Horizons & Co. is extremely proud to announce that our Founder and Managing Partner Ali Al Zarooni has won the prestigious and inaugural “Expert of the Year” at the Lexis Nexis Middle East Awards. Furthermore, the firm achieved honourable mention in the "Case of the Year" category in relation to the Firm's role in the high-profile Dubai Islamic Bank v. Arabtec Construction LLC matter.

Members of Horizons & Co. Senior Management team, Partners and others, including Founder and Managing Partner Ali Al Zarooni, were delighted to attend the awards, held on 6 June in Dubai. In a highly competitive category, Ali Al Zarooni was selected as "Expert of the Year" because of his unparalleled knowledge of UAE law and processes and unique ability to explain the nuances of UAE legislation to courts and institutions around the world.

The awarding body highlighted the fact that, due his expert testimony and active involvement and commitment to furthering the excellence of the UAE regulatory landscape, Ali Al Zarooni is a trailblazer and mentor to many, who has played a pivotal role in the evolution of UAE law during his illustrious almost 30-year career. 

Adv. Ali and the Firm remained committed to furthering the continued sophistication of the UAE law and global understanding and appreciation of it before courts and institutions, as well as among practitioners around the world.

The firm also achieved an honorable mention due to its pivotal role in the Arabtec restructuring. Under the guidance of Adv. Ali and Legal Director Lilas Al Akhras and our wider team, Horizons & Co.  were fundamental to achieving an exceptional outcome for our client in this high-profile case.

The case substantially affected the interpretation of existing UAE law through the judge’s new interpretation of litigation procedural law in relation to UAE bankruptcy law, thereby setting a new precedent. 

On this auspicious occasion Manager Partner Ali Al Zarooni said: "I am truly grateful for this recognition for Horizons & Co. Founding the firm 25 years ago, my aim was to provide truly excellent legal services and to support the development of UAE law in line with the vision of our future-facing leaders. It is a real reflection of the hard work and dedication of not just myself, but also my partners, management team, our lawyers, and everyone at all levels of our firm, as well as the support and vision of our eminent Leaders. Achievements like these require a collective effort and an environment of encouragement and desire for excellence, and I'm grateful to everyone who has enabled such achievements. "

This award is especially poignant as we celebrate 25 years since our founding. It is a real testament to everything the firm has achieved under the leadership of our Senior Management team - Founder and Managing Partner Ali Al Zarooni, Partner Areen Jayousi and Senior Partner Mahiyar Jehangir.

Horizons & Co. would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our clients, old and new, our employees and our industry peers, both local and from around the world, who have played such an important role in our journey and contributed to our success.