‘Regarded by many as the number one firm in the region for shipping matters’, Al Tamimi & Company continues to be highly active in the UAE for both contentious and non-contentious work. Omar Omar, regional head of transport and insurance, regularly advises on cargo, container, marine agency, collisions, salvage and insurance claims. The team was significantly bolstered by the addition of ‘outstanding shipping and trade lawyer’ Wesley Wood  , former practice head at Hadef & Partners LLC, who is highly regarded for his expertise across both dry and wet shipping matters. Yazan Al Saoudi is considered a ‘go-to lawyer in the UAE’ for a wide range of P&I clubs, charterers and shipyards. Yasser Madkour and Adam Gray were promoted to senior counsel in January 2023; they are adept at handling international disputes for global P&I clubs.

HFW ‘is one of the few firms in Dubai with a genuine focus on shipping’, regularly representing all major parties within the maritime space, including shipowners, charterers, P&I clubs, insurance underwriters, governments and brokers. The breadth of clients is reflected by a particularly broad span of expertise, from dry shipping and logistics to commodities and corporate and commercial shipping. Yaman Al Hawamdeh leads the offering for the Middle East and while his practice is primarily disputes focussed, he offers considerable non-contentious expertise. Richard Strub demonstrates ‘in-depth knowledge with great commercial sense’, while ship financing expert Tien Tai ‘is a technically excellent and responsive partner.’ The team was bolstered by the addition of marine disputes specialist Rob Lawrence and corporate and finance expert Ian Chung, joining from Clyde & Co LLP  in August 2022.

Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP continues to develop ‘its young and energetic team’ which has a ‘strong understanding of the local market and needs of businesses operating in the Middle East.’ The shipping practice is equally adept across contentious, non-contentious and transactional work, with a specialist strength in wet shipping matters that include major pollution incidents, fires, explosions and collisions. Rania Tadros is ‘well versed with international shipping practice and law’, while Saif Almobideen, who was promoted to partner in May 2023, is a ‘go-to lawyer’ for shipping and commercial disputes in the region. ‘Savvy and skilled operator’ Mark Lakin primarily focuses on complex shipping and commodities disputes; Menelaus Kouzoupis joined the Dubai office from London in April 2023. Mohamed El Hawawy was a new arrival in March 2024.

The shipping group at Clyde & Co LLP provides a full-service offering in the marine, commodities and offshore energy sectors and is particularly well-regarded for its substantial contentious expertise. The team is highly sought after by many of the largest clients in the industry, spanning a plethora of top shipyards and owners, charters, energy companies, P&I clubs and insurers. David Leckie heads the firm’s offering for the Middle East and Africa and is a renowned dispute resolution specialist in this field, successfully resolving numerous disputes concerning drilling, EPC and offshore service contracts. Leonard Soudagar, who was promoted to partner in May 2023, leads the firm’s marine and commodities practice in the Middle East and also regularly represents top public and private sector clients on complex and high value disputes.

‘The best maritime lawyers in Dubai’, Fichte & Co. offers a deep bench of specialists across the full range of maritime law. On the contentious side, the team is increasingly instructed by P&I clubs and H&M insurers on high-stakes litigation; as well as being particularly active in cases concerning damage and recourse claims for both defendants and claimants. Founding and managing partner Jasmin Fichte is one of the most experienced shipping experts in the region and has worked closely with a number of major government entities. Head of shipping Alessandro Tricoli specialises in ship finance, ship sale & purchase, construction and conversion, while ‘star’ head of shipping litigation Ravi Jawani brings vast experience of marine insurance, carriage of goods by sea and international trade law.

The shipping group at Hadef & Partners LLC  is ‘willing to be zealous in its representation and is able to think outside the box in providing tailored legal advice.’  The breadth of expertise spans the whole of maritime, trade and insurance law, as well as charter-party disputes, shipbuilding contracts, customs issues and collisions. Practice head Adrian Chadwick is ‘smart, commercial, prompt’ and has extensive commercial dispute resolution experience, as does Richard Briggs, with the pair handling a large volume of shipping litigation, arbitration and ADR.

Galadari Advocates & Legal Consultants is a ‘reputable firm’ for shipping matters in the UAE and covers a diverse range of maritime-related work, with cargo claims, international trade disputes, salvage and insurance-related matters considered key areas of expertise. Managing partner Ahmed Galadari jointly leads the practice and is a respected authority for shipping disputes, especially before the UAE's Arabic-language courts, while co-head Shani Salim brings over two decades of experience of cross-border contentious work.

Watson Farley & Williams offers a ‘very experienced and responsive’ maritime practice, regularly advising major clients in the UAE and wider Middle East on complex commercial contracts, finance, corporate and dispute resolution matters. With former practice head Andrew Baird departing the firm in November 2023 to move in-house at ADNOC Logistics, Michael Savva now leads the offering and regularly represents owners and operators on a broad array of non-contentious matters, including sale and purchase, charters and contracts of employment. Senior associate Charlotte Knight is also developing an impressive transactional practice and regularly leads on ship finance negotiations. Natalie Jensen was a new arrival in March 2024.