This will be conducted in English and according to Riyadh local time. 

Legal Plus Premium is bring back its annual arbitration event to Riyadh this Novemeber.  The 4th International Arbitration Summit ― Riyadh will be taking place at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Center, Riyadh Minhal on Wednesday 4 November 2026.  

Join us for a full day of sharing and discussions by a group of local and international experts, it will be a great platform to learn the latest changes and trends that may affect your business in the current business environment.  Topics in discussion include but not limited to disputes in the construction, energy and technology sector, panel discussions on arbitration v mediation, monetizing and enforceing awards, expedite and emergency procedures in international arbitration and many more.  For more details about the program, please click here for more details. Download

The event will not only provide update information but it’s will also be a great opportunity to ask questions to leading local and global experts, network and create business opportunities and maybe make some new friends! 

Registration is now open.  We are offering each company one complimentary seat to the event but only applicable to in-house counsel not associated with law, consulting, advisory, or risk management firms.  If you have more than one person from the same company or not applicable for a complimentary pass,  please refer to the registration below.  

If you are interested to sponsor or speak at the event, contact Jason at jason.sinclair@legalplus-asia.com for package details.  For registrations details, contact Bettina at legalpluseventsasia@legalplus-asia.com.

Speakers

Dr. Mahmood Hussain, Chairman

Founding Partner, M&CO Legal

Dr. Mahmood Hussain, Founding Partner of M&CO Legal and UAE Advocate, is an arbitrator, mediator, and former DIFC Courts Deputy Registrar with 20+ years’ experience.

Biography

David Joseph KC, Keynote Speaker

Counsel and Arbitrator, Essex Court Chambers

David Joseph KC practices as counsel and arbitrator from Essex Court Chambers in London. He has appeared as counsel in courts at all levels in England and Wales in some of the leading courts cases concerning arbitration. He has similarly appeared and as counsel in the DIFC, in the highest appellate courts of Singapore, Hong Court and the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal. He has appeared as counsel in over two hundred arbitrations at most of the leading arbitral seats in the world and under a variety of the institutional arbitral rules. He is the author of Jurisdiction and Arbitration Agreements and their Enforcement (3rd Ed Thomson, Sweet & Maxwell). He also enjoys sitting as arbitrator, whether as part of a panel or as sole. He sits on the Court of the LCIA and lectures as a Visiting Professor in International Arbitration.

Biography

Rozana ALTayyar, Moderator — 1st Grand Panel

Managing Director, TASWEA

Rozana is a prominent Saudi international arbitrator and mediator who established her career as a financial consultant in the region after 14 years in corporate banking. She is widely recognised as a pioneer in advocating for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Rozana is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute, member of the CIArb-KSA steering committee and serves on the ICC International Court of Arbitration. As chair of the ICC Saudi Arabia Arbitration and ADR Committee she has focused her leadership on the integration of the Saudi legal framework with international standards by analysing the role of Shari’ah principles within international commercial frameworks along with contributing to the discussions on Saudi Arabia’s draft Arbitration Law and its impact on the enforcement of awards. Rozana is based in Saudi Arabia and has been an arbitrator and mediator for over a decade and established herself as a leading specialist in handling complex and high-value commercial disputes. Rozana’s encompasses a diverse range of industries, including real estate, construction, technology, joint ventures, family businesses and the commercial sector.

Biography

Leonora Riesenburg, Moderator – 3rd Grand Panel

Independent Chartered Arbitrator and Accredited Mediator, INTADR DMCC

Leonora Riesenburg is an Independent Chartered Arbitrator and Accredited Mediator at INTADR DMCC, Dubai, and an International Tenant at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square in London. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), a Fellow of Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AIADR), and stands as a leading figure in international arbitration, mediation and ADR in Middle East, Asia, and the UK. Leonora specialises in complex disputes across key sectors, notably in investment, infrastructure, construction, real estate, joint ventures, banking and finance, and receives routine Chairmanship appointments. Her affiliations with prestigious arbitral institutions—among them the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, DIAC, ADCCAC, SCCA, MIAC, AIADR—further solidify her standing as a leading figure in international arbitration. Leonora’s leadership is reflected in her previous roles as Branch Chair of CIArb UAE, as an Elected Member of the Board of Management for CIArb London, and member of DIFC Courts Arbitration Division Working Group. She is a member of LCIA Arabs Users’ Council and a member of the Swiss Arbitration Association. Leonora is a highly in demand faculty member for the CIArb globally and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in the MENA Region and in the UK, playing a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of dispute resolution practitioners. Her global influence extends through her service with leading institutions worldwide, including in Asia, the Governing Council of the Hyderabad Arbitration Centre (HAC) in India as well as the Global Advisory Panel for Musaliha International Centre for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (MICADR) in Pakistan.

Biography

Euan Lloyd , Moderator — 4th Grand Panel

Partner, Al Tamimi & Company

Riyadh-based partner Euan Lloyd leads Al Tamimi & Company’s Construction & Infrastructure practice. Qualified as a solicitor in both England & Wales and New South Wales, Euan has practised across a wide range of civil and common law jurisdictions throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. He also served as Group General Counsel for a global construction and engineering company for more than four years. This combination of private practice expertise and senior in-house experience gives him a unique, commercially grounded perspective that clients value on complex, high-stakes projects. Euan brings extensive experience in both contentious and non-contentious construction matters, including arbitration, court proceedings, expert determination, and mediation or conciliation, and advises on high-value concession agreements, construction contracts, O&M agreements, and consultancy arrangements across power, utilities, infrastructure, building, and large-scale development projects. Recognised as a Leading Partner for Real Estate and Construction in the 2025 edition of The Legal 500, Euan is noted for his work on market-leading projects across Saudi Arabia.

Biography

Victor Leginsky, Moderator — 5th Grand Panel

Independent Arbitrator, Arbitralis

Victor P. Leginsky, Canadian citizen, is an experienced international arbitrator and mediator resident in the United Arab Emirates since 2007. Victor has earned the internationally-recognized designations of Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is appointed to the CIArb Panel of Arbitrators. Victor is a CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, London) accredited mediator and mediation experience as Chair, Manufactured Home Park Dispute Resolution Committee (Attorney General of British Columbia, Canada, appointment) and in mediations. Victor is appointed to the panels or lists of arbitrators in a number of international centres and is a committee member of the International Court of Arbitration (ICC) Canada. He has instructed and assessed in respect of Mediation though the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the CIArb. He is the past Middle East Regional Director of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN). He is a member in good standing of the Law Society of British Columbia, Canada.

Biography

Julian Cohen

Arbitrator & Barrister, Resolution Chambers International

Julian has 30 years of specialist experience of heavyweight international, and domestic, disputes. Sums in dispute in his cases vary from small to in excess of USD 2 billion. In addition to acting as counsel, he also regularly sits as an arbitrator. Julian has over 10 years’ experience in the MENA region, including 2 years based full time in Dubai, and an ongoing long-term commitment to the region. Julian has been involved in projects and disputes in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Benin, Sierra Leone and Mali. Julian was called to the Bar in England & Wales in 1990. He was with Pinsent Masons’ Construction Disputes practice in London and Hong Kong from 1993 to 2009. He left Pinsent Masons as a partner in 2009, and was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 2010. Julian is particularly well known for his heavy weight practice in relation to the Construction and Engineering sectors, the Energy, Oil and Gas sectors and International and domestic arbitrations.

Biography

Nesreen Osman

Partner, Pinsent Masons

Nesreen is a Partner in the Pinsent Masons Dubai office with 19 years’ disputes experience specialising in construction and engineering disputes. Nesreen has practiced in the Middle East region for 12 years, prior to which she trained and practiced in the UK. She has extensive experience in complex, high value international arbitration in the infrastructure and energy sectors as well as proceedings in the local courts. Nesreen has advised in relation to disputes relating to contract interpretation, variations, payment, delay and disruption, defective works, suspension of works and termination of contracts and professional negligence. Nesreen’s disputes experience also covers a broad range of other sectors including commercial developments, residential developments, PFI/PPP projects for schools and hospitals as well as EPC projects for heavy industries. Nesreen regularly assists clients in respect of proceedings under the rules of various regional and international arbitration centres. Nesreen also has experience of conducting arbitrations on an ad hoc basis and advising on the UNCITRAL rules. A significant portion of Nesreen’s time is also spent on dispute avoidance, advising clients on managing risks during the project as well as negotiations and ADR (including mediation and expert determination).

Biography

Michael Davies

Country Director, Quantum Global Solutions

Michael has over 20 years’ of experience in commercial and claims management across the UK, Middle East and Far East. Michael is Country Director and is based in the company’s Dubai office working across the GCC region. In his career he has prepared numerous claims for extensions of time, disruption, acceleration, quantum for prolongation, variation costs, loss and expense for major clients. Michael is a testified quantum expert providing opinion for disputes in excess of US$ 350 million. Michael has sectoral experience across a multitude of sectors including oil and gas, infrastructure, schools, malls, metro, civil construction, industrial, solar and wind energy projects and regularly supports construction industry events in the region.

Biography

Yulia Barnes

Managing Partner, Barnes Law

Yulia Barnes is our Managing Partner and an experienced solicitor of more than 20 years. She specialises in commercial and corporate law, dispute resolution and corporate governance for commercial clients and high net-worth individuals. Yulia first qualified in Russia, before then qualifying in England and Wales. Following this, she worked at a large international law firm, before becoming a partner at a regional law firm heading up the Dispute Resolution department. Yulia’s career then took her in-house, before she decided to start Barnes Law, her own boutique practice, with the aim of providing exclusive services to HNW individuals and privately-owned businesses in 2018. Yulia’s practice is wide spanning, but she has particularly extensive experience in commercial litigation and contentious trusts, as well as regularly advising on M&A deals. Yulia and the wider Barnes Law team are recognised for their strong awareness and skills across the broad spectrum of both commercial and corporate law. Yulia takes a practical and professional approach to all matters and is dedicated to ensuring clients’ objectives are achieved in the most cost-effective way possible. She prides herself on her problem-solving, her commercial acumen and project management skills, while being robust in negotiation. Yulia brings a personal touch to every case and immerses herself in all her clients’ businesses to gain a deep understanding of their position and the best approach to achieve their strategic objectives. This has led her to be recognised as a leading professional in her field. In her spare time Yulia enjoys sailing, hiking and theatre.

Biography

Dania Fahs

Independent Arbitrator & Mediator

Dania has (20 +) years of mixed experience as attorney in private practice, in-house counseling, and institutional practice (formerly with the ICC International Court of Arbitration- where she held the role of ICC MENA Director: 2018-2023). She is dual qualified in civil and common law. She is specialized in transactional and commercial law and has advised clients on a broad range of commercial contentious and non-contentious matters as well as assisted in negotiating complex cross border transactions in various sectors (pharmaceutical, technology, FMCG, luxury…). Dania holds a PhD in Contractual Law (University Montpellier I -France) dir. Professor Jacques Raynard and an Executive MBA from INSEAD. She also holds a post graduate degree in IP and Alternative Dispute Resolution (University of Montreal). She is a university visiting lecturer in Dispute Resolution, IP law and US Business Law. She is a member of the ICC Institute for World Business Law, a member of Arbitral Women and a certified CEDR mediator, and she is on the list of arbitrators and mediators of several regional and international arbitral institutions. She splits her time today between Paris and Dubai.

Biography

Michael Patchett-Joyce

Barrister, 3 Hare Court

Michael Patchett-Joyce has extensive experience and expertise in domestic and international dispute resolution. As a barrister, he has been instructed on cases across the whole spectrum of domestic courts and tribunals from first instance to all appellate levels (including a petition to appeal to the UK Supreme Court). As a “hands-on” practitioner, he works cases requiring detailed legal research and analysis. He has an ability to master complex factual circumstances and relishes getting to grips with cases involving voluminous evidence. Michael has a proven successful track-record of leading multi-national teams in litigation and arbitration, and is adept at working in civil law, as well as common law environments. Internationally, he has regularly appeared in cases in international commercial courts in the Gulf (the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts), again at first instance and on appeals. Historically, he acted in 4 cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Michael has acted as arbitration Counsel in commercial arbitrations, seated internationally; in particular, in the various onshore and ‘offshore’ Gulf jurisdictions. Michael has also acted as arbitrator (chair, panel member and sole arbitrator) in arbitrations under a wide range of institutional Rules, as well as ad hoc arbitrations. Michael has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) since 2012. He is accomplished in negotiated dispute resolution and mediation and has been a CEDR-accredited mediator since 2015. Michael has been appointed to the Global Advisory Committee of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) and to the International Supervisory Board of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation Arbitration Centre (OIC-AC).

Biography

Marcus Khoury

Associate Director, Contract Formation & Claims, Arada

Marcus has been working as an inhouse legal counsel in the construction industry in the GCC, in particular in Saudi Arabia and in the UAE, for the past 20 years. He is both German and Lebanese and has graduated at the Sorbonne in Paris and the Universities of Cologne and Munich. In his spare time Marcus loves to hike and considers having walked more than 1000 km to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela as one of his greatest experiences.

Biography

Christine Maksoud

Founder and Executive Director, Mediation Hub MENA & Dispute Resolution Counsel

Christine is a Lebanese qualified lawyer and a solicitor of England & Wales with 16 years of PQE. She has been practicing in the UAE since 2016, previously working with Al Tamimi & Company and Dentons, Dubai. She is an IMI and CEDR Accredited Mediator, and a Weinstein JAMS Fellow. Her passion for mediation led her to establish the Mediation Hub MENA, where she serves as Founder Member and Executive Director. Christine is included on the roster of mediators of the World Bank Group's Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO). She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and is listed as a mediator on the panel of the ADGM Court-Annexed Mediation Scheme, DIFC Courts’ Mediators Panel, and Mediation Chambers. Christine specializes in resolving complex family business, shareholders and commercial disputes as both party representative and mediator, through mediation, conciliation and settlement counselling. She provides advisory on UAE law, pre-litigation guidance, and governance-related dispute prevention. Christine has also practiced as a corporate lawyer with focus on M&A, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, as well as corporate governance and compliance issues in the Middle East, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia — including transactions involving family enterprises where ownership structures and succession considerations often intersect with strategic legal decision-making. She is a trainer in mediation, negotiation, and mediation advocacy for several reputable training and academic institutes.

Biography

Md. Imam Hossain

In-house Legal Counsel, Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC)

Md. Imam Hossain is In-house Legal Counsel of Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC). Mr. Hossain served at the Attorney General’s Office of Bangladesh (2007–2009). Mr. Hossain has conducted numerous arbitrations and presided as Chairman in several Arbitration Tribunals in Dhaka, and advises on investment structuring for treaty protection Mr. Hossain has a publication on “The Impact of OBOR Initiative in the Asia Pacific Region”[1], Hors Serie Volume XXV, 2019, Modernization of National Commercial Laws and the Role of International Legal Harmonization and “Pursuing Sustainable Economic Development through “Right to Development,” Chevening Journal Volume 1 2012, Bangladesh. Mr. Hossain has attended numerous International Congress and Conferences, including 30th and 35th LAWASIA Conference as a speaker and 32nd LAWASIA conference as delegate. As an active international speaker and researcher, Mr. Hossain has presented at the Europe Capital Markets Conference, London (20 June 2025) on UK capital markets reform; the 8th Annual International Arbitration & Regulatory Forum, Shanghai (25 June 2025) on AI and corporate fraud; the 7th Annual International Arbitration & Regulatory Forum, Shanghai (5 July 2024) on shareholder and director disputes; the 6th Annual International Arbitration, Corporate Fraud & Anti-Trust Summit, Shanghai (1 September 2023) on cyber security and export data privacy.

Biography

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Registration Details

Complimentary Registration for in-house counsel

Complimentary Registration - Click Here

If you would like to apply for an in-house counsel complimentary ticket, please click here and fill in your details. Complimentary seat is applicable to in-house counsel not associated with law, consulting, advisory, or risk management firms.  One complimentary seat per company, first-come-first-served. Results are based on the organiser’s discretion and applicants will be notified by email.