The UAE is the neutral hub. We are the local counsel.

Section I · Sanctions advisory

1. The UAE-side practical view of OFAC, OFSI, EU, UN and UAE sanctions

We are not a US or UK sanctions firm — and we don't pretend to be. What we are is the practical UAE-side counsel that translates the lead-counsel advice from Sullivan & Cromwell, Steptoe, Clifford Chance or your in-house compliance into the UAE contracting, payment-routing, and dispute-resolution implications. Our work covers:

• US OFAC — specially-designated nationals lists, sectoral sanctions, secondary-sanctions risk for UAE counterparties dealing with sanctioned end-users
• UK OFSI — Russia, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, Syria, Yemen, Sudan
• EU restrictive measures — particularly Russia-related and Iran-related
• UN Security Council — implemented through UAE federal decree
• UAE federal sanctions — Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2021 and the UAE Executive Office for the Implementation of Sanctions framework, materially tightened since 2022

2. Counterparty and end-user screening

We design counterparty-screening protocols for UAE traders, banks and corporates — calibrated to the regulatory exposure profile of the business. The screening framework typically includes: pre-engagement KYC and beneficial-ownership tracing, sanctions-list screening against US/UK/EU/UN/UAE lists, ongoing monitoring with re-screening triggers (M&A, listing change, sanctions update), and contemporaneous documentation that supports a defensible compliance posture if regulators or counterparties later challenge the engagement.

3. Payment-routing structures

One of the most consequential practical questions for UAE businesses with cross-border counterparty exposure is: how do we structure payments to comply with US, UK, EU and UAE sanctions while still getting paid? We advise on payment-routing architecture, currency choice (USD vs EUR vs AED vs CHF vs CNY), corresponding-bank availability, and payment-rail selection (correspondent banking vs CHIPS vs CHAPS vs alternative networks).

Section II · Maritime & shipping

4. Red Sea / Houthi-affected shipping disputes

Since late 2023, Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait have generated one of the most active commercial-dispute segments in the region. Common claim types we handle:

• Force majeure declarations under charterparties or contracts of affreightment where Red Sea transit has become impossible or commercially impractical
• Deviation costs and additional war-risk insurance premiums for vessels routing via Cape of Good Hope
• Demurrage and detention for vessels held outside the affected zone
• Cargo damage and loss claims following actual incidents
• War-risk insurance coverage disputes — whether specific incidents fall within named-perils or war-risk policies
• Charterparty termination disputes triggered by the prolonged disruption

Most matters are arbitrated in London (LMAA), Singapore (SCMA) or DIAC. We act as UAE-side counsel and as lead counsel for UAE-domiciled charterers, owners, traders and insureds.

5. Charterparty & COA disputes

Beyond Red Sea-specific matters, UAE-domiciled shipowners, charterers and traders face the full range of dry-bulk and tanker dispute work — voyage-charter disputes (laytime, demurrage, dispatch), time-charter disputes (off-hire, performance claims, redelivery condition), COA disputes, bill-of-lading disputes, ship-finance enforcement, and Liens. We act under English-law BIMCO standard forms and ad-hoc bespoke contracts.

6. Cargo and war-risk insurance disputes

Cargo and war-risk insurance disputes have been one of the most active sub-segments since 2022. We advise insureds, insurers and brokers on coverage scope, war-risk versus marine policy boundaries, named-perils interpretation, subrogation, salvage, general average, and the increasingly contested question of whether specific incidents (Red Sea attacks, Russia-Ukraine cargo losses) fall within "act of war" exclusions or war-risk specials.

7. Sanctioned-vessel and dark-fleet matters

We act on the lawful side of sanctioned-vessel matters: cargo-recovery claims against vessels later sanctioned, charterparty disputes where a vessel was sanctioned mid-voyage, P&I and war-risk insurance disputes triggered by sanctions designation, and sanctions-screening litigation between buyers and sellers in commodity supply chains. We do not advise on circumvention or evasion of sanctions — both as a matter of UAE law (Federal Decree-Law 26 of 2021) and professional ethics.

Section III · Commodities & reconstruction

8. Force majeure and hardship under UAE law

The UAE Civil Code (Federal Law 5 of 1985) recognises both force majeure (Articles 273 and 893) and hardship (imprévision, Article 249). The doctrines are distinct:

• Force majeure requires the event to be unforeseeable, unavoidable and external to the parties, rendering performance impossible. Successful invocation typically allows termination or suspension.
• Hardship applies where performance is still possible but has become exceptionally onerous due to unforeseeable circumstances — the court can rebalance the contract or terminate.

We advise on (i) declaring force majeure or hardship; (ii) responding to a counterparty's declaration; (iii) drafting force-majeure-resilient supply contracts; and (iv) arbitrating disputes under DIAC, ICC, LCIA and ad-hoc UNCITRAL.

9. Oil & gas disruption disputes

Russia-Ukraine, Iran sanctions, Red Sea disruption, OPEC+ output decisions and renewable-energy transition have all generated significant disputes in the oil and gas value chain — from upstream JV restructurings to LNG offtake disputes, refinery feedstock claims, gas-to-power PPA disputes, and storage and trading-position disputes. We act on UAE-onshore matters and on cross-border matters where the UAE is the seat of arbitration. Our energy practice (see Oil & Energy) covers the corporate and project side; this page covers the dispute side.

10. Reconstruction trade — Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon

UAE-domiciled trading houses, contractors and financial institutions are increasingly active in reconstruction trade and project work across post-conflict and conflict-adjacent jurisdictions. We act on:

• Trade-finance facilities for reconstruction supply contracts
• Contracting and JV structures for reconstruction projects
• Sanctions-screening on counterparties and end-users (where applicable)
• Payment-routing structures that comply with applicable sanctions
• Dispute-resolution architecture for matters with significant counterparty risk

This is a fast-evolving practice with significant first-mover advantage for UAE businesses positioned correctly.

11. War-risk insurance and reinsurance disputes

War-risk insurance and reinsurance disputes — particularly arising from Red Sea attacks, Russia-Ukraine cargo losses, and Israel-Iran exchanges — are a meaningful and growing dispute segment. Common dispute types: coverage disputes (named-perils vs war-risk vs "act of war" exclusion); subrogation claims by insurers against carriers and charterers; reinsurance recoveries up the layered tower; and aggregation disputes (whether multiple losses arise from a single "event"). We act for insureds, insurers and reinsurers — with seats commonly in London, DIFC and Bermuda.