Alsuwaidi & Company is a full-service business law firm, rooted in regional know-how. Since the firm’s inception in 1997, we have supported leading businesses across the UAE and beyond, assisting them to navigate complex and commercial challenges. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Interview: Mohammed R Alsuwaidi – chair, founding partner, Alsuwaidi & Company”
It is with tremendous sadness that we learned that our former colleague and friend, Stephen J Doggett, passed away on 8 August after a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer (synovial sarcoma). He was just 40.
Like many legal journalists and law firm consultants of his generation, Stephen (or SJD as he affectionately became known) cut his teeth researching The Legal 500 in the regions. But it soon became clear that he was an exceptional talent, combining a razor-sharp, analytical mind with a gentle, unflappable and unquestionably generous nature – bringing all these qualities together to make him a highly respected legal commentator and, more importantly, a unique and much-loved human being. Continue reading “In memory of Stephen J Doggett”
I didn’t want to be a lawyer. My father wouldn’t let me go to RADA. Acting is what I wanted to do but people from Leeds in 1984 didn’t go to acting school. My favourite uncle said: ‘You’re going to be a lawyer’. So I jumped on a conveyor belt and ended up becoming one.
My father was a taxi driver and mum was a housewife. All our holidays were in Blackpool, St Anne’s and Scarborough. Now everyone’s only allowed to go to those places. Continue reading “Life During Law: Adam Plainer”
What are your backgrounds in terms of advising and acting for clients on ESG-related risks?
Doug Bryden (DB): I have advised clients in relation to a broad spectrum of risks for many years, from environmental to business ethics (including modern slavery and human rights) and on related governance and boardroom responses. The prevailing trend now is to view these operational, reputational and legal issues through the lens of ‘ESG’. The consolidation of these risks under a single banner is proving extremely useful in both explaining those risks to boards as well as streamlining a stronger, better considered management response. On one hand my job as an ‘ESG lawyer’ is to help clients promote ESG awareness within a business and to ensure compliance with an ever-increasing range of ESG regulatory obligations. However, this needs to be carefully balanced against the threat of novel legal risks that ESG programmes and associated public disclosures create. Much of my practice and Heather’s is focused on achieving outcomes which sensibly protect an organisation from such legal risks, without undermining the real opportunities and progress that better ESG management creates. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Interview with Doug Bryden (partner and head of risk and operational regulatory) and Heather Gagen (partner, dispute resolution)”
Robert Sliwinski, of counsel at Alsuwaidi & Company, explains how common law principles are transforming international arbitration proceedings in the GCC region
Over the past six months there have been two important judgments in the Supreme Court of England and Wales which are likely to influence GCC-based arbitrations where they are based on common law procedures and rules. They may also impact arbitrations seated in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC), the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) and the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) which are pockets of common law jurisdiction within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar Civil Law Structures.
Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: The effect of recent English Supreme Court judgments on GCC-based arbitration”
Over the last decade, leased container securitisation transactions have increasingly enabled container lessors to raise capital and leverage growth opportunities based on strong performance and outlook in the container leasing sector. Bermuda has played an integral role for market-leading lessors such as Textainer and Triton, and has a trusted reputation among lessors as the leading offshore jurisdiction offering flexible and innovative structures for container securitisation transactions.
A typical container securitisation transaction involves the incorporation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV), normally a Bermuda exempted company, although exempted limited liability companies (LLCs) can also be used. The SPV can either be directly owned by the parent or use an orphan structure (held by a Bermuda purpose trust) which removes the asset from the parent’s balance sheet. The SPV will purchase the container leases (or other specified assets) with some form of regular cash flow and issue loan notes or preference shares in the capital markets to finance the purchase. The repayment of principal and interest on such notes is then secured by the purchased assets and the accompanying cash flow. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Container securitisation thriving in Bermuda”
If you want the short answer to this question, it’s not yet.
Download Shieldpay’s transaction management eBook.
The adoption of technology by the legal industry has been slow-moving. We first saw new technologies emerge to digitise document storage, data rooms and case management systems. As they have become more or less commonplace, the innovations have provided incremental improvements to the way lawyers work – streamlining, optimising and providing new insight. While the industry is moving in the right direction, we are yet to see technology bring something new to the table; the tools haven’t changed the process entirely nor enabled lawyers to deliver legal services in a totally different manner. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Transaction management: Is technology taking over the deal?”
I’m one of three brothers. My middle brother David has just retired as partner of Eversheds. Ever since we were young lads he wanted to be a lawyer, so I had that echo going on.
I chose economics, accountancy, politics and law at A-Level. I really enjoyed the politics but also found the law a lot more interesting than the accountancy. I decided off the back of that to do law at uni and that carried on into a career. I believed I’d be a lawyer for no more than two or three years, and use it as a stepping stone to go into business. Continue reading “Life During Law: Simon Beswick”
I am often asked the reason for the success of the revenue share model. Simply put, it’s down to the demand. Attitudes have changed and people want more, that is why these models are seeing so much growth.
Since we started our fee share law firm 11 years ago, the demand for this type of model has significantly increased, not just from lawyers but with demand from clients too. And this has only accelerated with the pandemic when the whole nation began remote working and became aware of the benefits. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Why are so many turning their back on a traditional career path?”
Legal 500 editors Georgina Stanley and Ben Wheway break down the firms which fare best for corporate and M&A around the world
DLA Piper and Eversheds Sutherland have more top-tier corporate and M&A rankings in the UK Legal 500 than any other firms. Continue reading “The Legal 500 View: Kind of a big deal: The top L500 firms for corporate/M&A”
