Karie Akeelah

Partner, Trowers & Hamlins

Karie has been practicing in the UAE since 2008 and has established herself as a trusted adviser to a range of private and government clients in the MENA region and internationally in arbitration (DIAC, ADCCAC, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL), litigation (DIFC Courts), adjudication and mediation. Prior to moving to the UAE, Karie was a lawyer at a construction boutique firm in Ottawa, Canada. In recent years, Karie’s work has focused on resolving clients’ disputes in major engineering and infrastructure construction projects with complex issues. As project counsel, Karie works closely with clients to avoid or achieve early resolution of disputes through structured negotiation, mediation, risk management and contract compliance measures. Karie also has significant experience advising clients in matters before the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, and has worked closely with local counsel advising clients in disputes before the Abu Dhabi Courts, including the Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation. Karie has developed an extensive knowledge and understanding of the UAE legal system and has been recognized in the dispute resolution section of The Legal 500 for the United Arab Emirates.

Dr Riyadh Al-Balushi

CEO, Decree

Riyadh is the Chief Executive Officer at Decree, an Omani legal-tech startup. Prior to working at Decree, he worked for over 16 years in the Ministry of Legal Affairs and later its successor the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, where he served as a legal advisor in the area of treaties and international disputes. He holds an LLB from the University of Cardiff, an LLM in IT and Commerce from Southampton University, and a PhD from SOAS, University of London.

Leilah Bruton

Partner, Three Crowns

Leilah, a partner in the London office, has extensive experience representing corporations on the resolution of complex disputes involving investment treaties and contractual relationships, with a particular focus on disputes in the oil & gas, mining, and telecoms sectors. Leilah has been named a Who’s Who Legal: Future Leader for 2018-2023, in which peers and clients described her as “one of the most efficient practitioners” and as having “outstanding leadership skills”. Leilah has also been recognised as a Next Generation Partner for both international arbitration and public international law in The Legal 500 UK 2023, and a Rising Star in The Legal 500’s International Arbitration Powerlist 2019 for the UK. She was educated at the University of Cambridge, is qualified in England and Wales, and speaks English and French.

Shimaa Al-Ghafry

Director, Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs

Shimaa Al-Ghafry is the Director of Contracts at the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs with over 10 years of experience in Omani law while focusing on the fields of contracts and international agreements as well as international arbitration. She is currently representing the government of the Sultanate of Oman in international arbitration proceedings brought against the Sultanate of Oman. Shimaa obtained her LLM in International Commercial Law from UCL, London, and her LLB from the University of Leicester. She was seconded to the Three Crowns LLP office in London in 2017.

Najla Al-Hajri

Senior Legal Researcher,
Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs

Najla Al Hajri is a Senior Legal Researcher at the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs with 10 years of
experience in Omani law while focusing on the field of international arbitration. She specialises in
reviewing international treaties, legislation and drafting legal opinions. She obtained her LLM in
International Law and World Order as well as her LLB from the University of Reading, UK. 
Najla has previously represented the government of the Sultanate Oman in various international
arbitration related matters. She was seconded to the Three Crowns LLP office in London in 2023 as well
as the Oman Commercial Arbitration Centre (OAC) during its establishment in 2020.

Mariam Al-Keyoumi

Senior Legal Researcher,
Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs

Mariam Al-Keyoumi is a Senior Legal Researcher at the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs with over 7 years of experience in Omani law. Mariam specialises in reviewing government contracts, international treaties, legislation and drafting legal opinions. She also represents the Government in multiple forums, both nationally and internationally. She obtained both her LLB and LLM from Brunel University London.

Reza Mohtashami KC

Partner, Three Crowns

In his more than 25 years of practice, Reza has represented clients as counsel and advocate in more than 90 arbitrations conducted under a variety of arbitral rules in many different jurisdictions. Reza has particular expertise in disputes arising in emerging markets with a focus on the energy, telecoms and infrastructure sectors. He also regularly sits as an arbitrator. Currently based in London, Reza has previously practiced in Paris, New York and Dubai, where he established the Middle East dispute resolution practice of a leading international law firm. He has been appointed to the governing bodies of several international organisations, including as Vice-Chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee, Trustee of the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre and the Bahrain Chamber of Dispute Resolution, member of the LCIA Court and President of the LCIA Arab Users’ Council. He is a regular speaker at international conferences and has authored many publications on arbitration. Reza is an English solicitor-advocate and was appointed King’s Counsel in recognition of his advocacy skills in 2018. He is recognised as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal noting that he is “extremely highly regarded” and Chambers describes him as giving “clear and authoritative advice on matters of strategy and case development”, with a source praising him as “a fantastic lawyer” and “a market leader”.’

Mashael Moosa

Head of Corporate—Legal, OQ

An experienced Omani lawyer, with a track record of over 16 years experience in the legal field, including 10 years in the Oil and Gas sector. Mashael currently heads the Legal Corporate Department and is also the Board Secretary of OQ dealing with complex organisational matters. Throughout her career, she has worked in various disciplines within the legal workstreams, and continues to deal with multi-disciplinary teams of professionals and other stakeholders at all levels. Furthermore, she also has experience in establishing and implementing the Ethical Conduct Framework at OQ, as well as being involved in drafting OQ’s first Bond Prospectus, amongst other major projects. Mashael is also a Board Member the publicly listed company Abraj Energy Services SAOG. She holds a LLB in Law and Management and a LLM in International Trade Law from the UK.

Mohsin Al-Rashdi

VP Legal, Oxy Oman

Mohsin Al Rashdi, VP Legal at Oxy Oman, brings over 15 years of experience to the oil and gas sector, specializing in production sharing agreements, joint operating agreements, and major projects. His achievements include negotiating agreements with various governments, the latest of which was with the Algerian Government, and effectively managing claims and lawsuits, demonstrating his adeptness in legal strategy and conflict resolution. Outside of work, Mohsin enjoys traveling and hiking, activities that add a well-rounded perspective to his professional expertise.

Thamer Al-Shahry

Partner, SASLO

Thamer is a qualified Omani lawyer with over a decade of experience in arbitration, both as counsel and expert in Omani law. He has appeared before local and international arbitral tribunals in various institutional and ad-hoc proceedings, involving complex and high-value disputes in sectors such as construction, power, oil and gas, banking and finance, and telecom. He regularly advises various clients on arbitration clauses, procedures, and best practices. He is also a prominent member of the firm’s corporate practice, where he has advised and represented a range of clients on M&A, capital markets, projects and energy, real estate and construction, and shipping transactions and contracts. He has been recognised as a leading individual by The Legal 500, IFLR1000, and Chambers Global in various practice areas. Chambers Global 2024 Dispute Resolution Guide reports “Thamer is extremely sharp. You want him in your corner on a complex and sensitive matter. He contextualises his legal advice within the nuances of the Omani market and the commercial considerations of the client.” He holds an LLB from the University of Sharjah and an LLM in International Corporate Finance from the University of Reading, UK. He is fluent in Arabic and English.

Scott Vesel

Partner, Three Crowns

Scott, a partner in the Washington, DC office, has nearly two decades of experience handling complex international investment and commercial arbitrations in various sectors, including energy, construction, mining, defence, technology, and agribusiness sectors. Prior to relocating to Washington, DC in 2022, he spent 8 years in 3C’s London office and 2 years in Bahrain. In addition to his private practice in international arbitration, he has served as an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of State and at an international organisation. Who’s Who Legal has recognised him, noting that clients singled him out as “one of the smartest lawyers I have ever worked with”, describing him as “a thoughtful and well-regarded practitioner”, and praised his “impressive pre-hearing preparation and his advocacy”. He is recommended in The Legal 500 where he “attracts praise for his ability to ‘master complex issues’”. Scott earned BA, MA, and JD degrees at Yale University and his MPA at Princeton University. He is qualified as an attorney in New York and the District of Columbia and as a barrister in England & Wales and speaks English, French, German, Russian, and basic Latvian.

Salim Al-Yazidy

General Counsel, Oman Investment Authority

Salim Al-Yazidy is the General Counsel for the Oman Investment Authority. He has over 18 years of experience, and has previously worked for organisations such as British Petroleum , Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Allen & Overy, Abraj Energy Services, and others. Salim holds an LLB from the University of Cardiff and an LLM from the University of Northumbria of New Castle. He is qualified as a Court of Appeal Lawyer in Oman and a certified arbitrator by the GCC Commercial Arbitration Center. Salim has extensive experience in the energy sector, investment, commercial transaction, business development, joint ventures, disputes, M&As, and corporate governance.