Legal Era Celebrates Legal Excellence and Achievements of Lawyers & In-house Counsel in the Middle East Region
6th Annual Legal Era Middle East Law Awards 2025, an event dedicated to recognizing legal excellence and achievements across the Middle East. This year’s ceremony was held on October 9th, 2025, at the Hotel Taj Exotica Resort & Spa The Palm, Dubai.
The awards celebrated the accomplishments of leading lawyers, in-house legal teams, and law firms from the region, acknowledging their legal competence, diverse experience, and overall excellence. It was an honor to gather such a distinguished group of awardees and members of the global legal community. The awards encompassed multiple categories, including Middle East Law Firms, Leading Lawyers, In-House Lawyers, In-House Teams, and Finest General Counsels.
Beyond the recognition, the event also fostered an environment for attendees to network, share best practices, and explore potential collaborations during the cocktail and dinner reception.
As the Founder of Legal Era – Legal Media Group, Ms Aakriti Raizada said – “I firmly believe in the significant contributions of the Middle East’s legal industry to the region’s growth. The Middle East has become a crucial point for both inbound and outbound business navigation. The legal sector has been instrumental in establishing stable businesses and a supportive legal framework that encourages foreign investment and global commerce. It ensures regulatory compliance, promotes Sharia-compliant business practices, and advocates for modern legal reforms.
Through these efforts, the legal sector drives economic growth, guarantees fair access to justice, and helps maintain the UAE’s standing as an international hub. Today, we celebrate the excellence and achievements of the UAE’s legal fraternity for their invaluable contributions to the region.
The quality of submissions received this year truly reflects the outstanding work of lawyers and in-house counsel. The jury dedicated countless hours to finalize the winners, and I extend my sincere appreciation for their diligent efforts to all Jury Members and to our Jury Chair Dr. Yasser Aboismail, Regional General Counsel-Director Legal, Commercial/Contracts and Compliance, Thales.
Legal Era views each Middle East Awards Edition as a testament to making excellence and agility paramount at every level. My sincere gratitude goes to all of you for continually raising the bar and initiating crucial discussions throughout the five editions we have had the privilege of hosting.
The awardees exemplify not only legal prowess but also invaluable cultural insights that provide a competitive advantage.
The ceremony was graced by a distinguished assembly of law firms and legal professionals from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Oman, and others.
Winners are
Law Firm Awards
|
CATEGORY |
WINNER NAME |
|
Arbitration Law Firm of the Year |
Afridi & Angell |
|
Corporate & M&A Law Firm of the Year |
GLA & CO |
|
Construction Law Firm of the Year |
Essa Al Sulaiti – Law Firm |
|
Banking, Finance and Restructuring Law Firm of the Year |
Afridi & Angell |
|
Employment Law Firm of the Year |
Al Tamimi & Company |
|
Fintech Law Firm of the Year |
Rasma Legal |
|
Energy & Natural Resources Law Firm of the Year |
Al Tamimi & Company |
|
Regulatory and Investigations Law Firm of the Year |
GLA & Co |
|
Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year |
Rouse |
|
Litigation & Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year |
ADG Legal |
|
Real Estate Law Firm of the Year |
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP |
|
TMT Law Firm of the Year |
Bird & Bird |
|
Rising & Emerging Law Firm of the Year |
Arkan International Legal Consultants |
|
Law Firm of the Year – Bahrain |
DLA Piper Middle East |
|
Law Firm of the Year – Egypt |
Khodeir & Partners |
|
Law Firm of the Year – KSA |
Batic Law Firm |
|
Law Firm of the Year – Kuwait |
Taher Group Law Firm Co. (LLC) |
|
Law Firm of the Year – Oman |
Al Tamimi & Company |
|
Law Firm of the Year – Qatar |
GLA & Co |
|
Law Firm of the Year – Cyprus |
Y. Georgiades & Associates LLC |
|
Law Firm of the Year – UAE |
Afridi & Angell |
|
Middle East Law Firm of the Year |
Al Tamimi & Company |
|
International Law Firm of the Year |
Bird & Bird |
In-House Awards
|
CATEGORY |
WINNER NAME |
|
Best Use of Technology |
Myzoi Financial Inclusion Technologies LLC |
|
Energy and Resources In-House Team of the Year |
Saudi Aramco |
|
Banking In-House Team of the Year |
National Bank of Egypt |
|
Finance In-House Team of the Year |
Equiti Group |
|
FMCG In-House Team of the Year |
Almarai Company |
|
Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year |
Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) |
|
Real Estate & Construction In-House Team of the Year |
Roshn Group |
|
Legal Department of the Year – Large Team |
Alghanim Industries |
|
Legal Department of the Year – Mid Size Team |
DHL |
|
Legal Department of the Year – Small Team |
RAKEZ |
|
Legal Department of the Year – Small Team |
Petromin Group |
|
Middle East In-House Team of the Year |
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCC) |
|
Innovative Leader of the Year |
Amira Fayad, Associate Director – Legal And Company Secretary, Seddiqi Holding |
|
General Counsel of the Year – Small Team |
Ahmed Zaki, Senior Vice President – Legal Affairs, Al Hamra Group LLC |
|
General Counsel of the Year – Mid to Large Team |
Mohammed A. Alzogaibi, Vice President Legal Affairs, Mobily |
Individual Awards
|
CATEGORY |
WINNER NAME |
|
Young Achiever of the Year |
Mariam Ali Abdulla Muhammed Alblooshi, Managing Director And Lawyer, Mariam Ali Abdulla Advocates & Legal Consultants |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Corporate & M&A |
Bashir Ahmed, Managing Partner, Afridi & Angel |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Dispute Resolution |
Ali Ismael Al Zarooni, Founder & Managing Partner, Horizons & Co Law Firm LLC |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Intellectual Property |
Melissa Murray, Partner, Bird & Bird (MEA) LLP |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Banking & Finance |
Ashraf Hendi, Partner, GLA & Co. |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Labour & Employment |
Stuart Walker, Partner, Afridi & Angell |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Litigation |
Fayez Al-Fadhli, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Arkan International Legal Consultancy |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Real Estate |
Tariq Imam, Partner and Head of Real Estate, Clifford Chance LLP |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Construction |
Richard Davies, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Fintech |
Abdus Samad, Partner, Afridi & Angel |
|
Lawyer of the Year – Digital Asset |
Mazen Rasamny, Founder, Rasma Legal |
|
Woman Lawyer of the Year – IN House |
Tala Al Jahlan, General Counsel, Arriyadh Development Company |
|
Woman Lawyer of the Year – Law Firm |
Mashael M. Al Sulaiti, Founder & Chairperson, Mashael Al Sulaiti Law Firm |
|
Managing Partner of the Year |
Alex Saleh, Managing Partner, GLA & Company |
|
Lifetime Achievement Award |
Abdulaziz Taher Alkhateeb, Founder Partner, Taher Group Law Firm |
Finest ME GC Awards
|
CATEGORY |
WINNER NAME |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Investment Management |
Antoine Abi Rached, Group General Counsel, Dubai Investments PJSC |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Transportation |
Anwar El Khatib, Chief Legal Counsel, Salik |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Logistics |
Brett Hathaway, Vice President & Head of Legal Middle East Africa, DHL |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Farming |
Dawn Sanderson, Group General Counsel, Al Dahra Group |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing |
Dina Ammar, Legal & Compliance Director, MSD |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Retail |
Dr. Fawaz Alawadhi, Chief Legal Officer, Alghanim Industries Group |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Chemical Manufacturing |
Dr. Khaled Aswad, Group Chief Legal Officer (General Counsel), Sipchem (Sahara International Petrochemical Company) |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Defense and Space Manufacturing |
Dr. Yasser Aboismail, Regional General Counsel-Director Legal Commercial/Contracts and Compliance, Thales |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Financial Services |
Fawaz Alsadhan, Head of Legal, SAB Invest |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Hospitality |
Hadi El Kadi, Group Chief Legal Officer, Al Habtoor Group |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Financial Services |
Hamad Haider, Chief Legal Officer, Equiti |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Investment |
Rima Hadid, General Counsel, Emirates Investment Authority |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Real Estate |
Wael Wahbeh, Group Chief Legal Officer, ROSHN Group |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Appliances, Electrical, and Electronics Manufacturing |
Wafa Derouiche, VP & Chief Compliance Officer, TE Connectivity |
|
Finest General Counsel of the Year – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing |
Narguiz Birk-Petersen, Vice president, Regional General Counsel Growth and Emerging Markets, Takeda |
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