Jehad is the first Executive Director of Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the first Emirati woman to assume a leadership position in the largest arbitration centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. Drawing on a wealth of knowledge gained from over 22 years of experience in the legal and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) fields, Jehad has played an instrumental role in building and executing DIAC’s forward thinking strategy. Under her proactive and dynamic leadership, the Centre strives to enhance the efficiency of its operations, optimize its performance and improve its ADR services through business excellence, stakeholder engagement and innovation. Prior to joining DIAC, Jehad was the Vice-President of the Legal Affairs Sector of Dubai Chambers where she oversaw the entire legal function of the Chambers and its international offices around the world. She played a key role in providing broad strategic guidance and legal support to the Dubai Chambers and its stakeholders on wide spectrum of matters including legislation, dispute resolution, corporate governance and policy advocacy in line with Dubai Chambers’ vision and strategic objectives. Jehad holds an LL.M in Business Law from University of Hertfordshire, UK and LL.B in Shari’a & Law from the U.A.E. University. A seasoned negotiator with ability to negotiate in a wide range of business contexts, Jehad has successfully completed Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation. She is a graduate of Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development and Cranfield School of Management’s Executive Leadership Development Programme and a Certified Board Director, accredited by Hawkamah and Mudara- Institute of Directors. Previously, Jehad has served as an Assessor for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award and as a Judge for the Oath Middle East Legal Awards. Jehad is the first Emirati woman on the Board of Directors of DIAC and she has served as a Member of the Board of Dubai Women Establishment, a women centric establishment dedicated to leverage Emirati women’s potential and active participation in various aspects of economy and society.

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.

Rashda is a commercial/construction law Silk with extensive experience in international legal practice, covering procurement and the full life cycle of large-scale construction/infrastructure and energy projects: establishing the procurement strategy, structuring the appropriate contract, negotiation, review and managing the entire contractual process, including dealing with external counsel. She has experience in both non-contentious and litigation/arbitration matters, having been intimately involved in the drafting and negotiation of a variety of standard forms of contract (such as NEC, JCT, FIDIC etc) as well as bespoke forms of contracts incorporating FEED, financing, design, construction, engineering & infrastructure, energy (gas, water, electricity & nuclear) and technology (Data Centres, fintech, banking). She has developed and implemented compliance and governance structures in construction and energy entities, ensuring that good practices are embedded throughout the organisation, training all levels of the business as well as undertaking inquiries into breaches of company policies (ethics and misconduct) and making recommendations. Rashda has been regularly recognised for her work by a variety of industry bodies.

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.

Sean, a Partner at CBBG Group, brings to the table extensive expertise as a Testified Delay and Disruption Expert. His proficiency spans the specialized domains of delay and disruption analysis. Prior to assuming this role, Sean held key project-based positions, including Site Engineer, Project Manager, Project Controls Manager, and Planning Manager, on complicated projects. Sean has significant EPC experience in Oil and Gas in both a dispute setting and practical work experience. As an Independent Delay and Disruption Expert, Sean has been entrusted with drafting numerous expert reports, testifying and undergoing cross examination, offering unbiased opinions on construction project delay and disruption. He is wellversed in adhering to the best practice protocols outlined in AACE International Recommended Practice No. 29R-03 and the SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol. Additionally, Sean has undergone formal training in expert witness testimony and advanced cross-examination techniques. Sean’s expertise has been recognized through his appointments as an independent delay/disruption expert under the arbitration rules of ICC, DIAC, QICCA, and LCIA. His contributions in this capacity have led to him being recognized by WWL under the category of Arbitration Future Leaders – Expert Witnesses.

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.

Nesreen is a Partner in our Dubai office with 15 years’ disputes experience specialising in construction and engineering disputes. Nesreen acts on behalf of employers, main contractors, subcontractors and consultants. Nesreen has advised client from various parts of the world including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Pakistan, India, China, Japan and South Korea. She has extensive experience in international arbitration in the infrastructure and energy sectors. 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 has advised clients in respect of major construction and engineering disputes in arbitration under the rules of various arbitration centres such as ICC, DIAC, DIFC-LCIA and ADCCAC in the majority of the GCC countries as well as the wider Middle East. A significant portion of Nesreen’s time is also spent advising clients on managing negotiations and alternative means of resolving disputes with the aim of reaching extra-judicial settlement (including mediation and expert determination). Nesreen was ranked as a Next Generation Partner in the Legal 500 EMEA rankings for UAE Construction.

Cesar is the founding partner of Triumph & Co., a firm with offices in the UAE and Lebanon, and currently expanding into London and KSA. Cesar is a dual qualified lawyer, admitted to the Beirut Bar Association, and admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. He holds two master’s degrees including an LLM in Corporate and Commercial Law from Queen Mary University of London, having graduated with distinction. With over ten years of experience and a strong focus on the construction industry, he represents through his firm a significant number of leading contractors and developers in high profile litigation and arbitration cases across the region, having handled billions of dirhams in claims.

Christian P. Alberti is the Chief of ADR and General Counsel of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) and based in Riyadh and Dubai. Prior to joining the SCCA in 2019, he was the Assistant Vice President of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA-ICDR). He taught as Adjunct Professor at New York University School of Law (NYU) on International Arbitration and International Sales Law between 2017 and 2019. He is a Member of the Global Advisory Board of the New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators as well as a member of various international ADR associations. He is certified to practice law in Germany and New York State.

Marcus Antoine Khoury is Head of Legal at Averda. 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.