Mishcon de Reya has hired a team of litigation and arbitration specialists from Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) to expand its dispute resolution practice in the UAE.
The team is led by partner Charlotte Bijlani, who joins as co-head of the UAE disputes practice, alongside managing associate Haya Al Bawab and associate Gabriela Benavides.
Bijlani brings more than two decades of experience advising on commercial litigation and arbitration matters in the region and globally, notably in areas including joint ventures and shareholder agreements, fraud, debt recovery and enforcement, investigations and construction, among others.
She also has extensive experience in aircraft repossessions in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Europe and the UK.
Christopher Skipper, managing partner for Mishcon’s UAE office, said: “This is another important step in the expansion of Mishcon de Reya in the UAE. Our reputation as a disputes powerhouse makes the firm an attractive home for leading talent. Charlotte, Haya and Gabi bring strong regional and international experience in complex, high value arbitrations and disputes. Their arrival further strengthens our disputes practice and reinforces our commitment to providing clients with the highest quality legal advice across the region.”
Bijlani joins after more than eight years at WFW, where she was most recently managing partner of its Dubai office. She was previously a partner and head of international arbitration UAE at Baker McKenzie and a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, as well as of counsel at legacy Herbert Smith Freehills.
Greg Falkof, a partner and head of international arbitration at Mishcon, said: “The arrival of Charlotte, Haya and Gabi further serves to underline our expertise in the most complex, international arbitration and the firm’s position as a dispute powerhouse, and also acknowledges the increasingly international nature of disputes work.”
The team’s arrival follows the addition of partner Bushra Ahmed to the UAE dispute resolution team in March from Middle East firm KBH. Bijlani takes the firm’s regional partner count to seven.
Bijlani said she was looking forward to playing a key role in the development of the firm’s UAE disputes practice, adding: “The firm is known as a dispute powerhouse having built an outstanding reputation internationally for handling complex disputes and delivering exceptional outcomes for clients.”
Earlier this month, Hogan Lovells also extended its presence in the Middle East with a twin partner hire from Ashurst, while in May DAC Beachcroft launched in Dubai with a three-partner hire from Clyde & Co.
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