HORIZONS & CO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Junior Associate
Ahmed Abdullah Al-Shamlawi is a junior associate in our litigation department, bringing over 6 years of experience in the legal industry. His primary focus has been on litigation cases related to employment, tenancy, contracting, and property. Additionally, he has provided legal consultations on these matters, handling high-value cases involving amounts exceeding 24 million US dollars for esteemed clients in the Middle East.
Job Titles:
- Legal Consultant
- Legal Consultant - Litigation
Alaa Morad is a qualified legal consultant in our litigation department he specialises in various types of litigation including commercial, civil, criminal, real estate, corporate disputes, employment, banking, and finance dispute.
On a day-to -day basis he advises clients on the drafting of legal memorandums and legal contracts, attending expert meetings and providing verbal and written legal consultation.
With a particular interest in commercial companies, criminal, and real estate cases Alaa has successfully concluded many settlements on behalf of clients. His advice covers pre-litigation and creating strategies to follow in order to ensure a positive conclusion to a dispute.
Alaa holds an L.L.B and an L.L.M from Mansoura university in Egypt. He is bilingual Arabic and English.
Expertise
Civil
Criminal
Real Estate
Employment
Banking
Finance
Corporate
Areen has written articles and chapters on dispute resolution for various textbooks, magazines and websites published across the UAE and wider MENA region. He is qualified in both the UK and Jordan. Fluent in both Arabic and English, he has studied and practiced law in both languages. Areen is well regarded amongst his peers, his team and has a notable rapport with clients, not only in the UAE, but globally. Areen is a member of the International Bar Association, London.
Job Titles:
- Associate - Corporate
- Associate With the Corporate Team
Ayesha is an associate with the corporate team at Horizons & Co. She started her practice in 2016 at a tier 1 law firm in Pakistan (Mohsin Tayebaly & Co.) and has over 3 years of experience in the GCC.
Her practice primarily focuses on corporate and commercial advisory matters including inter alia; corporate restructurings, advising on regulatory issues, project financing and environmental laws.
She also has experience assisting in the civil and commercial litigation before the local Dubai and Abu Dhabi Court matters and is familiar with execution of Courts judgments in the UAE.
Ayesha holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Brunel University London, United Kingdom, Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) from BPP University London, United Kingdom. She is also a member of the Pakistan Bar Council.
Expertise
Corporate & Commercial
Bridget is a highly accomplished and experienced England and Wales qualified lawyer with experience in leading private practices in both the UK and Middle East, as well as senior in-house roles at major GCC companies.
Bridget's career has focused largely on high value, complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters, where she has an extensive and proven track record both in the Middle East and the UK. She has successfully advised clients in the DIFC and onshore UAE courts, as well as in the English High Court, and on numerous disputes governed by major international and regional arbitration rules, including LCIA, the SCC, and DIAC.
Bridget particularly specializes in breach of contract claims, fraud claims, breach of warranty matters, shareholder disputes, and representation before regulators. More recently, she has taken on regulatory and compliance responsibilities, as well as legislative and regulatory drafting, whilst in-house.
Expertise
With over with twenty years' experience in the UAE and Egypt, Dr. Mohamed is a Partner in the Litigation Department at Horizons & Co. He has extensive experience in both Arbitration and Litigation.
Mohamed is well practiced in matters relating to Civil and Commercial disputes, Criminal Cases, Intellectual Property, Construction, Property and Real Estate, Maritime, Trademarks, Labour and Administrative Laws and related disputes. He is very much involved in various cases put before the Courts and Arbitration Tribunals.
Mohamed graduated from Alexandria University holding a Bachelor Degree in Law, and Masters Degree in Law. He also holds a postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Law, from Alexandria University and postgraduate Diploma in Public Law from Helwan University, Cairo. Mohamed has recently completed his PhD Dissertation under the title: 'Blood Money and compensation in Islamic jurisprudence and Civil Law - a Comparative study within GCC state legislation.' He is a member of the Egypt Bar Association.
Expertise
Civil and Commercial disputes
Eman is an Associate in the Litigation Department. She is a highly motivated and focused bilingual Lawyer (English and Arabic) with more than 12 years of Experience in well-established law firms in Egypt and UAE.
As a professional, Eman is innovative, always looking ahead to work in a challenging environment & strive for excellence with efficiency of meeting the demands of the clients. Throughout her professional experience and studies, she acquired considerable knowledge and understanding of laws and regulations from different countries in the region and internationally as well.
Eman completed her LLB from Alexandria University in Egypt, in addition to completing a diploma of Public Law from the same University. Then, achieved her LLM from Essex University in the United Kingdom, all with Merit Grade.
Eman is an Appeal licensed Lawyer in the Egyptian Bar Association.
Expertise
Job Titles:
- Member of the Litigation Department
Hassan Adbelalim is a member of the Litigation Department with extensive experience in policies and procedures of courts, conciliation committees and rent committees.
Job Titles:
- Head of Execution - Courts
- Member of the Litigation Team
Hassan Samir is a member of the Litigation team at Horizons & Co. He has extensive knowledge of the policies and procedures of Courts, Public Prosecutions, Conciliation Committees and Rent Committees. With this experience Hassam supports and assists the firms lawyers during trials and proceedings.
Educated in Egypt, Hassan holds a Bachelor of Law and a Diploma in International Arbitration. He is a member of the Egyptian Bar Association and Arab Lawyer's Union (ALU).
Expertise
Procedures of Courts, Public Prosecutions, Conciliation Committees and Rent Committees.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate - Arbitration
Isabela is an Associate in the International Arbitration Department. With over half a decade of experience, Isabela has acted in investment, commercial and construction arbitration in Europe and the Middle East.
Throughout her career, she has been involved in various cases under different arbitration rules, such as the ICC Rules, the DIAC Rules, the LCIA Rules, the ICDR Rules, the SCC Rules, and the LCAM Rules, amongst others. Isabela has also worked on ad hoc arbitrations and investment arbitration cases under the aegis of the ICSID Arbitration Rules.
Isabela has studied in civil and common law jurisdictions and holds an LL.M. in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution from the Queen Mary University of London and a Masters in International Arbitration from the Paris-Saclay University, France. She also holds a law degree from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo with Honors and speaks fluent English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Expertise
Investments
Commercial arbitration
Construction
International arbitration
Joe is a senior associate in our litigation department with over sixteen years of experience in the legal industry in a range of Middle Eastern jurisdictions including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
He has impressive expertise in different facets of law within high-profile law firms and corporations, where he represented and advised clients - among other things - on civil and commercial law, construction, arbitration law, and bankruptcy proceedings. He is especially adept at advising and negotiating on disputes, including on managing disputes and advising on risk.
Joe often handles day-to-day legal matters, managing the client and team relationship and ensuring the client is kept informed of all legal developments and costs related to their cases. He excels in writing and oral presentation, and is proficient in English, Arabic, and French.
Expertise
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate - Litigation
- Senior Associate With
Karim is a Senior Associate with Horizons & Co. He has broad-based litigation experience in the UAE, with an acute interest in criminal matters. These cases range from fraud, forgery and breach of trust to bounced cheques, theft and murder. Karim frequently achieves positive results in proving the innocence and obtaining the freedom of numerous clients.
Karim carries out legal research, consults with clients on various legal matters and attends expert meetings. His additional expertise is within the sectors of employment and civil and commercial disputes. Currently, Karim has an ongoing matter regarding a labour dispute with a large well-known UAE organisation.
He is an expert in family dispute matters including child custody and divorce cases.
Karim has in-depth knowledge of the UAE legal system, using this to successfully assist the team of legal consultants in the overall performance of cases. He has had notable success settling, in the clients' favour, prior to filing a court case - saving the client both money and time. In instances where a case is required to go to court Karim proves a notable lawyer, recently succeeding in an 18 million dirham commercial case in front of the Court of First Instance in Dubai.
Educated at the University of Cairo, Karim earned a Bachelor of Law Degree. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Litigation and Dispute Resolution Logistics.
Karim's experience includes:
Representing various clients in a breach of trust claims with a success rate of 100% exoneration by decision of the prosecution without reaching the court phase.
Representing various victims in fraud cases resulting in sentencing judgments and deportation of the perpetrator.
Representing clients in assault and battery cases resulting in 100% success rate of exoneration or amicable settlement before police stations, prosecution offices and courts.
Representing clients in inheritence disputes and requests.
Drafting settlement agreements, statements of claim and memorandums of defence.
Submitting memorandums, bail applications, grevieance applications for extradition cases.
Representing clients in arbitration cases filed in the local courts
Expertise
Civil and Commercial disputes
Job Titles:
- Legal Manager - Litigation
A highly qualified lawyer with 15 years of diverse litigation experience, Lilas possesses extensive expertise in criminal law, financial crimes, extradition, banking and finance, as well as real estate disputes. She has successfully advised international and local banks and financial institutions on banking disputes, including Islamic banking, with a combined value exceeding AED 14 billion.
Lilas has skillfully represented numerous international clients in complex cross-border criminal cases involving corruption, money laundering, cybercrime, extradition, fraud, and embezzlement. With a strong track record of working with high-profile clients, she provides sound advice on financial, investment, and real estate matters, including drafting agreements and adeptly handling disputes and negotiations.
Highly proficient in enforcing foreign and GCC judgments, Lilas has also represented clients in ratification and annulment matters related to arbitral awards. Her comprehensive experience in various legal aspects, combined with her dedication to clients' interests, ensures exceptional results in both local and international arenas.
In addition to her core competencies, Lilas is adept at providing top-tier escrow services for UAE real estate and M&A transactions, specializing in company formation, corporate restructuring, establishment of new holding entities including SPVs and foundations, re-domiciliation. She also has experience in drafting wills and trust deeds, ensuring full regulatory compliance for her clients' peace of mind.
Expertise
Criminal
Banking
Maritime
Job Titles:
- Legal Consultant - Litigation
- Member of the Litigation Team at Horizons & Co Law Firm
Mahmoud Elsakka is a member of the litigation team at Horizons & Co Law Firm, with more than 19 years of extensive legal practice experience in the region, particularly in real estate and construction dispute resolution.
Mahmoud was involved in a number of cases before courts and arbitration tribunals in UAE, regarding different civil, commercial, construction, real estate, penal, labor & personal issues.
Mahmoud graduated from Alexandria University in 2002, and is a member of the Egyptian Bar Association.
Expertise
Arbitration and Mediation
Civil and Commercial Law
Construction and Real Estate
Mahmoud is a Senior Associate in dispute resolution.
Mahmoud was awarded a master's degree from the university of Paris 12 in France in Commercial Law and a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the University of Brighton in the United Kingdom. He also speaks fluent Arabic and French. He is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executive in England and Wales (ACILEX).
Mahmoud has over nine years of experience in the legal industry. He has a broad knowledge of the civil and public litigation laws and procedures of the United Kingdom as well as in the United Arab Emirates. Some of his most recent experiences include working at Suhad Aljuboori Advocates & Legal Consultants in Dubai, Goodman Derrick LLP as well as Leigh Day LLP in London.
Mahmoud previously worked on a multimillion pounds civil claim against a UK public body. He also gained experience in medium to large debt claims and settlements in the UK and the UAE against individuals and corporations. He supports the partners in insolvency and fraud matters.
His knowledge and experience are not limited to litigation as he was also involved in AED 12 million real estate sale contract in Dubai.
Expertise
UAE Civil claims
UK Civil debt claims and insolvency matters
UK Civil Procedure Code
Mahmoud graduated from Ein Shams University in Egypt in 2000 holding a Bachelor of Law. He is registered with the Egyptian Bar Association.
He is a member of the Litigation Department at Horizons & Co, with extensive experience in policies and procedures of police stations, public prosecution, courts, conciliation committees and rent committees.
With his vast experience and knowledge of the various procedures and processes, Mahmoud supports and assists the Firms Lawyers during trials and proceedings.
Expertise
Representation before Police Stations, the Public Prosecution, Courts, Conciliation Committees and Rent Committees.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate - Litigation
Moataz is an associate in our Litigation department and has over 10 years experience in both the UAE and Egypt.
Job Titles:
- Legal Secretary
- Legal Secretary Private Notary
Mohamed is a litigation specialist with more than 10 years' experience as a legal consultant in the UAE. Mohamed handles various different types of litigation in the UAE including civil, commercial, rental and real estate disputes.
Expertise
Civil and commercial disputes
Real estate and rental disputes
Job Titles:
- Legal Consultant - Litigation
Mostafa is a bilingual lawyer and specialist in litigation with over 10 years of experience as a legal consultant in the UAE. He handles a wide range of litigations including but not limited to; civil & commercial, rental, labour, family, criminal and real estate disputes.
Mostafa graduated in 2010 from the Alexandria University Faculty of Law, in English. He went on to work at one of the largest law firms in Egypt, before relocating to the UAE in 2013. He has been a member of the Egyptian Bar Association since 2012.
Expertise
Civil and Commercial Disputes
Job Titles:
- Legal Consultant - Arbitration
Muhammad is a lawyer in the arbitration department. He specialises in dispute resolution, focusing on predominately real estate and construction matters.
He regularly advises and represents his clients, including employers, contractors and subcontractors, in disputes arising out of their contractual relationships particularly under FIDIC or other project development and construction contracts. He is a strong negotiator, skilled in amicably resolving disputes between parties.
To date, Muhammad has acted as leading counsel in more than 100 arbitration cases before the International Court of Arbitration (ICC), International Islamic Centre for Reconciliation and Arbitration (IICRA), Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre (ADCCAC). Dubai International Financial Centre - London Court of Arbitration Centre (DIFC- LCIA). Muhammad is enlisted in the DIAC40 - Young Practitioners Group with Dubai International Arbitration Centre. He is proficient in handling arbitration proceedings both in institutional and ad-hoc arbitration. He has been appointed to act as administrative secretary for arbitral tribunals in several arbitration cases.
Muhammad is a qualified arbitrator, registered with the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC).
Muhammad has 15 years' post qualification experience, which includes over a decade in the UAE. He was educated in both the UK and Pakistan, holding a LLM Degree from the University of Glamorgan and Bachelor of Law from the University of Punjab. He is a member of the Punjab Bar Council, a registered legal consultant with the Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department and a registered wills draftsman with the DIFC.
Expertise
Commercial disputes
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Board Member of the Dubai Chapter for Women
- Partner - Dispute Resolution
Natasja is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution practice at Horizons & Co. She has extensive experience in complex commercial dispute resolution and arbitration matters, gained over 12 years of working at regional and international law firms in the Middle East and a top tier Australian law firm.
Natasja is a Board member of the Dubai Chapter for Women in e-Discovery through which she connects women in the legal and technology sectors. She is also an active member of the Australian Business Council and the Netherlands Business Council in Dubai.
Omran is a Paralegal in our Corporate team, bringing three years of experience in the GCC region.
Job Titles:
- Senior Counsel
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Paul is a highly skilled Senior Counsel, who specialises in resolving complex cross-border disputes. He has notable experience in the construction and engineering sector, as well as acting on high-profile matters related to insolvency and restructuring, and inbound investments. With over a decade of experience in the UAE, Paul has established himself as a trusted advisor in arbitration, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution.
Throughout his career, Paul has represented clients in disputes spanning the Middle East, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, offering strategic counsel on dispute avoidance strategies and alternative resolution methods. His expertise extends to advising under various institutional rules, including the DIAC, ICC, LCIA, and SCCA, he is a registered practitioner before the DIFC Courts, and also represents clients before the High Courts of England & Wales .
Paul is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is available to receive appointments as an independent arbitrator. He is also an active member of The Society of Construction Law, and frequently speaks on construction and dispute-related issues within the community.
Paul is qualified in England & Wales. Prior to joining Horizons, Paul practiced for over 14 years in the disputes team of a highly respected international firm, in both their London and Middle Eastern offices.
Expertise
Job Titles:
- Legal Consultant
- Senior Legal Consultant
Refat is a Senior Legal Consultant who specializes in civil, commercial, real estate, corporate, banking, employment and construction matters.
Refat has practiced in both the UAE and Egypt; as such, he is comfortable and experienced in the Middle East market and closely familiar with the nuances that can be part of litigation for both international and local clients.
A bilingual litigator, Refat has extensive experience providing legal advice to clients across the Middle East, in civil and commercial litigation and arbitration.
Refat obtained his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ain Shams in Egypt.
Expertise
Construction
Civil and commercial disputes
Real estate
Corporate
Banking
Employment
Litigation
Rodrigo is a dual qualified New York and Italian lawyer, with a focus on construction arbitration and commercial disputes in the Middle East.
Rodrigo has significant experience representing clients in disputes before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC).
He is the Chair of the Rome Branch of the New York State Bar Association's International Section. Earlier in his career, Rodrigo served as a Judicial Fellow for The Honorable Charles N. Brower, who was ranked the "world's busiest arbitrator" by The American Lawyer, and completed a long secondment with the LNG and Natural Gas divisions of Eni SpA.
Rodrigo completed his studies in the U.S. (Georgetown University Law Center) and Italy (Roma Tre) and his working languages are English, Spanish, French, and Italian.
Expertise
Construction Disputes
International Commercial Arbitration
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC)
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
Banking and Finance Litigation
DIFC Courts
Post-M&A Disputes
Gas Price Reviews
Energy Sector Disputes
Investor-State Arbitration
Public International Law
Job Titles:
- Associate - Dispute Resolution
Sabry is a graduate from Ein Shams University holding a Bachelor of Law.
He is a member of the Litigation Department at Horizons & Co with extensive experience in policies and procedures of courts, conciliation committees and rent committees.
With his vast experience and knowledge of the various procedures and processes, Sabry supports and assists the firm's lawyers during trials and proceedings.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate - Litigation
Job Titles:
- Associate - Litigation Private Notary
- Head of Our 'Private Notary Department
Yasmin is a highly organized and proficient member of the litigation department at Horizons & Co, boasting extensive experience and a deep understanding of UAE laws and procedures across all courts within the country.
Currently, Yasmin serves as the head of our 'Private Notary Department,' where she oversees the execution of a wide range of corporate agreements, powers of attorney (POAs), resolutions, acknowledgments, legal notices, selling agreements, and various other documents subject to notarization. With her comprehensive knowledge, she can fluently address all queries related to this service, providing assistance to both clients and non-clients. Moreover, she actively handles walk-in clients seeking notary services.
In addition to her role in the Private Notary Department, Yasmin collaborates closely with the Compliance Officer. She is actively involved in ensuring compliance with the new rules established by the United Nations, the Intelligence Finance Unit, and the Central Bank pertaining to AML/finance reporting. By working on various aspects and objectives of AML/finance reporting, she demonstrates her commitment to upholding regulatory requirements.
Yasmin holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Sharjah, and she brings over 12 years of invaluable experience to her role.