Dubai: Three UAE-based law firms bagged three of the prestigious Middle East Legal Awards during a gala ceremony that was held in Dubai and attended by more than 400 lawyers.
Co-hosted by the London-based business law news website, Legal Week, and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Middle East Chapter and supported by Legal Week’s sister title, The American Lawyer, the ceremony was attended by hundreds of lawyers from in-house legal departments and private practice.
Dean Stelfox, general counsel, Dubai World Central, chaired the judging panel of the Awards.
The three triumphant law firms based in the UAE were Hadef & Partners, which bagged both the corporate and real estate categories, Baker Mckenzie Habib Al Mulla, which clinched the Litigation Team of the Year category, and Al Tamimi & Company, which was named the Regional Law Firm of the Year (Large Practice).
The Middle East Legal Awards are the region’s premier legal awards and continue to attract the best law firms.
The Awards are open to all law firms and in-house legal departments in the region to celebrate outstanding achievements within the profession. Recognising exceptional achievements and best practices, the Awards underline the crucial role that lawyers play in promoting the rule of law.
Sadiq Jaafar, managing partner of Hadef & Partners in Dubai, told Gulf News: “We fully appreciate that our clients seek regional expertise delivered to international standards, and we aim to deliver advice in a timely and practical manner. It is an honour to be recognised by the legal community of the region by winning both these prestigious awards.”
Meanwhile, Dr Habib Al Mulla, chairman of Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla, said: “The Middle East Legal Awards celebrate outstanding achievements within the legal profession and we are proud to have been recognised as ‘Litigation Team of the Year’ in 2017. This team was instrumental in our success as ‘Regulatory and Investigations Team of the Year’ at the same awards ceremony last year. These awards underline our 30-year track record of committed and commercial service to our clients in the Middle East.”
Husam Hourani, managing partner of Al Tamimi, said the Middle East Legal Awards are the premier awards for the legal industry for both private practice and in-house counsel.
“We are proud to have been involved since their inception and to have again walked away with the ‘Regional Law Firm of the Year - Large Practice’ award. We are committed to excellence and this recognition reinforces our efforts and success,” he told Gulf News in an emailed statement.
