International arbitration: UAE lawyers and the Bar of England and Wales

Welcome and networking

Session 1

A practical guide to common applications in arbitration, including Security for Costs, interim relief, and challenges based on bias

Chair: Sharif Shivji KC

Speakers: Zoe O'Sullivan KC, Sam Karim KC and Peter Smith

Break

Session 2

English barristers and UAE lawyers in international arbitration and disputes: lessons learnt and key tips for successful collaboration

Chair: Sarah Malik

Speakers: Heidi Yildiz, Andrew Stevens and Alexander Burrell

Alexander is a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, specialising in commercial and construction disputes, including in international arbitration.

Alexander has considerable experience of disputes in the Middle East region. He lived in Dubai for two years, working in the DIFC Court and arbitration team in a leading local law firm, and has been listed as a leading junior in Legal 500 EMEA for the last two years.

Sam Karim KC (Sheikh Mohammed Samiul Karim) of Gatehouse Chambers and Kings Chambers is a leading silk in international arbitration and public law and is recognised as a Band 1 KC. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is admitted as a practitioner in the DIFC Court and the ADGM. He is a panel arbitrator for the ADGM Arbitration Centre and the International Islamic Centre for Reconciliation and Arbitration. He speaks throughout the world on international arbitration and technology and including recently the IBA in South Korea, RESOLVE and GAR Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Paris. Sam is the editor of Karim on International Arbitration: The Global Guide for Practitioners, to be published in 2025. He is also published in the area of AI & arbitration and Islamic finance.

Zoe O’Sullivan KC is ranked by the Legal 500 as a Leading Silk (Tier 1) for Middle East-the English Bar (Commercial) and by Chambers Global as a Leading Silk for Dispute Resolution (The English Bar-UAE).

She has appeared in some of the most important recent cases in the DIFC Court including Lateef v Liela (freezing orders in support of foreign proceedings), Horizon Energy LLC v Al Buhaira National Insurance Company DIFCA 015/22 (jurisdiction challenges) and Neel v Nadir [2024] DIFC CA 001(enforcing interim relief ordered by an arbitral tribunal). She represents the appellant in a current appeal (Carmon v Cuenda) where the appellant is asking the Court of Appeal to overrule its previous judgment in Sandra Holding rejecting jurisdiction to grant interim relief in support of pending foreign proceedings.

Zoe’s extensive commercial practice in the DIFC and London extends to such matters as freezing orders, anti-suit injunctions, jurisdiction challenges and arbitration applications. Her subject matter expertise includes fraud, shareholder disputes, hotel management, banking and finance, insurance and reinsurance, asset recovery, oil and gas and IT/outsourcing.

Zoe is also regularly appointed as a sole, presiding and co-arbitrator in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations under the DIAC, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC and UNCITRAL rules. 

Sharif is a leading advocate in the Middle East and has appeared in many high-profile cases in the region. Sharif has more than a decade’s experience in the region across a broad range of practice areas (including commercial, banking and finance, company, insolvency and civil fraud law). He is well known in the market as a court advocate and also as arbitration counsel and has extensive experience on jurisdictional and enforcement disputes. As a former banker, he has market-leading expertise in banking and financial services (including regulatory matters).

Peter Smith is a commercial disputes lawyer and barrister based in Dubai. He practises in a wide range of sectors and industries including banking and finance, corporate, construction, employment, insolvency, insurance, media, professional negligence, real estate, and technology. In the Legal 500 (UAE Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation) he was recommended as a ‘Rising Star’ in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was described as “notable” in 2019. He was included in the Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist Middle East in 2022 and 2023. He has written widely, including for Lexology, The Oath, In-House Lawyer magazine, the Qatar and MENA Business Law Reviews, and the Kluwer Arbitration Blog. He is an editor of the Commentaries on DIFC Laws and wrote the commentary on the DIFC Investment Trust Law (2023). Peter is admitted to practise in England and Wales (barrister), DIFC (Part 2 registered), and the Emirate of Dubai. He often appears before the DIFC and ADGM Courts of First Instance and the DIFC Court of Appeal and has rights of audience at the Astana International Financial Centre Court. He frequently acts as an advocate in arbitration and in the English courts and tribunals. Keenly involved in pro bono, Peter sits on the DIFC Courts Pro Bono Committee and assists at pro bono clinics in both the DIFC and ADGM.

Andrew Stevens is a barrister (England & Wales) and a DIFC Part II registered advocate with full rights of audience. As well as acting in heavy-weight London arbitration and litigation he is regularly instructed by firms in the UAE, Qatar and Asia Pacific (China, HK and Singapore) in arbitrations around the world. He has a track record of close collaboration with international and local law firms. He also has rights of audience in the AIFC (Kazakhstan).   

He specialises in commercial disputes (including banking and fraud), energy (renewables and oil & gas), commodities, shipping, construction and shipbuilding/offshore construction. As well as conducting trials (in litigation and in arbitration), he often appears in injunction applications (e.g. freezing injunctions, anti-suits and injunctions in support of arbitration).

He is ranked by the Legal 500 (UK or Asia Pacific) as counsel for "International Arbitration”, “Energy”, “Construction, Energy and Infrastructure” and “Shipping” and by Chambers & Partners (UK and Global) for “Shipping and Commodities”. 

Heidi Yildiz practises international arbitration and commercial litigation as a barrister at 36 Stone, the 36 Group in London. She previously practised as a solicitor for more than 12 years. Heidi is also admitted to practise as an attorney in Finland and her practice benefits from her profound knowledge of both common law and civil law principles. In addition to her counsel practice, Heidi is developing a practice as an arbitrator. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has been admitted to the DIAC List of Arbitrators and SIAC Reserve Panel of Arbitrators.

Heidi is recognised in the Legal 500 Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist UK 2022 and 2023 as a leading International Arbitration Counsel in the UK and has since 2018 been recognised by Who’s Who Legal Arbitration as one as one of the World's future arbitration leaders.

Heidi has more than 15 years experience as a counsel in complex and high-value international arbitration disputes, both of a private and public law nature. As counsel, Heidi has represented a broad range of clients across different industry sectors in institutional arbitrations conducted under the ICC, LCIA, SCC, DIS, FAI, LMAA, UNCITRAL and PCA Rules as well as ad hoc arbitrations, governed by a variety of substantive and procedural laws.

In addition to commercial litigation experience at English courts, she has gained a broad commercial litigation experience at all stages of a dispute and at all levels of court in Finland. Heidi has obtained LLM in International Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary, University of London, Post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the BPP Law School, London and LLB (with honours) from City, University of London.