July-August 2025 | 3 law-middleeast.com EDITOR’S LETTER Hello readers, Dubai has always been a city that rewards bold moves—and the legal sector is no exception. With record numbers of high-net-worth individuals arriving (more than 10,000 millionaires are forecast to relocate to the UAE by 2030), global fi rms are doubling down on their commitment here, seeing the Middle East as a vital engine of growth, innovation, and cross-border opportunity. Our July-August cover story profi les one of the most signifi cant strategic moves in that landscape: Lee Ranson’s relocation to Dubai. After 16 years in senior leadership, including eight years as CEO of Eversheds Sutherland (International), he has taken on a non-executive partner role in Dubai to help drive the fi rm’s expansion across the region and beyond. It is a natural progression for a fi rm with seven Middle East offi ces and nearly 30 partners here—a network that underscores its deep local roots. Ranson’s leadership delivered a 60% revenue increase during his tenure. Now, his mission is clear: to strengthen connections between the Middle East, Asia, and the fi rm’s global clients, recognising shifting trade patterns and the region’s rising status as a hub linking East and West. As he tells us in this issue, Dubai “off ers a new opportunity which is exciting” and demands credible, on-the-ground leadership. It is an approach that does not just follow growth, but helps shape it—making this city not merely a destination, but a true launchpad for global strategy. Until September, Aishah Hussain Editor, Law Middle East @lawmiddleeast linkedin.com/company/law-middle-east Here are a few things which have been on our radar: Oman imposes personal income tax Oman has become the fi rst Gulf state to impose a 5% personal income tax on individuals earning over OMR 42,000 (US$109,000), starting in 2028. While it is expected to impact only a minority of individuals, the question now is whether other Gulf states will adopt similar policies. Our recent poll of UAE residents revealed concern: nearly half (47%) indicated they would consider relocating if the UAE government imposed a similar tax. A decline in deal activity? As the year reaches its halfway mark, a recent Norton Rose Fulbright report indicates that a majority of business leaders anticipate a slowdown in Middle East deal activity. More than half (55%) of the 200 senior executives surveyed expect a decrease in regional transactions. Despite this, the report highlights that regional investors are continuing to expand their global footprint. Read more on page 10. Law Middle East live The inaugural Women in Law Forum was a resounding success. Over 150 delegates heard from top female partners and general counsel on what it takes to succeed in the Middle East. Read write-ups of the panel discussions starting on page 22 and page 36 as well as one of our panellist’s takes on page 50. Register for our next event, taking place in September 2025— details are on page 21. LME_Jul2025_3_Editors letter_13655186.indd 3LME_Jul2025_3_Editors letter_13655186.indd 308/07/2025 15:2408/07/2025 15:24law-middleeast.com 4 | July-August 2025 15 10 22 28 FORMER NEOM LAWYER TO LEAD LINKLATERS’ DISPUTES PRACTICE IN DUBAI After three years as NEOM’s head of disputes and litigation, Sean Cameron has joined Linklaters as counsel and will lead the fi rm’s Middle East dispute resoluton practice from Dubai MAJORITY OF BUSINESS LEADERS EXPECT DEAL ACTIVITY TO DECREASE Just 11% of top-level executives believe M&A volume will increase year-on-year, according to a Norton Rose Fulbright report BECOMING PARTNER: LESSONS FROM THE TOP Four top female lawyers off er an unfi ltered look into what it takes to make partner in the Middle East, as discussed at Law Middle East’s inaugural event GRANDMASTER: LEE RANSON MAKES HIS NEXT BIG MOVE Eversheds Sutherland’s former chief has moved from the UK to the UAE, taking on a new role to drive the global fi rm’s growth and deepen its presence across the Middle East and beyond 10 22 15 28 LME_Jul2025_4-5_CONTENTS_13655533.indd 4LME_Jul2025_4-5_CONTENTS_13655533.indd 407/07/2025 16:5807/07/2025 16:58law-middleeast.com 6 | July-August 2025 PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London, Mumbai, Riyadh & Geneva ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO: Ali Akawi Managing Director: Martin Chambers Head of Business and Technology: Thomas Shambler EDITORIAL Editor: Aishah Hussain Tel: +971 4 444 3132 email: aishah.hussain@itp.com Commercial Editor: Angitha Pradeep Tel: +971 4 444 3278 email: angitha.pradeep@itp.com Project Editor: Heather Cichowski Tel: +971 4 444 3271 email: heather.cichowski@itp.com Associate Project Editor: Beatriz Valero Tel: +971 4 444 3413 email: beatriz.valero@itp.com ART Art Director: Amjad Ayche Art Editor: Tofi q Memon ADVERTISING Group Publishing Director: Natasha Pendleton Tel: +971 4 444 3248 email: natasha.pendleton@itp.com Senior Commercial Manager: David Bentley Tel: +971 4 444 3552 email: david.bentley@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Video Editor: Liju Cheruvathur MARKETING Head of Events: Eleanor Ashton email: eleanor.ashton@itp.com Events Manager: Beverly Stanforth Associate Events Manager: Vrinali Nazareth Associate Events Manager: Maria Trishina Events Executive: Ella Johnson Events Sales Executive: Jan Mokoala Events Sales Assistant: Joyce Salonga Events Administrative Assistant: Bobbie Rosario PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Senior Production & Distribution Manager: Balasubramanian P Production Manager: Anand Sundaram Distribution Coordinator: Avinash Pereira Circulation Executive: Rajesh Pillai ITP GROUP CEO: Ali Akawi CFO: Toby Jay Spencer-Davies The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. 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PUBLISHED BY AND © 2025 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC. 6 | July-August 2025 To read previous editions of Law Middle East, visit law-middleeast.com/magazine 6 | July-August 2025 LME_Jul2025_6_Flannel_13655187.indd 6LME_Jul2025_6_Flannel_13655187.indd 607/07/2025 16:5907/07/2025 16:598 July-August 2025law-middleeast.com ONLINE Youssef + Partners' founding partner and arbitration practitioner Karim Youssef shares how his passion and drive to transform Cairo’s legal market inspired him to build one of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s most formidable arbitration practices. Dubai GC Shahab Ahmed reveals his strategy for building a high-performing legal team where every player knows their role and executes it fl awlessly. “Knowing when to deploy each team member will determine whether your company scales smoothly or gets stuck in legal quicksand,” he says. Kirkland & Ellis partner James Clark explains that local expertise, project management, and 360-degree vision are essential for navigating Saudi Arabia's multi-billion developments. "If you want to be the best construction lawyer in the world at the moment, you have to be in Saudi Arabia," he says. The Middle East's legal sector is undergoing transformation, with international universities playing a pivotal role in developing pathways for women in law, according to the University of London pro vice-chancellor Alistair Jarvis CBE. WHAT IS TRENDING ONLINE la w - middleeas t .com The arbitration man: Karim Youssef GCs: think like a sports coach, not a lawyer KSA and the role of construction lawyers Education partnerships and gender equity WHAT OUR READERS THINK... UAE litigants in London courts hits record highSaudi Arabia’s big push to attract investment "This is encouraging to see and does not take away from the strides made by the DIFC and ADGM … I expect the trend to continue." "Foreign direct investments are a major area of focus in Saudi Arabia and they are working well towards it."July-August 2025 9law-middleeast.com ONLINEONLINE July-August 2025 9law-middleeast.com Kirkland & Ellis was the fi rst international law fi rm to establish its Riyadh offi ce as its regional headquarters in October 2023. Under founding partner and Middle East practice head Kamran Bajwa’s leadership, the offi ce has grown to over 20 legal professionals, with core specialisms including corporate, capital markets, projects, and restructuring. Right now his focus is on making the Riyadh offi ce as successful as possible, he tells Law Middle East in an exclusive interview. KIRKLAND & ELLIS MIDDLE EAST HEAD: We aim to build the best culture and brand in KSANext >