Robert Whitehead
Partner, Hamdan Al Shamsi Lawyers and Legal Consultants (UAE)
Phone: +971 58 915 0943
Email: rwhitehead@alshamsilegal.com
Maritime Disputes.
Property Disputes.
Professional Negligence.
Regulatory Disputes.
Shareholder Disputes.
Corporate and Commercial Disputes.
Civil Fraud.
Technology and Construction Disputes.
Banking Disputes.
Intellectual Property Disputes.
2004 – 2007: LLB (Hons) Law, Durham University: 2.1
2009 – 2010: LPC, Law, College of Law, York
2010 – 2012: Professional Skills Courses, BPP Law School
2023: Contract Law, Harvard Law School
2017 - Ongoing: DIFC Academy, DIAC & Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department Courses
2024 – ongoing: LL.M., International Corporate and Commercial Law, Kings College, London
Member of Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department
Fellow, CIArb
Internationally listed Arbitrator with the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Russian Arbitration Centre (RAC), and International Court of Arbitration (ICC).
Internationally accredited as a qualified Mediator, International Mediation Institute
Member of the LCIA Arab Users’ Council
Member of the ICC UAE Focus Group
Joint Member of the DIFC Courts Users Committee
Chairperson of the Board and Member of the Industry Advisory Board, Amity University, Dubai
Fellow and Professor of Practice in International Arbitration, Centre for International Mediators and Arbitrators (CIMA)
Alumni Member, Grey College, Durham University
Alumni Member, York College of Law
Member, BNI Emperor, Dubai
Member, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
Member – ICC
Member – AIJA
Member – Alliant+
Robert is an international dispute resolution specialist with experience of handling high value commercial disputes for blue chip clients and high-net worth individuals in arbitration, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution.
Practice overview
UK qualified Solicitor and a Part I and Part II DIFC Courts Registered Practitioner with over 10 years' experience in dealing with issues relating to the laws of England and Wales, the laws of the DIFC and UAE Federal laws.
Acts for and advises local and international companies, as well as charitable organisations, in complex litigation and has extensive experience as a litigator in the UK, DIFC, and ADGM Courts.
Broad commercial and financial dispute practice, with a specialist focus on agreements arising out of property, finance, banking, insurance and shareholder disputes, as well as wider fraud.
Main areas of expertise are construction and financial mis-selling disputes with regulatory aspects before the DIFC Courts, where he has acted for clients in some of the most high-profile and complex regulatory claims in Dubai, brought by the DFSA, before the FMT.
A track record of winning cases in the DIFC Courts and international arbitrations, and in achieving successful results against top tier competitor law firms.
Substantial experience before Arbitral Tribunals and the Courts of offshore jurisdictions, in particular, the DIFC, ADGM and DWT Courts, and provides assistance to the Litigation Team in Dubai Court cases.
Deals with issues as to applicable law, jurisdiction and cross border enforcement, which includes the handling of multi-jurisdiction enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards.
Represents clients in arbitrations governed by various institutional rules including the LCIA, DIAC, UNCITRAL and the ICC, and has represented several high-net-worth individuals in employment claims before the DIFC Courts and in Employment Tribunal cases in the UK.
Previously at Clyde & Co LLP, Robert handled large loss claims for international blue-chip clients in multi-party and cross-jurisdictional disputes before the Commercial Court and Chancery Division of the High Court.
Selected as co-member of the DIFC Courts’ Users’ Committee as a Group 2 UAE Firm to assist the DIFC Courts to improve the efficiency of Court procedures.