Our Team
Ali AlAidarous
Founder & Managing Partner
Ali AlAidarous is the founder and managing partner of ALAIDAROUS Advocates and Legal Consultants for well in excess of 25 years. He is one of pioneers and prominent figures of international arbitration in the UAE. His experience spans from acting and appearing as counsel before the Dubai Courts in addition to appearing before various arbitration institutions including the ICC, DIAC, DIFC-LCIA and more. He is also admitted to the bar of the DIFC Courts as a registered Part II practitioner.
Mr. AlAidarous’ practice is split into three heads: acting as an arbitrator; acting as an expert witness on UAE law, and appearing as counsel.
A UAE advocate, admitted to appear before the courts and judicial bodies of the UAE since 1993, Mr. AlAidarous had previously gained in-house experience working with Société Général. He has served as the UAE representative at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in Paris, France, where he was part of the task force for making a final review of all ICC awards.
Arbitrator
Mr. AlAidarous enjoys an extensive experience in the field of international arbitration often considered as an arbitrator of choice for his excellent command over matters of civil law and strong familiarity with common-law principles, he is frequently nominated and acts as Chairman of Arbitral Panels, in addition to acting as co-arbitrator, and often sits as an arbitrator in ad hoc or institutional arbitration matters (whether regional or international).
Mr. AlAidarous has served as the UAE representative at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in Paris, France, where he attended sessions of the Court of the ICC tasked with making a final review of all ICC awards. He was also a member of Board of Directors of the ICC-UAE, and was Chairman of the ICC-UAE Commission on Arbitration & ADR. Currently, Mr. AlAidarous is a member of the DFSA Financial Markets Tribunal. He is also a member of the ADGM Arbitration Centre Panel of Arbitrators. His experience includes acting as both in-house corporate lawyer, and litigator and arbitrator.
Expert
Mr. AlAidarous is considered as the ‘go-to’ lawyer on all matters of UAE law. With a proven track record in providing expert opinions and been cross examined before Arbitral panels, Mr. AlAidarous accepts instructions on all matters of UAE law with a particular emphasis on construction, corporate, and banking. He has also provided several expert reports and given evidence concerning issues relating to UAE law before foreign courts, such as England and Wales, Ney York, USA, Queensland, Australia, Oslo, Norway, and before many international arbitration forums.
Counsel
Mr. AlAidarous is frequently instructed to act as counsel in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations covering DIAC, ICC, ADCCAC, UNCITRAL, and more. His arbitration practice covers a diverse range of legal disputes with a predominant focus on complex construction, commercial and corporate matters.
Qualifications and Professional Bodies
Memberships
- Regular attendant at professional conferences and seminars in the commercial, corporate and arbitration fields, be they local, regional or international.
- Conducted various seminars, solely and as co-panelist, concerning commercial law in the UAE, such as “Drafting International Sales Contracts” organized by the Arbitration Centre of AGCC in liaison with the International Trade Centre, Geneva, Nov. 1999.
- Published various articles in professional and specialized periodicals, such as publications of the GCC’s Commercial Arbitration Center, the UAE Contractors Association, and the Computer Resellers News.
- Selected as a regular contributor of articles relating to litigation in the UAE by the International Law Office (ILO), media partner of the International Bar Association (IBA).
- Active member of the Committee on Business Law of the IBA.
- Chairman of the ICC-UAE Commission on Arbitration & ADR.
- Member of the Advisory Board of the Arab Regional Forum of the IBA.
- Chairman of IBA Arab Regional Forum, IBA Madrid Conference 2009.
- Member of IBA Conference Host Committee of IBA Annual Conference in Dubai, 2011.
- Coordinator of the Civil Law Focus Group (CLF) of the Arab Arbitration Forum.
- Former member of Board of Directors of the ICC-UAE.
- Former Chairman of the ICC-UAE Commission on Arbitration and ADR.
- Member of the Organizing Committee of the 4th Annual ICC MENA Conference in Dubai, 2016.
- Member of the Arab Region Host Committee of the IBA Regional Conference in Dubai, 2016.
- Member of the ICC Arab Arbitration Forum.
- Member of the College Advisory Board (CAB) of the College of Law, University of Dubai.
- Member of the Strategies and Financial Committee of the Dispute Resolution Authority (DRA) at the DIFC.
- Member of the ADGM Arbitration Centre Panel of Arbitrators.
Qualifications
- Licensed in Law and Sharia (Honors, Al Ain University, UAE) May 1981
- French commercial law studies (Clermont-Ferrand University, France) 1982 – 1984
- Licensed to practice before UAE Federal Courts, 1986
- Licensed to practice before Dubai Courts, 1993
- Licensed to practice before DIFC Courts, 2009
Languages
Arabic –Native
English – Fluent
French – Fluent
Career
Mr. AlAidarous has represented and advised diverse business clients in matters concerning international sales/distribution contracts, franchising, banking, Islamic finance, insurance and re- insurance, carriage (air and sea), construction, real estate, intellectual property, joint ventures, corporate governance, corporate establishments (both in free zones and in the UAE generally), securities and international arbitration.
He has acted as both a litigator and a legal advisor, which has allowed him to develop extensive knowledge of the civil law in the UAE.
He has served as an expert witness on the application of UAE laws before common law courts in England, USA and Australia. Additionally, Mr. AlAidarous has appeared as an expert witness concerning UAE corporate law in a substantial ICC arbitration in Stockholm, Sweden, where he opined on the custom and practice in the UAE regarding corporate establishments and governance.