Construction | Global

Clyde & Co has a highly regarded practice with a longstanding presence in the UAE. Its offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer robust capabilities for matters throughout the MENA region. The firm's lawyers regularly advise clients on large-scale construction disputes, often acting on the contractor side. The team is further able to assist with a range of non-contentious projects. Clyde & Co has strengths in sectors such as transportation, energy and infrastructure.

Freshfields has an acclaimed construction practice, which continues to be highlighted for its experience in major engineering projects. Its lawyers often assist with issues such as the structuring and negotiation of contracts, procurement matters and risk management. The firm also has strong international capabilities that allow it to act on a wide array of cross-border matters, with the Dubai team often drawing upon disputes expertise based in other Freshfields offices worldwide.

A&O Shearman draws praise for its strengths in non-contentious mandates, regularly advising on the contracts underpinning big-ticket energy and infrastructure projects. From its Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices, the firm frequently serves oil and gas clients, and has complementary expertise in acting for financial institutions on the financing of major construction projects. Its lawyers have notable experience concerning the construction and operation of power plants and renewable energy projects.

Addleshaw Goddard is an accomplished international law firm with a strong presence both in the UAE and in the wider GCC region. It is especially noted for its disputes capabilities and is regularly called upon to assist contractors, subcontractors and consultants with the full spectrum of contentious mandates. Addleshaw Goddard serves a range of clients in the infrastructure and utilities sectors, and its lawyers also possess significant experience in disputes resulting from energy projects.

Ashurst is a strong law firm whose Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices provide clients with advice on the full life-cycle of construction projects based within the UAE. The team's lawyers also support clients across the GCC on oil and gas, power and renewable energy projects. Ashurst offers a full-service practice covering both the contentious and non-contentious aspects of construction mandates. The firm's clientele includes both contractors and developers.

Dentons maintains a strong construction practice with highly rated capabilities throughout the GCC region, and fields specialist lawyers in its offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The firm is active on high-profile construction disputes, including high-value arbitrations. Its key clients hail from sectors such as oil and gas, transportation and energy. The team also has considerable experience in assisting with non-contentious matters relating to large-scale construction projects as diverse as airports, desalination plants and district cooling facilities.

DLA Piper is a well-regarded law firm with a strong footprint in the Middle East. The firm maintains a leading construction team in Dubai, with deep expertise in contentious mandates. The team frequently advises developers and contractors, with further experience in acting for energy companies. Its lawyers are noted for assisting clients with high profile construction matters in sectors such as transportation, infrastructure and oil and gas.

King & Spalding has an esteemed construction practice based in Abu Dhabi which has particular expertise in non-contentious construction. The firm is frequently sought out to assist with a broad spectrum of transactional mandates. Its lawyers are known for their expertise in utilities projects, particularly those relating to water and district cooling, as well as renewable energy schemes. Its clients include multinational companies and government entities. The team's experience includes advising on issues relating to the maintenance and operation of large-scale project developments.

Pinsent Masons is consistently noted as one of the leading construction law firms globally, and its UAE-based team admirably lives up to this reputation. It frequently draws praise for its expansive regional construction expertise, with considerable knowledge concerning the development of energy projects as well as water desalination plants. The firm's Dubai office offers a full-service construction practice, capable of assisting with transactional matters as well as major disputes.

From its offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Reed Smith is able to advise clients on construction-related transactional work and commercial contracts, such as the negotiation of master services agreements. It is widely agreed to be a key name for such work in the UAE. The firm's lawyers are also active on contentious matters, including numerous high-value claims relating to construction projects located throughout the GCC. The team is experienced in representing contractors and employers, including oil and gas companies.

White & Case is regularly highlighted for its strengths in the construction sector, both regionally and on a global scale. The firm is active on contentious cross-border mandates, including infrastructure arbitrations and FIDIC disputes. It also offers a strong regional practice, acting for clients from across the GCC, and is frequently sought out by major energy companies and state-owned entities. Furthermore, its lawyers possess a wealth of experience in non-contentious contractual matters, acting particularly for government entities and energy groups.

Clifford Chance has a highly regarded construction practice with a longstanding presence in the UAE. Its offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer robust capabilities for matters throughout the MENA region. The team regularly advises clients on large-scale construction disputes, often on the contractor side. Its lawyers are further able to assist with a range of non-contentious projects. The firm also has strengths in sectors such as energy and infrastructure.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer offers a dynamic construction team in Dubai, whose practice is aided by the firm's robust global footprint. The team is regularly noted for its construction arbitration expertise, and is also increasingly to be seen handling non-contentious construction files, including procurement matters. Its lawyers act for a wide variety of high profile real estate developers, energy companies and utilities providers. The firm also has particular experience in executing a range of contractual work for clients in the oil and gas sector.

From its UAE base, the Squire Patton Boggs construction team advises a range of clients, including international and local contractors as well as sovereign governments and government agencies. It is also noteworthy for its handling of several cases outside the Middle East, including in the CIS region. The firm is noted for its skill in litigation and arbitration mandates. It is well placed to assist with cross-border matters, leveraging the strengths of the firm's other Middle Eastern offices in Riyadh and Beirut.

Trowers & Hamlins is home to a full-service construction practice comprising lawyers based in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The group acts on a range of non-contentious matters and international arbitration proceedings, advising major high-profile clients, including employers, sponsors and contractors. The team has extensive experience acting for energy companies on construction issues arising from their projects across the region. It is also frequently active on construction matters in Bahrain, leveraging Trowers' longstanding presence on the island.

Al Tamimi & Company is a leading Middle Eastern law firm noted for its deep knowledge of the local market and its expansive reach throughout the region. It assists clients with contentious mandates as well as transactional construction matters, including contract negotiations and the construction of mixed-use developments. Its lawyers frequently work on behalf of developers, subcontractors and other clients in sectors such as oil and gas.

Baker McKenzie maintains a compact construction disputes practice in the UAE which advises on contentious matters arising out of projects across the Middle East, Europe and the CIS. The firm's Dubai-based lawyers frequently work alongside other Baker McKenzie teams worldwide on cross-border matters, with frequent instructions on cases in Saudi Arabia. The team also has experience assisting with non-contentious contractual matters in the construction sector.

The Dubai office of CMS maintains a strong focus on construction issues in the sphere of infrastructure. The firm is able to advise on both transactional and contentious work, and possesses a wealth of experience in acting for contractors. Its lawyers are also skilled in acting on construction disputes related to energy projects.

In the context of construction, the Dubai office of Eversheds Sutherland is especially highlighted for its disputes expertise. More broadly, the firm is noted for its expansive geographical footprint in the MENA region, positioning it well to assist with multi-jurisdictional contentious issues. The team is well versed in representing contractors and developers, including state-owned entities.

Fenwick Elliott is a global construction boutique with a well-established presence in Dubai. It is especially active on contentious construction, with work relating to a variety of real estate, infrastructure and energy projects located throughout the Middle East. The local team works in tandem with its London colleagues on a number of significant matters.

Hogan Lovells' Dubai-based lawyers are regularly active alongside their London colleagues on construction matters originating in Saudi Arabia. The group also has experience concerning a wide range of construction projects in the UAE and the wider Middle East, as well as Africa. Predominantly focused on contentious work, the team is frequently seen as counsel in ICC and DIAC arbitrations. Its client roster features property developers, contractors and energy companies.

K&L Gates maintains a compact yet high-quality construction department in its Dubai office. It is best known for taking on highly sensitive contentious matters, and assists clients both within the UAE and across the region. It is especially noteworthy for its expertise in cases arising from high profile infrastructure projects, with equally notable experience concerning insolvent contractors.

Norton Rose Fulbright has a notable dispute resolution practice in Dubai which is frequently active on construction arbitrations. It is capable of representing project owners and employers, as well as contractors, in cases involving issues such as defects and delays. The team handles matters across the Middle East, with further experience concerning construction projects located in Europe and Africa.

The Dubai office of BLK Partners is acknowledged for its impressive construction disputes capabilities. It is also able to assist with non-contentious matters such as the negotiation of construction contracts. Its lawyers act for an extensive list of contractors, developers and landowners on a range of matters, including those relating to the construction of hospitality and energy projects.

Charles Russell Speechlys' Dubai-based construction team advises on a variety of contentious and non-contentious issues. The UAE team is able to leverage the firm's enduringly strong reputation in Bahrain, often working on cross-border matters alongside its Bahrain-based colleagues. The department typically acts for clients such as hotel brands and engineering companies.

Horizons & Co Law Firm is a respected Emirati law firm that is widely praised for its knowledge of construction. The team is typically active representing multi-jurisdictional clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings. In such matters, it has extensive experience in counselling developers, contractors and banks in cases involving issues such as extension of time and defaults on payment.

Linklaters maintains a compact construction practice in the UAE with a strong emphasis on non-contentious matters. It frequently acts for employers on procurement and contractual issues pertaining to the development of major energy and residential projects.

Simmons & Simmons is noted for its wealth of experience in large construction and infrastructure disputes. The Dubai-based group advises on issues throughout the MENA region, acting for an impressive international client base that includes employers, developers and contractors.

Stephenson Harwood has a growing construction team in the UAE, having been bolstered by recent lateral hires and inter-office transfers. The department offers wide-ranging skills in both contentious and non-contentious construction, with comprehensive experience acting for project owners and employers as well as contractors, subcontractors and real estate developers.

Vinson & Elkins fields a compact team in Dubai which has extensive experience acting on high value construction disputes. It is especially noted for its advice on construction matters in the context of major oil and gas, utilities and transport infrastructure projects, both within the UAE and elsewhere in the Middle East. The core team in Dubai is supplemented by the additional expertise of lawyers based in London and Houston.