Defined
by results.
Carrying 230 years of legal and geopolicy heritage not to look backward, but to provide you with a depth of foresight that simply cannot be replicated.
SOHAIR SABER
We specialize in high-stakes litigation where business continuity is on the line. Our practice focuses on winning claims, reversing adverse judgments, and protecting corporate assets against significant liability.
We manage the full lifecycle of an arbitration. Our team is expert in navigating arbitration proceedings and enforcement strategy in challenging jurisdictions.
We architect mission-critical agreements, from cross-border joint ventures to complex technology licensing. We ensure your commercial objectives are secured.
We bridge the gap between compliance and political reality. Our team provides strategic counsel on legislative monitoring, sanctions protocols, and government relations to ensure stability in volatile markets.
Emerging Technology Litigation
Digital Asset Claims
We litigate complex claims regarding platform failures, fraud, and liability. Our practice extends to enforcement actions involving control of wallets and misleading whitepapers.
Regulatory & Strategic Advice
Space and Defense
We advise space and defense corporations on launches, export controls, and regulatory compliance. We ensure alignment between operational objectives and government policy.
Tax Controversy & Litigation
Tax Disputes (UAE)
We have a special practice dedicated to tax controversy at our United Arab Emirates office where we have litigated over 300 tax dispute procedures in matters collectively over USD 500 million.
Mitigating Disputes & Uncertainty
Legal Risk Management
Our team tailors a proactive risk strategy that wards off potential disputes. We analyze your target operations, contracts, and policies to identify vulnerabilities and turn them into strengths.
Cross-Border Enforcement
We execute rapid recovery protocols against non-compliant debtors and implement immediate protective measures to defend client assets from aggressive seizure orders.
Tax Audit Response
We intervene immediately upon receipt of tax audit notifications or penalty assessments to suspend liability and shift the burden of proof away from the taxpayer.
Crypto Fraud Protection
We deploy emergency forensic tracing and cross-border injunctions to freeze dissipated assets and recover control of compromised digital wallets before funds are lost.
EOT Construction Claims
We substantiate critical path delays to secure immediate extensions of time (EOT), preventing the imposition of liquidated damages on distressed infrastructure projects.
Lawyers and Consultants
Tier-1 Services
Since 1799
We are not a collection of isolated departments; we are a single lineage of lawyers and geopolicy consultants that have operated at the intersection of commerce and sovereignty for 230 years. Our firm’s DNA was forged in 1799 on the ramparts of Acre, where our predecessor Jason (Yassin) Abuwasel stood as Soldier-Jurist and Dragoman, mediating between empires to repel a siege during the Napoleonic Wars. From the trade courts of the 19th-century Levant to the corridors of Washington D.C., Melbourne, Toronto, and Abu Dhabi today, our firm has evolved by mastering the development of economies.
Leadership
The partners leading the firm.
Our principals drive the vision, supported by an agile network of legal and consulting experts ready to mobilize across borders.
Sohair Saber
Partner - Policy
Mahmoud Abuwasel
Partner - Disputes
Abdulla Abuwasel
Partner - Transactions
We let our track record do the talking.
The Cost of Construction Expedience: Undocumented Variations and Arbitral Jurisdiction in Miller v Monaghan
In the physical execution of capital projects, there is a persistent friction between the rigid administrative mechanics of a written contract and the urgent, on-the-ground necessity to maintain operational momentum. When site conditions evolve or project scopes expand, the formal machinery of written notices, cost estimates, and countersignatures is frequently
The Right of Angary in Low Earth Orbit — Requisitioning Commercial Space Assets in Contemporary Armed Conflict
Capital is relentlessly pragmatic. It flows toward predictable legal frameworks and flees unquantifiable risk. For the past decade, the consensus narrative surrounding the commercialization of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was remarkably straightforward: driven by plummeting launch costs and rapid advancements in commercial off-the-shelf technology, private enterprise would seamlessly expand the
War Series: The Cyber-Kinetic Blur — 27+ Data Center Strikes in Active Conflicts, the NotPetya Precedent, and “Acts of War” in Arbitration
In the architecture of global commerce, risk is fundamentally priced against historical precedent. For decades, that precedent dictated a clearly defined paradigm: warfare was kinetic, geographic, and overt. Standard force majeure provisions and property insurance “war exclusions” were meticulously calibrated for a world of naval blockades, physical destruction, and formal
Arbitration Standing for Non-Controlling Shareholders: Lessons from 1171757 Ontario v. 1171758 Ontario with Global Perspectives
Introduction In complex corporate structures involving holding companies, trusts, and family-owned enterprises, identifying precisely who is bound by, and who is entitled to invoke, an arbitration agreement remains a persistent source of jurisdictional friction. When a dispute arises, can a minority shareholder of a corporate partner, bereft of management control
The Seven-Day Trap: Dubai Courts Impose Strict Liability on Non-Debtor Third Parties – A Comparative Warning for Global Crypto Exchanges
Introduction: The Historical Opacity of Onshore Asset Tracing In traditional commercial disputes, pre-execution asset tracing in onshore jurisdictions has long been hindered by structural opacity. Outside of public shareholding disclosures, corporate registries for mainland and free zone limited liability companies do not publicly disclose banking relationships, intercompany receivables, or granular
Code and Copyright: The UAE’s First NFT Judgment
As the digital asset economy matures, the legal infrastructure governing it is inevitably tested. Commercial disputes in the Web3 space, spanning breach of contract, intellectual property, and licensing, are transitioning from theoretical debates to practical litigation. In a recent sequence of rulings, the Dubai Courts issued what is understood to
War Series: Paper Barrels and Physical Constraints – The Limits of Force Majeure in the 2026 GCC Energy Shock
“In the inevitable collision between paper contracts and physical supply chains, physical reality ultimately dictates the terms.”The Divergence of Paper and Physical Energy A recurring theme in macroeconomic and energy analysis is the fundamental disconnect between financial abstractions and physical reality. The modern economy operates on the assumption of uninterrupted primary
Secondary Market Misrepresentation in Crypto: Insights from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
A recent decision by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Banach v. Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd., 2026 ONSC 4534 is emerging as a critical reference point for digital asset investors, class actions, and corporate disclosure obligations. The judgment establishes decisive principles regarding secondary market misrepresentations, the assessment of materiality
Enforcing Third-Party Subpoenas in Arbitration: Supreme Court of Western Australia Rejects Oppression and Discovery Objections
The intersection of private commercial arbitration and judicial intervention frequently generates procedural friction, particularly concerning the compulsion of third-party evidence. In the recent decision of Brackenridge -v- A.T. Brine & Sons Pty Ltd [2026] WASC 338, the Supreme Court of Western Australia provided significant judicial insight into the legal principles
Aerospace Exports to Russia Through a UAE Company: U.S. Export Controls in Practice
On 14 September 2026, a Russian national pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act (“ECRA”) through the unlawful supply of U.S.-origin aviation and aerospace components to Russia. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the scheme involved ITC Middle East FZ-LLC, a company he co-founded in
Compensating the Void: UAE Tortious Liability for Unauthorized Arbitration Agreements and the Revival of Set-Aside Awards
The annulment of an arbitral award due to a strict procedural defect is often a frustrating experience for a prevailing party. A common scenario arises when a counterparty successfully sets aside an unfavorable award by arguing that their legal representative lacked the explicit authority to agree to arbitration or its
The First UAE and Middle East Judgment on AI Liability: Institutional Accountability and Global Perspectives
In what stands as potentially the first judicial decision in the United Arab Emirates, and potentially the broader Middle East, addressing institutional liability for the failure of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated systems, the Abu Dhabi Commercial Court has established a direct precedent on corporate accountability. Financial institutions deploying AI