Members of 3VB Top Ranked in The Legal 500 EMEA 2021
The Legal 500 have released the 2021 edition of their Europe, Middle East and Africa guide, published on 14 April 2021.
Of the set, the guide says,
“3 Verulam Buildings continues to be a well-regarded set for banking and finance disputes, as part of a broader commercial disputes offering taking it to free zones and international arbitration in the Middle East. Ali Malek QC heads a team from chambers representing ED&F Man Capital Markets, a defendant which has not been accused of fraud, in the leviathan SKAT v Solo Capital Partners litigation. Saima Hanif is involved in some of the most visible DFSA regulatory investigations, and in addition to involvement in the Abraaj liquidation and related matters, Hodge Malek QC is well-connected in Oman.”
The following 14 members have been individually selected for recommendation:
Middle East: The English Bar (Commercial):
Leading Silks
Ewan McQuater QC – ‘A real heavyweight and an excellent advocate. A top choice for a difficult case.’
Ali Malek QC – ‘A very effective advocate with an authoritative and persuasive style. As well as being a strong team player who understands the competing pressures within a legal team, he has very strong client-facing skills and is responsive, dependable and inspiring to work with.’
Hodge Malek QC – ‘Known globally for his astuteness and razor-sharp intellect, his brilliance comes to the fore in complicated cross-border matters.’
Andrew Onslow QC – ‘Dedicated to the cause, flexible and a great advocate – judges really listen to what he says.’
David Quest QC – ‘An outstanding legal mind and a talented cross-examiner and advocate – he has a great grasp of financial issues and an easy manner in explaining these in an understandable way.’
Nicholas Craig QC – ‘A very talented advocate in hearings that is able to quickly come to grips with fact heavy matters. Very easy to work with.’
In the 2021 Silks category, Saima Hanif QC is recommended as ‘Very bright, she tends to specialise in cases in the DIFC and has a good knowledge of financial services and the relevant regulatory framework.’
Leading Juniors
Tariq Baloch – ‘Tariq is powerful advocate with a commanding presence and shows great poise in delivery.’
Farhaz Khan – ‘Attentive to the needs of law firms in the busy jurisdiction of the DIFC Courts, he is responsive and easy to work with.’
Yash Bheeroo – ‘Yash is very hard working and gets on well with the clients and he has a good understanding of the local culture and customs which few barristers do.’
James Potts – ‘He is extremely bright and produces excellent submissions, and has done a great deal of Iran-related work.’
Mark Wassouf – ‘He is highly intelligent with strong experience in commercial litigation and arbitration. Also, he is an excellent team-player who works well with experts and other lawyers.’
In Construction in the Middle East, Jane Davies Evans is again recognised as a Leading Junior – ‘active as counsel in a range of construction arbitrations, including a number of projects in the Middle East.’
The full EMEA Bar rankings can be seen here: https://www.legal500.com/c/middle-east-the-english-bar/commercial/
