribery (FCPA), anti-money laundering, sanctions, and anti-boycott laws and defends companies facing enforcement by U.S. agencies, including the DOJ, SEC, and OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control). She has led and defended investigations in more than 35 countries throughout the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region. In addition, Sheila has served as counsel or arbitrator in numerous high-value ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, and DIAC arbitrations and as an advocate with full rights of audience in the DIFC Courts. She was lead counsel in International Electro-Mechanical v. Al Fattan, which set the often-cited pro-arbitration foundational precedent in the DIFC Courts.

Sheila is recognized as a leading disputes and investigations lawyer for several years running in Chambers, The Legal 500, Who's Who, the Global Arbitration Review (GAR), the Global Investigations Review (GIR), and The Best Lawyers in the UAE. She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, and a number of other news-related broadcasts and print media in connection with her work. Sheila is a member of the DIFC Courts Rules Committee, the DIFC Academy, and has served as a member of an advisory board of the Dubai Judicial Institute.

Nick Braganza is based in the Dubai office and is also working closely with the BVI office.

He has significant experience litigating in the DIFC, ADGM and UAE onshore Courts, as well as major arbitral venues in the UAE and internationally.

In addition, Nick has experience in advising on white collar crime matters and conducting internal and regulatory investigations in the Middle East. Nick has advised clients and conducted investigations on a range of topics including cases of theft and fraud, bribery and corruption, defrauding government authorities, antitrust infringements, sanctions breaches, and money laundering.

Nick was ranked as a "Next Generation Partner" in Legal 500 2021, 2022 and 2023 which stated that he "is seen as a trusted and experienced advisor in the market." In Chambers & Partners he has been ranked as "Up and Coming".

Nick is qualified in England and Wales.

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.

Rebecca is a Partner and Head of Litigation for the Middle East. She also leads the Corporate Crime and Investigations team in the Middle East.

Her practice includes high value and complex litigation work in both the DIFC, UAE and English courts. She devises tailored strategies to maximize prospects of recovery, minimize costs and navigate challenges around service, jurisdiction and enforcement. She has an array of experience in making interim applications for freezing orders, attachment orders, travel bans and advising on criminal aspects to civil claims.

Rebecca has conducted a variety of global investigations. These have included investigations arising from whistleblowing allegations of embezzlement and corruption against companies based in the Middle East, Europe and Far East Asia. Rebecca has led various e-disclosure reviews as part of her investigation work, managing those projects in tandem with ES Locate – the in house e-disclosure platform within Eversheds - Sutherland. Rebecca has also conducted various investigations on behalf of French based companies in the Middle East following the implementation of Sapin II.

Rebecca’s risk management expertise provides extra support to clients as she regularly provides proactive compliance services to help improve systems and controls, to avoid breaches and identify issues by raising risk awareness. Her services include conducting risk assessments, drafting policies, procedures and contractual documents, conducting due diligence, undertaking investigations, undertaking root cause analysis, delivering training and advising on remediation and ‘lessons learned’ measures when breaches are identified.

Rebecca has an established track record and is recognised by Chambers UK and Legal 500, with Legal 500 describing her as "exceptionally astute", "reassuringly commercial" and a "noted name".

Rebecca has gained the Higher Rights of Audience qualification in England.

Rita Jaballah is a Partner in Al Tamimi & Company’s Dispute Resolution practice and leads its International Litigation Group. She has extensive experience of handling complex, high value local and international commercial disputes.

Rita specialises in advising and representing clients with respect to a wide range of commercial and and regulatory disputes and claims with a particular focus on DIFC Court and ADGM Court litigation and regulatory proceedings in the banking and financial services sector. In this regard, Rita has acted for prominent investment banks and financial institutions in a number of high profile and significant disputes in the banking and regulatory arena.

Prior to joining Al Tamimi & Company, Rita practised in leading magic circle firms in Melbourne and London, where she specialised in large scale and multi-jurisdictional litigation with a particular focus on commercial, financial services and regulatory disputes.

Rita is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers Global 2022 Dispute Resolution and as a “Leading Individual” in Legal 500 Dispute Resolution UAE. Rita is also recognized in Who’s Who Commercial Litigation (2022) and as one of the MENA Super 50 Lawyers for 2021 in Asian Legal Business.

Sara Sheffield is a dispute resolution lawyer based in our Dubai office with extensive experience in complex cross-border commercial litigation and international arbitration as well as fraud and asset recovery litigation.

Sara has over 19 years of experience as a commercial disputes, white-collar crime and regulatory disputes lawyer between Australia, England & Wales and the UAE. She joined the Litigation and Dispute resolution team in Dubai in 2020, having been permanently based in the region since 2013. Sara previously worked for the federal prosecution agency in Australia and the Serious Fraud Office in the UK.

Sara acts in complex commercial litigation in the Dubai International Financial Centre and the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts in the UAE, and in the English High Court, as well as in arbitration matters before local and international centres.

Sara is admitted to practice in Australia (Queensland), England & Wales, the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and the Abu Dhabi Global Markets Courts in the UAE, and the Astana International Financial Centre Courts in Kazakhstan.

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.