Judges' panel 2024

Majdoleen Aboudi - Chief Legal Officer for Africa, India and Middle East, Air Liquide

A Senior Executive Counsel and Compliance Leader with comprehensive experience spanning sectors ranging from chemical gases and power, to management consulting, banking, and legal consulting, Majdoleen Aboudi has the expertise in supporting a Multi-Billion USD portfolio, with proven success at building and leading quality cross-border legal teams and implementing legal infrastructure as well as managing external counsel.

Throughout her career, Majdoleen has successfully navigated complex legal landscapes, providing astute guidance and innovative solutions to legal challenges. Her professional achievements include spearheading high-stakes negotiations, crafting meticulous legal strategies, and securing favourable outcomes in landmark cases. Her ability to distil intricate legal matters into clear, actionable plans has been instrumental in driving positive change and mitigating risk for the organizations under her purview.

Majdoleen believes that the role of the General Counsel goes beyond providing the business with mere legal advice and to developing strategies that proactively mitigate risks and help the organization stay ahead of the curve, in addition to ensuring that the organization has the right talent, tools, and resources to meet its evolving needs.

As the Chief Legal Officer, Majdoleen looks forward to continuing to leverage her expertise and deliver unparalleled legal counsel in service to the organizations and stakeholders she represents.

Afshan Akhtar – Chief Legal Counsel & Board Secretary, Bahrain Refining

Afshan Akhtar joined Bapco Refining (formerly, Bahrain Petroleum Company) (BAPCO), the national Oil and Gas Company of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in 2020. She is Chief Legal Counsel, Board Secretary and Corporate Governance Head of BAPCO. As a member of the executive team, Afshan has been advising the Board of Directors of BAPCO and the management across the breadth of the business and is also spearheading the legal transformation at BAPCO.

Prior to joining BAPCO, Afshan was Senior Group Legal Counsel at Arab Banking Corporation (Bank ABC), a leading international wholesale bank with operations spanning five continents. At Bank ABC, she was a senior member of the Group Legal function. She had responsibility for providing legal advisory services to management across the bank’s global network and provided corporate secretarial services for the bank’s various entities and advisory boards.

Afshan’s first role following her move to Bahrain was with Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA) as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Reporting directly to the Chairman of the Company and the Board of Directors, Afshan was responsible for leading and managing the Legal and Corporate Affairs Department.  

Prior to relocating to Bahrain, Afshan was a Senior Associate at Clifford Chance in London, independently leading global cross-border acquisition financing, restructuring and refinancing transactions with multi-disciplinary teams and responsively managing clients and all other stakeholders.

Afshan’s skills and achievements have been recognised by her peers in the legal industry through many awards including the award of General Counsel of the Year.

Nadia Aqeel – Chief Legal, Regulatory & Compliance Officer, Zain Bahrain

Nadia Aqeel is responsible for providing and managing legal support for Zain Bahrain and liaising with regulatory agencies and government authorities in her role as Chief Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Officer. She is also Secretary to the Board and supervises the implementation of its decisions.

Nadia has over 15 years of experience in the legal field, primarily in the telecommunications sector specializing in corporate and competition law and key areas of retail and wholesale compliance and regulation. She holds an LL.B from Hull University and a Postgraduate Diploma in EU Competition Law from King’s College in the United Kingdom.

Umar Azmeh – Registrar, Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre

Umar Azmeh is the Registrar of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC). He is a dual-qualified solicitor and barrister, and has practised as a self-employed barrister, within government for the Attorney General for England and Wales, and in private practice as a solicitor.  

Umar has a master’s degree from the University of Oxford (Worcester College), where he graduated at the top of his class, and is currently undertaking a doctorate in law from the same university (St Anne’s College).

Sarah Byrch – General Counsel - International Health, Cigna Healthcare

Sarah Byrch is the General Counsel for International Health at Cigna Healthcare. Sarah leads the legal and compliance teams providing legal and regulatory support to Cigna’s international businesses across the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific and North and South America (excluding the USA).  Sarah joined Cigna in January 2021, bringing to her role over 20 years of experience in the legal, risk and compliance arena including over a decade of experience living and working in the Middle East.  

Sarah first moved to the Middle East in 2005 with the global law firm Dentons. As a Partner at Dentons Sarah led teams working on finance and regulatory matters around the GCC region.  In 2009 Sarah joined The Royal Bank of Scotland as Head of Legal for the MEA, and later the EMEA region, leading and managing the legal teams across 14 countries.  

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) and is admitted as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.

Hannah Dennehy – Head of Client Relations, ADGM Arbitration Centre

Hannah is a legal and sustainability leader, with 20 years of experience studying and working in international law across the UK, Australia, and the Middle East.

Hannah’s current role at ADGM includes heading the ADGM Arbitration Centre, as well as acting as Mediator in court-annexed mediation. Hannah is also part of ADGM’s Sustainable Finance leadership team and is driving the knowledge development of ESG disputes in the jurisdiction.

Hannah has a passion for technology innovation and has recently helped ADGM to launch two world firsts: ‘Mediation in the Metaverse’ and the introduction of blockchain technology for the global enforcement of commercial judgments.

Brian Dunn – Group General Counsel, Finerton

Brian Group General Counsel for Finerton, a company that serves as the head office for other groups of companies operating in the supply chain sector, including technology, financing, and logistics. Brian orchestrates the legal, compliance, risk, and governance functions across three groups of companies. He is also acting General Counsel for one of the operating groups, TF Cargoes, a commodity trade finance company based in Geneva.

With an extensive background spanning technology, SAAS, telecommunications, and media, Brian’s legal journey is a testament to his mastery of diverse domains. In his in-house roles, he has been an early adopter of LegalTech and has also served as a faculty member for the Legal Technology & Innovation Institute’s legal technology and innovation certification program, the world’s first of its kind. His unwavering commitment to advancing legal technology and streamlining operations has played a role in advancing the LegalTech movement in the Middle East region, underscoring his role in ushering in cutting-edge tech solutions to optimize productivity and efficiency.

Beyond his role as a pioneering Group General Counsel, Brian lends his expertise to companies in the Reg-Tech and Food-Tech sectors in the Middle East and the UK, as well as offering invaluable guidance to burgeoning startup ventures.

Feras El Hajjar – Founder & CEO of Lexzur (formerly App4Legal), Founder & Chairman of Infosysta

With more than 20 years of multi-national experience leading teams in Paris, Singapore, Dublin, Beirut, London, New York & Dubai, Feras is a Tech expert with solid management and leadership skills; graduated from École ParisTech & Paris Dauphine in France.

Since 2019, Feras has been running Lexzur, a Legal Tech Software Editor specialized in innovation of legal practice management & contract lifecycle automation powered by AI for in-house legal teams, law firms, procurement department, HR departments and other industries, with a global outreach. Driving success for a large client base present in 65+ countries, Feras is leading a dynamic team of Legal Tech Experts cementing App4Legal as a strong legal-tech disruptor for the entire market and expanding at high speed globally.

Feras is also the Founder & Chairman of a multi-national Digital Transformation Group, Infosysta, implementing large scale digital transformations for Banks, Telcos, Groups, Governmental and other tier-1 enterprises. Feras is a permanent speaker at Agile Summits, Legal Tech Conferences and an active contributor to the legal community & its tech ecosystem. Feras sits on the Advisory Board of a couple of large institutions in EMEA. He is a strong believer in driving change through educating young practitioners and professionals, worldwide, about the crucial need to implement technology in the evolving landscape.

In March 2020, Feras was nominated by InsightsSuccess as one of “The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Watch”.

Dineli Gowribalan – General Counsel and Company Secretary, GRIP Investments

Dineli Gowribalan is General Counsel and Company Secretary of GRIP Investments, a global capital gateway comprising: GRIP Horizon Sarl a CSSF registered AIFM in Luxembourg and GRIP (DIFC) Ltd, an Investment Banking and Wealth Management firm licensed and regulated by the DFSA and established in the DIFC. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of private funds in the BVI and Cayman Islands.

Dineli is a dual qualified lawyer, admitted as a Solicitor of England & Wales and an Attorney-at-Law in Sri Lanka. She is an accredited ADR ODR International Civil/Commercial Mediator. She also has an Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colombo.

Mohanned Haddad – Group Legal Advisor, Aspire Katara Hospitality

Mohanned Haddad draws upon over fifteen years of international corporate legal experience, offering a robust skill set in contract management, risk assessment, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. As a results-oriented executive, he has successfully navigated complex negotiations, closed high-value deals, and managed multinational arbitrations and disputes. His leadership extends to guiding legal teams and advising boards on strategic matters, demonstrating a commitment to legal excellence and business success.

With a Master of International Trade and Commerce Law from Macquarie University, Mohanned Haddad is a qualified arbitrator. He is affiliated with prestigious professional associations including the Qatar International Center for Conciliation & Arbitration, the Australian Business Council in Dubai, and the Association of Corporate Counsel in Washington, D.C.

Saad Hegazy, B.Eng, MSc, LLM, FCIArb, MRICS, MAE – Partner, Resolve International

Saad Hegazy is a Delay and Quantum Testified Expert Witness, Member of the Academy of Experts with over 20 appointments, Expert Determiner, Arbitrator and CEDR Accredited Mediator based in Doha with more than 17 years of experience in Disputes Resolution in various industries and project types in GCC, Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Saad has a wealth of experience and knowledge, having worked on airports, metros, infrastructures, industrials, oil & gas, water treatment, utilities, luxuries and high-rise building projects. His education includes BSc in Civil Engineering, MSc in Strategic Project Management, and LLM in construction law and International Arbitration.

Saad is the President of AACE Qatar Branch, Vice-Chair of CIArb & QFC Qatar Branch, and previous ICC YAF MENA Regional Representative.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), Expert Witness and Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), CEDR Accredited Mediator, and Arbitrator listed at QICCA, SCCA, CIArb, and W&W rosters.

Cassandra Heilbronn – CEO, Private Family Office

Cassandra Heilbronn is the CEO for a Family Office of a Saudi Royal Family, responsible for overseeing strategy, investments and general operations internationally. Prior to this, she practised as a lawyer in Australia and Saudi Arabia predominantly in Sports & Corporate Risk.

Cassandra acted as President of Women Lawyers Association of Queensland from 2016 to 2018 and has held a number of Board positions, in addition to various appointments, including the Judicial Appointment Advisory Panel by the Attorney-General of Queensland.

In 2022, Cassandra was named an Honourary Member of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland, the youngest to be awarded such membership in the association’s history. Cassandra was listed by Queensland Business Monthly as a ‘Top 20 under 40’ in 2017 and regularly features on the Who’s Who List of Australian Women.

Cassandra holds a Bachelor of Laws from Griffith University and an LL.M from the University of Queensland.

Roula Khaled – General Counsel, Khazna Data Centers

Roula Khaled is the General Counsel of Khazna Data Centres, a joint venture between G42 and Etisalat. She has over 20 years of experience leading and advising on cross-border and domestic M&A transactions (including acquisitions of data centres and telecom operators), joint ventures, finance deals, restructuring matters and on a wide variety of corporate, commercial and strategic transactions in several jurisdictions including the Gulf Cooperation Council, Asia and Africa.

Before moving in-house, Roula started her career as a private practice lawyer in Paris, Lebanon and the UAE. Her most recent roles were as a Regional Senior Legal Counsel at IBM, where she worked on technology and consulting deals (including GBS) in the UAE and KSA and as a Regional Senior Counsel at Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, where she handled the corporate, commercial, employment, IP and litigation matters, covering UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon and Egypt. Before that, she spent six years as a Legal Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions at Etisalat working on some of the biggest deals in the region, including the acquisition of Maroc Telecom, the sale of Zantel and Canar, and the merger of Etisalat Lanka with Hutch Lanka.

Roula is a Lebanese-qualified lawyer. She has a Degree in Law from the Saint Joseph University in Beirut, an MA in Internal and International Business Law from the French affiliate of the Lebanese University (Filière Francophone de Droit), and a certificate in the Essentials of Business from the American University of Beirut.

Kiyashni Kollapen – Recruitment Manager, Robert Walters

Starting with a solid legal background, Kiyashni ventured into the world of talent acquisition driven by a simple yet profound goal: to link lawyers with opportunities that truly resonate with their ambitions.

Having practiced as a solicitor and gained experience at law firms like Freshfields and ENSafrica, Kiyashni carries a deep appreciation for the complexities of the legal profession. Currently, as a Legal Manager at Robert Walters in Dubai, Kiyashni focuses on sourcing top-tier legal talent for placement within law firms across the Middle East. She manages the private practice team, striving to match candidates with roles that suit their skills and ambitions. Kiyashni cultivates close relationships with regional, UK, and US law firms in the Middle East, allowing her to closely understand their specific hiring needs. She cherishes the opportunity to make a positive impact on the legal community. Through her work, her mission is clear: to forge genuine connections with her clients in the Middle East and offer unwavering support to individuals striving for success in their careers.

Iryna Kovalchuk – Group General Counsel, ZMI Holdings

Iryna, an accomplished legal professional, transitioned from her role as a lawyer for the Ukrainian government and the Parliament of Ukraine to join ZMI Holdings (an ADNOC Logistics & Services company) in 2017.

In her current capacity as Group General Counsel, Iryna manages legal affairs across ZMI Holdings’ offices in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Iryna holds an LLM from a prominent London university and is an active member of various international professional and women’s organizations. Notably, she is recognized in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist Middle East for 2019, 2022, 2023, solidifying her status as a distinguished figure in the legal field.

Catriona Nicol – Senior Legal Counsel, Qatar Financial Centre Authority

CATRIONA NICOL is a Senior Legal Counsel at the Qatar Financial Centre Authority. She formerly practised as a senior associate specializing in international litigation and arbitration at an international firm in Qatar; at a US boutique litigation firm which focused on high-profile, high-stakes litigation; and as an associate advising on general UK and international corporate tax at a global law firm in the City of London. She has written widely on matters relating to international arbitration and litigation, and taxation. She obtained her BA (Jurisprudence) from Oxford University in 2005. Catriona is admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales and the State Bar of California.

Dr. Amal Rakibi – General Counsel & Company Secretary, Borouge

Dr. Amal Rakibi is an international corporate counsel with over 25 years of experience leading legal teams in complex jurisdictions and regulatory environments, providing strategic counsel and cross-functional collaboration across diverse industries and global regions.

Dr. Rakibi currently serves as the General Counsel and Company Secretary at Borouge, a publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. In this role, she provides support to C-suite Executives, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee.

Previously, Dr. Rakibi held the position of Chief Legal Officer at AirAsia, where she spearheaded organizational restructuring, corporate finance initiatives, M&A and IPOs. She also held various leadership roles during her 15-years at Schlumberger, including General Counsel positions for the MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa regions.

In these capacities, Dr. Rakibi led legal operations, provided strategic guidance, and ensured compliance across complex regulatory environments spanning multiple countries. Evolving in a culturally diverse environment, Dr. Rakibi’ s expertise lies in executive leadership, legal operations management, corporate governance, and international law.

Dr. Rakibi has a PhD in International Law from Paris-Sud University and George Washington University. During her PhD journey, Dr. Rakibi collaborated closely with the Elliot School of International Affairs at The George Washington University as a Visiting Researcher, conducting in-depth research on international cooperation and space policy.

Dr. Rakibi is also a French qualified lawyer (Paris Bar School – CAPA), holds a master’s Degree in Aeronautics, Space and Telecommunications Law (Paris-Sud University), a Master’s Degree in International and European law (Sorbonne University), and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Space Science from the University of South Australia.

Drawing upon her diverse academic and technical background, this multidisciplinary approach has not only shaped her perspective as a lawyer but has also instilled her with the agility to adapt to evolving challenges in today’s dynamic international landscape.

Sudesh Shankar – Owner, Niche Publishers

As the owner of a publishing company for the past decade, Sudesh Shankar has successfully led the strategic direction of the business. Overseeing editorial processes, he has ensured the production of high-quality publications while staying abreast of industry trends. His role involves managing a talented team, fostering author relationships, and implementing innovative strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of the publishing industry.

During his tenure as owner of Niche Publishers, he has played a pivotal role in expanding the company’s portfolio to include digital platforms, adapting to the changing preferences of readers. His responsibilities encompass financial management, business development, and cultivating partnerships with distributors and retailers, ensuring the company’s continued growth and relevance in a dynamic market.

Over the years, Sudesh championed a culture of creativity and excellence within the team, resulting in the successful launch of several best-selling titles. Additionally, he has implemented cost-effective measures, optimizing the production process and enhancing overall operational efficiency.

As the industry evolves, Sudesh has continued to explore innovative approaches, such as incorporating emerging technologies and exploring new markets to ensure the sustained growth and relevance of the company.

Marouf M. Shweikeh – Chief Legal Officer, Doha Bank

A 30-year career in the legal banking and corporate has taken Marouf to the very top of the legal profession.

After obtaining his Bachelor of Law degree in Jordan, Marouf completed his master’s degree in International Commercial Law at the University of Sussex (UK).

Marouf began his legal career at one of the leading law firms in Jordan where he trained as a junior litigation lawyer before advancing to become a partner. Among his many achievements, he became a main external legal advisor to HSBC Jordan.

A move to Bahrain saw Marouf broaden his experiences to include a spell at the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission and serving as a legal consultant and High Court of Appeal Judge, following which he served as Senior Legal Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Directors at the Central Bank of Bahrain.

In the past 10 years, Marouf has acted as General Counsel to various banks in the region, providing the best in class legal and corporate counsel to CEOs and Boards of Directors. He has helps the members of his team to become expert subject-matter business and banking legal professionals.

Marouf has been nominated by Legal 500 and other international forums as among the most influential General Counsel in business.

Marieke Witkamp – Judge and Arbitrator

Marieke Witkamp is a Dutch trained judge, with five years of legal experience in the Middle East, an LL.M in US law and a Texas bar licence. She has more than 20 years’ dispute resolution experience in a wide range of commercial disputes.

Marieke gained her dispute resolution experience as a judge in the Netherlands, an attorney in Qatar, a lawyer in Texas, USA, and as in-house counsel in Qatar and the Netherlands. She now focuses on her work as an international arbitrator. Her areas of expertise are commercial contracts and maritime, insurance, construction and energy law.