Majdoleen Aboudi – Chief Legal Officer for Africa, India and Middle East, Air Liquide

A Senior Executive Counsel and Compliance Leader with comprehensive experience spanning sectors ranging from chemical gases and power to management consulting, banking, and legal consulting, Majdoleen Aboudi has the expertise in supporting a Multi-Billion USD portfolio, with proven success at building and leading quality cross-border legal teams and implementing legal infrastructure as well as managing external counsel.

Throughout her career, Majdoleen has successfully navigated complex legal landscapes, providing astute guidance and innovative solutions to legal challenges. Her professional achievements include spearheading high-stakes negotiations, crafting meticulous legal strategies, and securing favourable outcomes in landmark cases. Her ability to distil intricate legal matters into clear, actionable plans has been instrumental in driving positive change and mitigating risk for the organisations under her purview.

Majdoleen believes that the role of the General Counsel goes beyond providing the business with mere legal advice and to developing strategies that proactively mitigate risks and help the organisation stay ahead of the curve, in addition to ensuring that the organisation has the right talent, tools, and resources to meet its evolving needs.

Afshan Akhtar – Chief Legal Counsel & Board Secretary, Bapco Refining

With over 20 years of legal experience, Afshan has developed an extensive repertoire of legal knowledge and skills. Afshan has consistently shown her prowess to be able to work in diverse industries at the C-Level and make the legal function a success. Her ability to absorb information, analyse situations and her leadership qualities allow Afshan to provide effective legal solutions. Her skills and achievements have been recognised by the Leadership in Bahrain with Afshan being awarded the National Action Pioneer Award for Outstanding National Service to the Kingdom of Bahrain by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. She is also highly respected in the legal industry evidenced by winning many awards including the General Counsel of the Year and being featured in the Legal 500 GC Power list.

Afshan is currently the Chief Legal Counsel and Board Secretary of Bapco Refining. Prior to Bapco, Afshan held other key positions Bahrain, including working as Group Legal Counsel with Arab Banking Corporation (Bank ABC) and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA).

Before relocating to Bahrain, Afshan was working with Clifford Chance in London, where she was a Senior Associate in the Banking and Finance Team.

Michelle Ancona Reynolds, Senior Legal Counsel- HoD, Rheinmetall Barzan Advanced Technologies

Michelle Ancona Reynolds is a seasoned legal counsel with over 20 years of experience across aviation, finance, defense, and hospitality. She specializes in cross-border transactions, dispute resolution, compliance, complex contract negotiations, as well as business continuity and emergency response planning.

Michelle has played pivotal roles in high-profile projects including design and enhancement of critical infrastructure protection solutions, provision of counter drone solutions to negate current and future threats, development and maturing of unmanned vehicles for land, sea and air through R&D, establishment of laser-based training, to the Qatari Ministry of Defense. She has negotiated Qatar Airways’ acquisition of the Sheraton Skyline Hotel, which established its Dhiafatina Hotels subsidiary, as well as operations and facilities management contracts for Hamad International Airport. Her expertise extends to aerospace, aircraft leasing, syndicated loans, finance workouts, and regulatory compliance, combining technical precision with commercial insight.

As VP of ACC MENA, and President of McGill Institute of Air and Space Law Alumni Association, Michelle actively supports in-house legal professionals, driving networking, knowledge-sharing, and professional development across the globe.

Driven by a passion for collaboration and excellence, Michelle continues to shape the legal landscape, delivering strategic solutions and fostering meaningful business connections among professionals worldwide.

Umar Azmeh, Registrar – Qatar International Court & Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC)

Umar is the Registrar of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC). He is a dual-qualified solicitor and barrister, and has practised as a self-employed barrister, within government for the Attorney General for England and Wales, and in private practice as a solicitor. Umar has a master’s degree from the University of Oxford (Worcester College), where he graduated at the top of his class, and is currently undertaking a doctorate in law from the same university (St Anne’s College).

Dr. Maria Casoria, PhD, FHEA, ACIArb – Dean and Associate Professor of Law, Euro University of Bahrain

Dr. Maria Casoria is the founding Dean of the College of Law at the Euro University of Bahrain (EUB), where she also serves as an Associate Professor of Law, specialising in Commercial and Contract Law. In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Casoria acts as an independent senior business, legal, and internationalisation senior consultant in Bahrain. Her career is marked by a blend of academic excellence and extensive practical experience.

Before joining EUB, Dr Casoria served as the Executive Director for Overseas Operations and a Visiting Professor of Law at West Virginia University (WVU) in the United States. This role was preceded by a rich professional journey that spans across Italy, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, where she acquired experience in academic, administrative, and legal practice domains.

Dr Casoria holds a Bachelor of Law and International Organizations, a Master of Laws, and a Ph.D. in Markets Law, all from the University of Siena, Italy. She is licensed to practice law in Italy and is also a certified Mediator in Civil and Commercial Disputes. Additionally, she holds the title of Associate at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the United Kingdom.

Her scholarly contributions include publications in both English and Italian, covering diverse topics in the fields of Commercial Law, Competition Law in Digital Markets and in the GCC countries, and Arbitration. These contributions have been featured in a variety of prestigious journals and international academic conferences.

Melanie Collishaw – Director Legal, Aldar Hospitality

Melanie Collishaw has more than 20 years’ experience working on high profile deals in both private practice and in-house on PFI projects such as the Home Office, HM Treasury PFI and a variety of health and education deals in central London.

She has provided construction, real estate and outsourcing advice as an in-house lawyer on numerous legal issues relating to Bouygues UK, the Olympic Delivery Authority, Lusail, Dubai Properties, and District 2020 in relation to their projects. She now works for Aldar Properties as Associate Director Legal advising on numerous strategic acquisitions, structuring, construction, real estate, and outsourcing matters, as well as being a board member of Aldar Hotels and Hospitality and Chairman of their audit committee.

Melanie is included in the Legal Business GC Power List Rising Stars and described as, "calm, methodical, very good technically." She has also been included in the GC Power List Middle East with the following write up:

"Proactive, positive and extremely professional’ and ‘one smart lawyer’, Melanie Collishaw has built a sterling international reputation for her role in major property transactions, with particular expertise in PFI schemes. As Dubai Properties’ legal head, she was an influential figure both in the real estate sector and the region’s wider in-house community. During her time at Lusail, Collishaw handled some of Qatar’s most significant projects, including the world’s largest global 25-year concession district cooling agreement. Her work in the 2012 London Olympic Project delivery team also received high acclaim. During her four years working on the project, Collishaw covered a broad spectrum of planning and operational issues, including the transfer of obligations for the Park’s legacy transformation and running."

Dr. Andrew Dahdal – Associate Professor of Law, Qatar University

Andrew completed his PhD at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) (Sydney, Australia) in 2014 examining the history of banking and its relationship to the Australian Constitution. He is an Australian academic based in Doha, Qatar and has taught law in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. He has published numerous cited books, articles, notes and commentaries and is currently researching and writing on topics related to corporate law, financial services and new technology.

In addition to teaching, Andrew regularly helps industry professionals understand the connections between law, finance and technology and is engaged in law reform in the Middle East. Based at the College of Law, Qatar University, Andrew is the Chair of the Commercial Law group at the International Association of Law Schools (IALS).

Hannah Dennehy – Head of Client Relations, ADGM Dispute Resolution Hearing Centre

Hannah is a legal and sustainability leader, with 20 years of experience studying and working in international law across the UK, Australia, and the Middle East.

Hannah’s current role at ADGM includes heading the ADGM DRHC, as well as acting as Mediator in court-annexed mediation. Hannah is also part of ADGM’s Sustainable Finance leadership team and is driving the knowledge development of ESG disputes in the jurisdiction.

Hannah has a passion for technology innovation and has recently helped ADGM to launch two world firsts: ‘Mediation in the Metaverse’ and the introduction of blockchain technology for the global enforcement of commercial judgments.

Dr. Radwa Elsaman – General Counsel/KSA, Apsco, Adjunct Professor/Cornell University, PhD, Countr Representative/UNIDROIT

Dr. Radwa Elsaman is a distinguished legal practitioner and intellectual with over two decades of experience in private practice, international development, and academia. She currently serves as General Counsel for one of Saudi Arabia’s leading air-fueling companies, advising on high-stakes transactions, including structuring joint ventures and IPOs, while teaching law as an adjunct professor at Cornell University, an Ivy League institution.

Dr. Radwa Elsaman has held prominent roles at renowned law firms, including Dentons and DLA Piper, specializing in regulatory and transactional matters for multinational corporations. She also led transformative projects such as automating courts, building judicial, and supporting economic stabilization across multiple MENA region countries through collaborations with esteemed organizations like USAID, the World Bank, IDLO, the European Investment Bank, and GIZ.

A sought-after speaker, Dr. Radwa Elsaman has delivered lectures at Harvard, Ohio University, George Washington University, among others. Her scholarly work is featured in global publications, including Cambridge University Press, the American Bar Association, Edward Elgar, the University of California Los Angeles, George Mason, the U.S. Journal of Patent and Trademark Society Office, and others. Her international reputation is further solidified by her role as a country representative at UNIDROIT, where she contributes to the development of model laws and international agreements.

Dr. Elsaman earned her Master’s and Ph.D. in Law from the American University’s Washington College of Law in Washington, DC.

HHJ Christopher Grout – Circuit Judge, England and Wales

HHJ Christopher Grout sits as a Circuit Judge, assigned to the Southeastern Circuit, and is based at Woolwich Crown Court in London. He specialises in hearing criminal cases.

Prior to this appointment, he held fee-paid judicial posts as a Deputy District Judge, Deputy District Judge (Magistrates' Courts), and Recorder. She has established the first administrative employment dispute resolution centre in the Middle East operating under the ILO guidelines and is also a certified ITCILO Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) Facilitator, specialised in gender and organisational change.

Christopher was the Registrar of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre from 2012-2022 where he oversaw the case management of civil and commercial disputes and regulatory appeals. Prior to that, he practised as a barrister in London.

Christopher has a passion for advocacy and so, having previously held the post of President of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple's Mooting Society, regularly assists with advocacy training for undergraduates, graduates, and legal professionals, as well as the judging of advocacy competitions. He also has a keen interest in law and religion, holding a LLM in Canon Law from Cardiff University.

Rima Hadid – General Counsel, Emirates Investment Authority

Rima Hadid is an accomplished legal advisor with over 20 years of experience across private practice and corporate legal sectors. As General Counsel at the UAE's Federal Sovereign Wealth Fund, she leads legal, compliance, and corporate governance efforts, focusing on structural reforms for government assets and advising on private equity and liquid investments. Her extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions spans local, regional, and global transactions.

Named one of the most influential women in Middle Eastern finance and regularly featured on the Legal 500’s GC Powerlist, Rima is recognized for her strategic thinking, leadership, and commitment to collaboration. She is dedicated to mentoring others, empowerment, and fostering innovation in the legal landscape.

Dr. Emad Hussain – Independant Arbitrator | Accredited Mediator | Legal Counsel | Academic

Dr. Emad Hussein is an accomplished Independent Arbitrator and ADR expert with extensive experience serving as Chairman, Sole Arbitrator, and Co-Arbitrator in tribunals under leading arbitral institutions, including the ICC, DIAC, ADCCAC, CRCICA, SCCA, and QICCA.

He is empaneled with prestigious arbitration centers such as SIAC, HKIAC, ADGMAC, and AAA-ICDR, reflecting his global recognition in dispute resolution. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and a Senior Fellow at SIDRA, Dr. Hussein combines practice with academia, regularly training professionals through CIArb's Fellowship Program.

A certified mediator recognized by the World Bank Group’s CAO, CEDR, IMI, and SIMI, he has delivered mediation courses across the MENA region. Dr. Hussein’s advisory roles include board memberships at BUiD, INNOVADR, and LCICA.

He actively collaborates with UNCITRAL, UNDP, and CLDP, contributing to legislative reforms, institutional development, and enhancing arbitration competitiveness in the MENA region. A prolific researcher and lecturer, his works on ADR are widely published, and he frequently judges international ADR competitions.

Dr. Hussein holds dual PhDs in International Arbitration and Business Management, alongside LLMs from leading UK universities, making him a leading figure in the global ADR community.

Cassandra Heilbronn – Chief Executive Officer, Private Family Office

Cassandra Heilbronn is the CEO for a Family Office of a Saudi Royal Family, responsible for overseeing strategy, investments and general operations internationally. Prior to this, she practised as a lawyer in Australia and Saudi Arabia predominantly in Sports & Corporate Risk.

Cassandra acted as President of Women Lawyers Association of Queensland from 2016 to 2018 and has held a number of Board positions, in addition to various appointments, including the Judicial Appointment Advisory Panel by the Attorney-General of Queensland.

In 2022, Cassandra was named an Honorary Member of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland, the youngest to be awarded such membership in the association’s history. Cassandra was listed by Queensland Business Monthly as a ‘Top 20 under 40’ in 2017 and regularly features on the Who’s Who List of Australian Women.

Dr. Alia Jenayah – Legal Counsel, Alstom Group

Dr. Alia Jenayah is a French-qualified lawyer with extensive expertise in public law and international business law. She holds a PhD in Public Law from the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, focusing on public procurement contracts, and an LLM in International Business Law. Fluent in English, French, and Arabic, with a working knowledge of Spanish, she has over seven years of experience advising on complex energy, infrastructure, and project transactions, particularly across Africa and the Middle East.

Alia currently serves as In-House Counsel at Alstom Group, where she manages legal matters for key accounts in the Île-de-France region. Her responsibilities include overseeing tender processes, contract management, claims, and legal risk analysis for significant infrastructure, systems, and transportation projects.

Alia currently serves as In-House Counsel at Alstom Group, where she manages legal matters for key accounts in the Île-de-France region. Her responsibilities include overseeing tender processes, contract management, claims, and legal risk analysis for significant infrastructure, systems, and transportation projects.

Alia currently serves as In-House Counsel at Alstom Group, where she manages legal matters for key accounts in the Île-de-France region. Her responsibilities include overseeing tender processes, contract management, claims, and legal risk analysis for significant infrastructure, systems, and transportation projects.

Prior to Alstom, she worked at top-tier international law firms such as Norton Rose Fulbright and Bird & Bird, advising governments, multinational corporations, and public entities on public-private partnerships (PPP), project finance, and cross-border infrastructure projects. Her work has spanned advising on water desalination plants, telecom projects, tramway systems, and public transport concessions. Alia has a strong background in drafting and negotiating complex bilingual (English and Arabic) legal documents, particularly in highly regulated sectors.

In addition to her legal practice, she has published several articles on public procurement, constitutional law, and energy regulation, and has been an active member of various legal associations focused on African and Middle Eastern markets.

Victor Leginsky – Chartered Arbitrator and Certified Mediator, Arbitralis ADR

Victor Leginsky is a Chartered Arbitrator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has served as Arbitrator in well over 100 cases, a large proportion of which are high-value construction cases and conducts both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. He is certified as a mediator through the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (London) [CEDR]. He conducts mediation including construction-related mediations. He confines his practice to that of a neutral (arbitrator / mediator), largely in construction and energy-related disputes.

Victor is an elected member of the steering committee of the ICC UAE Commission on Arbitration & ADR for the term 2023-2025.

Given the many cases he has been appointed to as arbitrator in the Middle East, Victor is adept in the civil law of the region, as well as the common law of Canada, England & Wales and others.

Email: vleginsky@arbitralis.com Ph. +97150 457 3770

Callum Morgan – Practice Director, Robert Half

As Head of Banking & Financial Services, Fintech, Legal & Compliance – Middle East at Robert Half, Callum Morgan specializes in placing top-tier legal talent across the region. He works closely with sovereign wealth funds, investment firms, and leading law firms, connecting them with exceptional legal professionals, from General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officers to regulatory specialists and corporate lawyers.

With a deep understanding of the legal and compliance landscape in the Middle East, Callum Morgan supports organizations in navigating complex regulatory frameworks, mitigating risk, and building world-class legal teams. His expertise extends across financial services, asset management, private equity, fintech, and emerging sectors such as blockchain and digital assets.

Callum have a proven track record of advising business leaders on legal hiring strategies, ensuring they secure top talent that aligns with their business objectives. His role goes beyond recruitment—he provides market insights, salary benchmarking, and strategic guidance on structuring legal and compliance functions.

Shabnam Sahiwala – General Counsel at myZoi by Standard Chartered

Shabnam Sahiwala is an accomplished General Counsel, Board Advisor, and Start-up Leader with over 20 years of experience across India and the Middle East.

Qualified in both India and the UK, Shabnam has held leadership roles at top institutions such as Credit Suisse, Citibank, and Al Tamimi, before making a transformative shift into the FinTech space. Motivated by a passion for solving complex problems and driving innovation, she now leads legal strategy at myZoi, a FinTech company dedicated to empowering migrant workers and promoting financial inclusion.

A natural leader, Shabnam blends strong legal expertise with a human-centred approach to leadership. She is known for her open, transparent leadership style that fosters trust and collaboration across all levels. Shabnam’s commitment to driving meaningful societal change is evident in her work—whether it’s securing vital Central Bank licenses for myZoi, establishing legal and risk frameworks that ensure compliance, or mentoring teams to achieve professional growth.

Beyond legal strategy, Shabnam champions gender and financial inclusion initiatives, spearheading projects that impact the underbanked and foster a culture of continuous learning. Her ability to align business goals with legal solutions, while keeping human connections at the forefront, makes her a standout leader in both fintech and legal spheres.

Elisabeth Zakharia Sioufi – Lawyer, Elisabeth Zakharia Sioufi Law Office, President of the Women’s Committee of the Union International des Avocats (UIA)

Elisabeth Zakharia Sioufi is a lawyer, member of the Beirut Bar Association since 1980, with expertise in Corporate Law, Human Rights Law, and International Criminal Law. She is a lecturer on freedom of religion and human rights at the Faculty of Religious Sciences at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. She is currently the Director of the Institute for Human Rights of the Beirut Bar Association and the President of the Women’s Committee at the International Association of Lawyers (Union Internationale des Avocats, UIA), where she was previously the President of the Human Rights Commission for 5 years.

Qualified in both India and the UK, Shabnam has held leadership roles at top institutions such as Credit Suisse, Citibank, and Al Tamimi, before making a transformative shift into the FinTech space. Motivated by a passion for solving complex problems and driving innovation, she now leads legal strategy at myZoi, a FinTech company dedicated to empowering migrant workers and promoting financial inclusion.

Elisabeth is a consultant on Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, and International Criminal Law. She has led many seminars and workshops in Lebanon and Europe and has written articles on different human rights topics such as trafficking in persons, violence against women, children at risk, implementation of international conventions, human rights in places of detention, prevention of torture.

In 2017-2018, Elisabeth was the advisor to the Ministry of Human Rights Affairs in Lebanon. In 2018, she received the Gold Medal from the Beirut Bar Association for her achievements towards the Bar, and in 2014, she was awarded by the US Department of State for combating trafficking in persons.

Rita Waked – Vice Dean, Saint Joseph University School of Law

Dr. Rita Waked holds a PhD from Paris II, Assas in International Law and an LLM in Litigation, Arbitration and ADR. With over 15 years of experience as an educator and legal consultant, she currently serves as the Vice-Dean of the School of Law at Saint Joseph University Dubai. Dr. Waked has numerous publications in the legal field.

Marieke Witkamp, Fciarb – International Arbitrator

Marieke Witkamp is a Dutch-trained judge, with five years of legal experience in the Middle East, an LL.M in US law and a Texas bar licence. She has more than 20 years’ dispute resolution experience in a wide range of commercial disputes.

Marieke gained her dispute resolution experience as a judge in the Netherlands, an attorney in Qatar, a lawyer in Texas, USA, and as in-house counsel in Qatar and the Netherlands. She now focuses on her work as an international arbitrator. Her areas of expertise are commercial contracts and maritime, insurance, construction and energy law.