Refat Zidan
Head of LitigationRefat is a Senior Legal Consultant who specialises in civil, commercial, real estate, corporate, banking, employment and construction matters. Refat also oversees the day-to-day management of the firm’s litigation function.
Refat has practiced in both the UAE and Egypt; as such, he is very familiar with the Middle East market and the processes and nuances that are unique to litigating in the UAE specifically as well as the wider region. He has acted for a wide range of international and local clients from an array of sectors, representing them not only before the Courts, but also advising on case strategy, arbitrations and out-of-court settlements.
As a bilingual litigator, he has extensive experience in civil, commercial and criminal litigation and consistently delivers strategic legal advice tailored to his clients’ needs, whether in court proceedings or pre-litigation strategies.
Languages
- English
- Arabic
Education & Qualifications
- Bachelor of Laws, the University of Ain Shams, Egypt
Experience highlights
- An investment bank on a multi-million-dirham breach of contract case involving a local tech company, securing a favourable settlement for the bank in the Dubai Courts.
- A real estate developer in relation to allegations of corporate fraud, resulting in the dismissal of criminal charges due to lack of evidence.
- A prominent Emirati businessman in a complex inheritance dispute involving the division of assets across several GCC countries, successfully navigating the Shariah courts.
- A financial services client in a landlord-tenant dispute, advising on the legal grounds for eviction and compensation claims, resulting in an amicable out-of-court settlement that minimised financial losses for the company.
- A foreign judgment in the UAE to recover certain losses that resulted from a fraudulent trading scheme for a prepayment of a cargo shipment.
- A GCC insurance company who was sued by a client for alleged failure to meet contractual obligations during a construction project and secured a successful compensation.
- A prominent UAE bank on several high-profile disputes concerning loan defaults, whereby we managed a portfolio of over 50 cases, and provided strategic legal advice on recovery proceedings and enforcement measures.
- A UAE bank in a dispute with a corporate borrower over a substantial loan default, outlining the bank’s legal position and securing a court judgment in their favour.
- A financial advisory firm in a case concerning allegations of mismanagement of client funds, successfully defending against claims of breach of fiduciary duty.
- A large global electronics company in employment claim against one of their employees which was successfully won and enforced.
Awards & rankings
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