Construction | Global

Clyde & Co has a highly regarded practice with a long-standing 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.

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 frequently draws praise for its MENA region construction expertise, with considerable knowledge of renewable energy and infrastructure projects. 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 is a key name for such work in the UAE. The firm's lawyers are also active on contentious matters, including ICC arbitrations. 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 as well as 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 long-standing 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.

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.

Herbert Smith Freehills offers a dynamic construction team in Dubai, whose practice is aided by the firm's robust global footprint. The team is highlighted for its construction arbitration expertise, as well as its cross-border activity. 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. The firm is noted for its skill in litigation and arbitration mandates. It is well placed to leverage the strengths of the firm's recently opened office in Saudi Arabia on cross-border matters.

The Dubai office of Trowers & Hamlins is home to a full-service construction practice acting on a range of non-contentious matters and disputes. The firm advises major high-profile clients, including employers, sponsors and contractors. Its lawyers are experienced in arbitrations, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Baker McKenzie offers a notable construction practice in Dubai. The team demonstrates significant capabilities in disputes and is frequently active in DIAC arbitrations. The firm acts for an extensive client list consisting of contractors, subcontractors, engineers and developers.

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. It regularly acts for Chinese clients, leveraging the close association between Eversheds and King & Wood Mallesons.

Norton Rose Fulbright has a well-recognised group regularly tasked with advising on construction projects across a multitude of sectors, including infrastructure and power. It also represents several banks in connection with their construction mandates across the region. With notable expertise in the non-contentious aspects of projects, the team is frequently engaged to handle arbitrations as well as procurement structuring. Its lawyers are capable of acting for developers, contractors and sponsors.

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

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 in a range of matters, including those relating to the construction of hospitality and energy projects.

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.

Heavyweight domestic law firm Hadef & Partners offers a robust construction practice that is able to represent clients at all levels of the UAE and DIFC courts, utilising its substantial knowledge of local litigation. The firm also often assists with arbitration claims against government entities, and acts for a wide variety of international clients.

Hogan Lovells offers a compact team in Dubai, which is regularly active alongside its London colleagues on construction matters 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.

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.

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.

OGH Legal is a well-known Emirati law firm, which is frequently cited as a standout choice to represent clients in domestic litigation proceedings. A substantial number of its cases originate in the construction sector, leveraging the firm's complementary capabilities in real estate disputes. It regularly acts for international clients, including some of the world's leading construction companies.