Obeid & Partners

Established in 1987, as Obeid Law Firm, Obeid & Partners is a full-service international law firm operating across the MENA region.

Obeid & Partners is widely acknowledged as being one of the leading full-service international law firms operating across the MENA region with offices in Dubai, Beirut and Paris. Its services have been highly commended by international legal publications and institutions including Chambers Global, Who’s Who Legal and the Global Arbitration Review (GAR). Obeid & Partners has been consistently ranked as having one of the top 100 arbitration practices in the world (GAR 100).

The firm’s expertise, grounded on a strong understanding of the local laws and practice, extends from Dubai and Lebanon to the wider MENA region and beyond. The firm is regularly sought for advice on legal reforms in various fields across the MENA region and has been at the forefront of drafting model laws on behalf of the Arab League. The breadth of the firm’s capabilities is reflected in the diversity of Obeid & Partners clientele, ranging from governments and public entities, to national and multinational companies, including oil companies, investment funds, financial institutions, telecommunication providers, construction and service companies as well as SMEs. Obeid & Partners is frequently called upon to provide legal expertise on points of Lebanese and Middle Eastern legislation before international arbitral tribunals and courts around the world.

Known for its commitment to excellence and its expertise in Middle Eastern legislations, the firm has established a first-class litigation and international arbitration practice, acting as counsel, arbitrator and expert on behalf of parties. The firm has been involved in some of the largest arbitration cases in the Middle East, and has advised clients at the pre- and post-arbitration stages; it has drafted arbitration agreements, and enforced arbitral awards, foreign court decisions and asset preservation orders.

Led by Professor Comair-Obeid, the firm’s arbitration team combines international best practice with unrivalled local expertise. With acknowledged arbitration specialists engaged in some of the most significant English, French and Arabic-language arbitrations in the MENA region, the firm’s arbitration practice offers unparalleled regional expertise and wide-ranging capabilities.

Members of the firm have also been called to give expert evidence on aspects of Middle Eastern legislations before arbitral tribunals and foreign courts, including the Grand Courts of the Cayman Islands and the English High Court. Numerous books and publications on international contracts and international arbitration have been authored by the firm members in Arabic, French and English, including the reference book “The Law of Business contracts in the Arab Middle East” and the recent treatise “Le Recours en Annulation des Sentences Arbitrales dans les Pays Arabes” (“Action for Annulment of Arbitral Awards in the Arab Countries”).

Obeid & Partners portfolio of cases includes local and international mandates conducted in English, French and Arabic. Its lawyers advise on legal reforms across the MENA region and specialise in complex cross-border matters where expert knowledge of multiple legal systems is required. The firm has extensive experience representing a full spectrum of clients ranging from governments to a roster of both nationally and internationally renowned investors, corporations and individuals.

The firm has associated offices located in several Middle Eastern and European countries. This allows it to cover mandates that extend to West Africa, the Caribbean and North America and to deliver world-class legal services tailored to fit the geographical needs of its clients.

The firm is also home to the past president of CIArb and member of the ICC Executive Board.