King & Wood Mallesons bolsters Litigation practice
King & Wood Mallesons has continued investment in its Middle East practice with the appointment of highly regarded Arabic language litigation and dispute resolution specialist, Ghassan El Daye, as a new partner in the firm’s Dubai office.
El Daye joins from a top-tier global law firm, where he was Head of Arabic Courts Litigation in Dubai. He has built up a strong regional dispute resolution practice and has handled cases for regional and international clients engaged in litigation in the local courts throughout the UAE and other major neighbouring jurisdictions, covering the full spectrum of commercial and construction disputes as well as aspects of criminal prosecutions and extradition. El Daye was previously a partner at Habib Al Mullah (now Baker & Mackenzie) and prior to this, he spent ten years running his own firm in Beirut, which focused on administrative, real estate, and civil and criminal litigation.
Having practiced in the region for 20 years, El Daye has broad experience across the range of civil and commercial, administrative, real estate, banking, construction and criminal law, as well as in depth knowledge of Shari’ah law. He has experience across all levels of courts in the UAE (First Instance, Appeal and Cassation Courts) and in implementing case strategies both locally and across multiple jurisdictions.
El Daye’s strategic relationships with local advocates in the region will significantly enhance the firm’s ability to advise and act for clients in both international and local disputes. It will strengthen the firm’s growing platform in the Middle East, following its expansion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through King & Wood Mallesons’ exclusive association with the Law Office of Majed Almarshad in January 2014.
William Boss, Europe & Middle East managing partner at King & Wood Mallesons, said, “As a firm, we pride ourselves on being able to offer our clients a complete legal solution. With Ghassan’s unparalleled skill set in relating local litigation practices to both international and regional businesses, and handling their dispute resolution needs in Arabic language courts, his appointment will provide a deeper level of service to our existing and future clients. He will add unique depth to our growing Middle East practice, which continues to go from strength to strength."
Tim Taylor QC, head of Middle East practice at King & Wood Mallesons, said, “There is a strong demand for top level dispute resolution expertise throughout the Arabic speaking world. Ghassan’s in-depth knowledge of local laws and the day-to-day practice in the courts, combined with our existing wealth of experience in international dispute resolution in the region, makes us uniquely well placed to provide a truly integrated bilingual litigation and arbitration capability for businesses in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and adjacent jurisdictions, as well as for clients from our global network. We are delighted to welcome Ghassan to the firm and look forward to enhancing our reputation for on the ground experience and expertise in both case handling and front line advocacy.”
Ghassan El Daye said, “King & Wood Mallesons – with its strong dispute resolution focus, reputation in the region and highly experienced international practitioners – will be an ideal home for me and an excellent platform to better serve the needs of clients throughout the major active sectors in the Middle East, both locally and from our global network. Combined with its key focus on the dynamic Asian markets, the firm has a strong contentious and transactional offering in the Middle East and I am excited to be playing a part in underpinning this with my local disputes expertise.”
