The Dubai Corporate Counsel Group (DCCG) - the first in-house counsel group in the Middle East - honored 12 locally-based lawyers for championing the profession of corporate counsel in the region at the DCCG 2008 Corporate Counsel Awards.
Among the honorees were Abdul Wahid Al Ulama, Group Chief Legal Officer, Dubai World, who was awarded the ‘Best General Counsel of the Year Award’ and Emad Eldin Farouq, senior legal counsel at Dubai Land Department, who received the ‘Best Government In-house Counsel Award’. Both awards were presented during a Gala Dinner held at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina last Thursday.
“This year's winners exemplify the creativity, drive and determination of the UAE’s in-house counsels and their efforts to provide superb service to their clients. We applaud their leadership and are happy to celebrate their accomplishments tonight,” said Justin A. Connor, the acting Chairman of the DCCG. “We know that we cannot honor all the terrific people and departments, but I believe that by highlighting the remarkable accomplishments of a select few, we elevate the profile of all in-house counsels and promote the in-house practice of law.”
The winners were selected from a large pool of nominations submitted by the legal community at large in response to an open call for nominations. The panel of judges for the 2008 Corporate Counsel Awards was comprised of Ewan Cameron (Managing Partner, Linklaters), Sadiq Jafar (Managing Partner, Hadef) Rindala Beydoun (Managing Partner, Latham & Watkins) and Simon Crompton (Editor, International Financial Law Review).
The DCCG 2008 Corporate Counsel Awards were supported by Al Tamimi & Company, Ashurst, Eversheds, Fulbright and Jaworski, Hadef, Latham & Watkins, Laurence Simons, LexisNexis, Norton Rose, and Vinson and Elkins.
The winners are:
1. Best Multinational Corporate In-house Legal Team
Deutsche Bank
2. Best Local Corporate In-house Legal Team
Dubai International Capital
3. Best In-house Counsel – Financial services sector
Margarita Zubkus, Deutsche Bank
4. Best In-house Counsel – Real estate sector
David Nicholson, Nakheel
5. Best Government In-house Counsel
Emad Eldin Farouq, Dubai Land Department
6. Best In-house Counsel – Hospitality sector
Robert Swade, Jumeirah
7. Best In-house Counsel – Telecoms/media/IT sector
Anneliese Reinhold, Du
8. Best In-house Counsel – Private equity/investment sector
Nick Hornung, Istithmar World
9. Best In-house Counsel – Energy & Infrastructure sector
Michael Rasmuson, Baker Hughes
10. Best In-house Counsel – Transportation & Retail sector
J. Alistair Dunn, Emirates Airline
11. Champion of the In-house Profession
Justin Connor, Meraas Capital
12. Best General Counsel of the Year
Abdulwahid Al Ulama, Dubai World
About Dubai Corporate Counsel Group (“DCCG”):
Founded in June 2007, the Dubai Corporate Counsel Group (“DCCG”) is the first group in-house counsel in the Middle East. Led by its 12-member Steering Committee, the DCCG has quickly established itself as a leading regional legal organisation. The DCCG has more than 75 members and has established valuable partnerships with leading international and national law firms, executive search firms and publishers. The DCCG was created by in-house counsel themselves coming together to promote the in-house practice of law in the Gulf. The DCCG is a critical part of the explosive growth of the legal sector in this exciting, dynamic and fast-developing region. For more information, visit: www.dccg.org
