Robert Whitehead

Practice Areas

Maritime Disputes

Property Disputes

Professional Negligence

Regulatory Disputes

Shareholder Disputes

Corporate and Commercial Disputes

Civil Fraud

Technology and Construction Disputes

Banking Disputes

Intellectual Property Disputes

Career

2008 – 2010 Business Consultant

Senior Business Consultant, CSG Talent

2010 - 2012 Trainee Solicitor, Clarion Solicitors

2012 – 2014 Junior Solicitor, SAS Daniels LLP

2014 – 2016 Solicitor, BLM (merged with Clyde & Co)

2016 – 2017 Associate, Clyde & Co

2017 – 2019 Associate, KBH

2019 – 2020 Mid-Level Associate, Global Advocacy & Legal Counsel

2020 – 2025 Head of Department and Partner Hamdan Al Shamsi Law Firm

2023 Arbitrator, Dubai International Arbitration Centre

2024 Arbitrator, Russian International Arbitration Centre

Professional Memberships

2004 Alumni Member, Grey College, Durham University

2007 Alumni Member, York College of Law

2018 Member, Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department

2021 Member, BNI Emperor, Dubai

2022 Member, MCIArb Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

2022 Member, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution

2023 Member of AIJA

2024 ICC Member

Publications

“The New DIFC Amendment Laws for 2024”, HAS Law Firm, 18 March 2024.

“Out of Time? Limitation Claims in the UAE”, Chambers and Partners, published on 01 December 2023.

“Litigation Dispute Resolution – Comparative Guide”, Mondaq, in collaboration with Hamdan Al Shamsi, published in May 2023

“Lending to a Company in the UAE: Regulatory Issues”, Practical Law Company, published on 01 April 2023.

“Legal Consultants in the UAE – Trends in Litigation and Arbitration”, Gulf News, published on 31 October 2022.

“Recognition and Enforcement in Insolvency Proceedings – an Onshore and Offshore”, in collaboration with 4 Stone Buildings, published on 21 June 2022.

“Changes to the UAE Arbitration Landscape”, Mondaq, published on 17 February 2022.

“Enforcing Arbitration Awards and Foreign Judgments in the UAE”, Lexis Middle East, published on 18 October 2021.

“Interim Measures in Arbitration in the UAE”, Gulf News / GN Focus, published on 24 May 2021.

“UAE Arbitration”, Gulf News / GN Focus, published on 24 May 2021.

“The Re: NMC Healthcare Decision”, the Oath, published on 30 April 2021.

“DIFC Data Protection Law – Actions Required by Businesses”, Global Law Experts, published on 25 November 2020.

“How the UAE Became a Hub for Arbitration”, Gulf News, published on 15 November 2020.

“Interim Measures in Arbitration”, Emirati News, published in 2021.

Languages Spoken

English

Expert in these Jurisdictions

2012 Admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

2017 Admitted as a Legal Consultant at Legal Affair Department of Dubai

2017 Admitted as a Part I Registered DIFC Courts Practitioner

2022 Admitted as a Part II Registered DIFC Practitioner

2023 Admitted as a Registered DIFC Wills Draftsman

2023 Admitted as a Registered ADGM Wills Draftsman

2023 Admitted as Arbitrator on the Dubai International Arbitration Centre list

Experience

UK qualified Solicitor and a Part I and Part II DIFC Courts Registered Practitioner with over 10 years' experience in dealing with issues relating to the laws of England and Wales, the laws of the DIFC and UAE Federal laws.

Acts for and advises local and international companies, as well as charitable organizations, in complex litigation and has extensive experience as a litigator in the UK, DIFC, and ADGM Courts.

Broad commercial and financial dispute practice, with a specialist focus on agreements arising out of property, finance, banking, insurance and shareholder disputes, as well as wider fraud.

Main areas of expertise are construction and financial mis-selling disputes with regulatory aspects before the DIFC Courts, where he has acted for clients in some of the most high-profile and complex regulatory claims in Dubai, brought by the DFSA, before the FMT.

A track record of winning cases in the DIFC Courts and international arbitrations, and in achieving successful results against top tier competitor law firms.

Substantial experience before Arbitral Tribunals and the Courts of offshore jurisdictions, in particular, the DIFC, ADGM and DWT Courts, and provides assistance to the Litigation Team in Dubai Court cases.

Deals with issues as to applicable law, jurisdiction and cross border enforcement, which includes the handling of multi-jurisdiction enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards.

Represents clients in arbitrations governed by various institutional rules including the LCIA, DIAC, UNCITRAL and the ICC, and has represented several high-net-worth individuals in employment claims before the DIFC Courts and in Employment Tribunal cases in the UK.

Previously at Clyde & Co LLP, Robert handled large loss claims for international blue-chip clients in multi-party and cross-jurisdictional disputes before the Commercial Court and Chancery Division of the High Court.

Selected as co-member of the DIFC Courts’ Users’ Committee as a Group 2 UAE Firm to assist the DIFC Courts to improve the efficiency of Court procedures.

Industry Sector Expertise

Maritime

Shipping and Logistics

Banking and Finance

Construction

Real Estate

Technology

Media

Energy and Gas

Retail and Hospitality

Aviation

Investments

Education

Awards