At Wasel & Wasel, our distinguished team comprises elite lawyers and advisors, meticulously selected from premier law firms and prestigious Ivy League institutions. Their collective experience spans high-stakes, multi-billion dollar disputes and strategic positions within the echelons of government.
Abuwasel
Managing Partner
Mahmoud Abuwasel is the managing partner of Wasel & Wasel and led the firm to eight-figure revenues in its first three years of operation and expansion to four offices in three continents in its first five years of operation.
Mahmoud is a Harvard graduate and had coached in law practice under former senior staff from the Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. administrations and developed practice with the former Chief Justice of the UAE Federal Supreme Court, enhancing his expertise through direct mentorship and practical experience at the highest levels of governance and judicial leadership from West to East.
Mahmoud is a licensed solicitor in Australia (of the Supreme Court of Victoria), a Qualified Arbitrator in Canada (by the ADR Institute of Canada), and registered in the UAE (with the ADGM and DIFC Courts).
Mahmoud holds a master’s degree in management (including constitutional law) from Harvard University, a juris doctorate from the University of Southern Queensland, a master’s degree in Islamic law from Middlesex University, a bachelor’s degree from Carleton University, and other professional training such as the globally coveted Gold Standard Course from the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society.
Mahmoud has acted on several investor-state disputes representing investors in claims up to nine-figures under different treaties against sovereign governments. In treaty arbitration, Mahmoud’s extensive experience includes UNCITRAL proceedings under the OIC treaty between Jordanian investors and EMEA states, and ICSID proceedings under BITs involving Dutch, Chinese, Indian, and US entities.
Governments have also engaged Mahmoud to draft treaties such as the international Global Dryland Alliance Treaty and have engaged him to advise on geopolicy matters such as Track II dialogue with friendly and unfriendly governments, and other sovereign interest matters such as trade bloc relations.
Mahmoud has expertise in managing high-stakes commercial arbitration across a wide range of arbitration rules, including the ICC Arbitration Rules, ADRIC Arbitration Rules, DIAC Rules, UNCITRAL Rules, ICSID Rules, QICCA Rules, ADCCAC Rules, HKIAC Rules and LCIA Rules. This extensive experience includes handling complex disputes, ad hoc proceedings, and emergency arbitration across multiple jurisdictions and industries.
Mahmoud assists clients on litigation across multiple jurisdictions. His clients are often ultra high net worth individuals, multinational companies, government agencies, large family holding entities, and he is often instructed by other law firms and consulting firms (such as the Big Four) on client or co-counsel matters.
In the United Arab Emirates, he is instructed on matters across domestic courts (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, RAK), federal courts, and common law courts (DIFC, ADGM), where his formidable draftsmanship and strategic acumen are widely acknowledged. Mahmoud tackles a spectrum of complex issues before the UAE courts, ranging from large-scale construction disputes, banking and insurance disputes, maritime conflicts involving vessels, shareholder disputes and cutting-edge cryptocurrency litigation. Mahmoud is also considered one of the leading tax dispute litigators having been engaged in over 250 tax dispute procedures in the UAE. Additionally, Mahmoud excels in enforcement strategies and challenging execution procedures, ensuring thorough and effective representation across his practice areas.
Mahmoud is also one of the most sought after experts on foreign law and has provided expert opinions before various courts on various matters including in a USD 8 billion claim before the New York Supreme Court, before the Swiss courts in a USD 30M dispute, declaratory testimony in USD 90M arbitration proceedings, Mareva injunction related proceedings and a USD 110M dispute before the English Courts. These are some examples as Mahmoud is regularly instructed as an expert before the courts in Switzerland, before the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, Supreme Court of the State of New York, the County Court at Central London, and before arbitral tribunals globally.
Mahmoud contributes to global legal discourse through numerous publications in leading outlets such as LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters, MEED Magazine, Gulf Business, Gulf News, and Law.com. His articles cover a broad spectrum of legal issues, from arbitration developments to cryptocurrency disputes and from tax litigation to international trade.
As Vice-President of The Hague Institute for Global Justice and former Co-Chair of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, Mahmoud plays a pivotal role in shaping global justice and entrepreneurial landscapes. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the New York International Arbitration Center, and serves on advisory roles for the Jordan Expo 2025 and the Jordan International Arbitration Centre.
Mahmoud’s strategic counsel spans high-stakes commercial arbitration, complex litigation, and advisory roles in global geopolicy and treaty work. His track record in representing ultra high net worth individuals, multinational corporations, and governments underscores his reputation as a trusted advisor in navigating intricate legal landscapes worldwide.
Admission
- Admitted lawyer in Australia
- Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria
- Registered legal consultant in the UAE and the ADGM
- Registered in Part I of the DIFC Courts
- Qualified Arbitrator by the ADR Institute of Canada
Education
- University of Southern Queensland, Juris Doctor, Administrative Law
- Harvard University, Master’s Degree, Management / Constitutional Law
- Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society, Gold Standard Course
- Middlesex University, Master’s Degree, Islamic Law
- Carleton University, Bachelor’s Degree, Law
Commercial Arbitration
- ICC construction procurement dispute between Canadian entity and Spanish / Korean consortium.
- ICC construction dispute between Korean subcontractor and Chinese main contractor.
- Ad hoc insurance dispute between UAE construction firm and global insurance provider.
- DIAC hotel development-related dispute between HNW developer and Indian contracting firm.
- ICC emergency arbitration procedures between Jordanian contracting firm and UAE State entity.
Treaty Arbitration
- UNCITRAL proceedings under the OIC treaty between a Jordanian investor and EMEA State.
- ICSID proceedings under a BIT between a Dutch holding conglomerate and an EMEA State.
- ICSID proceedings under a BIT between a Chinese technology conglomerate and an EMEA State.
- UNCITRAL proceedings under a BIT between an Indian manufacturer and an EMEA State.
- ICSID proceedings under a BIT between a US major developer and an EMEA State.
Complex Litigation
- USD 40M vicarious liability dispute in the UAE courts between a UAE major retailer and a Korean MNC.
- INTERPOL Red Notice removal for a high-net-worth Jordanian investor related to capital markets.
- USD 120M dispute between an HNW and a major bank related to the illegitimate use of financial instruments.
- GCC multi-jurisdictional fraud supply claim related to a major infrastructure project for an Indian claimant.
- The first insurance dispute arising out of the Yemen War valued at USD 30M for a global O&G supplier.
Construction Disputes
- USD 18M dispute between an agriculture subcontractor and an Australian main contractor.
- USD 110M status-quo dispute between a UAE conglomerate and a Malaysian contractor.
- Prevention of a performance bond liquidation for a USD 40M project against a major contractor.
- Dispute Adjudication Board proceedings between a hotel fit-out subcontractor and the main contractor.
- Dispute between steel supplier and an Italian main contractor related to a USD 1.5B project.
Corporate Disputes
- USD 20M shareholder dispute between exiting shareholder and global engineering firm.
- USD 120M derivative shareholder claim for a Canadian shareholder arising from corporate fraud.
- Representing a shareholder of a Fin-Tech firm in pursuing allegations of breach of governance.
- USD 60M capital markets dispute between a shareholder of a listed firm and block trade acquirer.
- USD 40M dispute between an institutional investor and a pharmaceutical firm for misrepresentation.
Tax Controversy
- USD 30M tax dispute for an energy utility company arising from government-mandated markdowns.
- USD 120M tax dispute for a tobacco manufacturer arising from production moisture loss and wastage.
- USD 40M tax dispute for a technology MNC arising from permanent and fixed establishment status.
- USD 90M tax dispute for a publicly listed developer in relation to retrospective property development taxes.
- Tax dispute for a US defense contractor arising from defense and security agreement tax concessions.
Expert Witness
- Expert witness before the New York courts on the laws of the DIFC, ADGM, and UAE in a USD 8 billion claim.
- Expert witness before the Swiss courts in a USD 30M dispute on UAE laws relating to proxy powers.
- Declaratory testimony before the New York courts in relation to USD 90M arbitration proceedings.
- Expert opinion prepared for the UK courts in relation to corporate structuring and dissemination of assets.
- External counsel support on UAE law in relation to arbitration proceedings for a Korean law firm.
Trial Consultancy
- Advising claimant on resorting to the DIFC courts to obtain Mareva injunctions as part of global strategy.
- Advising claimant on resorting to the Singapore courts on FNC grounds vis an inoperable jurisdiction.
- Managing data insight and investigation on behalf of the claimant to pursue jurisdiction in the DIFC courts.
- Advising a large holding company on defending against injunctions in London, New York, and the UAE.
- Advising a multi-jurisdictional contractor on setting aside an arbitration award in multiple jurisdictions.