34 Issue 44 • SEPTEMBER 2015

FIRM FOCUS/Abdulhakim Binherz Advocates & Legal Consultants

Born to ChallengeWith a strong emphasis on result-oriented law practice, Abdulhakim Binherz and team continues to strengthen their claim as the go-to lawyers for realistic legal solutions in the UAE.

ABDULHAKIM BINHERZ, founder

Binherz heads the Litigation and Banking & Finance practices, and supervises the remaining practices of the Firm. Binherz is a UK, LLM graduate and is a licensed advocate in the UAE Federal Courts, the local Court and the DIFC Courts.

Binherz set up his own private practice – ABALC, on retiring as the group general manager of legal affairs, fraud investigation and prevention, compliance and translation divisions of the Emirates NBD Bank after an extraordinary stint of 33 years with the organisation. During his tenure with the bank, he donned many a hats for the bank – acting as the country manager of the bank in UK, head representative office in Iran and deputy country manager in Pakistan, playing a key role in establishing the region’s first Real Estate Fund to grant interest free loans to UAE nationals, chairing the Dubai Society in UK, representing Emirates NBD as a director in various Boards, chairing the Legal Committee of the UAE Banks Federation, lecturing in UAE banking law, labour law and securitisation of legal risk, leading the merger of the Emirates Bank and the National Bank of Dubai, and, managing the acquisition of Dubai Bank by Emirates NBD being some of them.

In 2013, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, presented Binherz with a Certificate of Appreciation distinguishing his achievements in the UAE banking industry among UAE nationals.

After your game changing leadership at the Emirates NBD Group’s Legal Department, what was your goal when you founded Abdulhakim Binherz Advocates & Legal Consultants (ABALC)? How would you sum up its growth so far?I spent 16 of my 33 years with the ENBD Group as an in-house lawyer. Having led the in-house legal team of the group for such a long duration responsible for managing compliance, fraud investigation & prevention, mortgage, and debt recovery & restructuring, I understand what a client requires from an external counsel while engaging one. Therefore, I have always stressed to my team on the importance of being accessible to our clients while maintaining a deep understanding of their business needs.

When I established ABALC, I wanted it to grow into one of the most trusted and client-focused law firms in the region. Our primary goal at ABALC is to add constructive value to our client’s businesses while remaining available and committed round-the-clock.

ABALC has now established itself as a full service premier law firm based in Dubai, providing legal services across 12 different practice sectors. We have recruited some of the best minds in the legal industry to ensure that our services meet with the international standards. Our well-placed regional connections and dispute resolution capabilities have also been great contributing factors in our quick rise as one of the preferred one stop law firms in the UAE.

What sets you apart from the other law firms in the region providing similar services? We understand that a vast majority of the people in UAE, locals and expats inclusive, are completely unaware of how the legal system works here. As a result, we always place high importance on educating our clients on the practical aspects of their issues before taking on any assignment or commencing lengthy dispute resolution processes whether it is litigation in the UAE Federal Courts, local Courts, DIFC Courts, or Arbitration. Great focus is always laid upon going above and beyond merely summarising the law of the land.

The legal issues with which our clients approach us are unique and specific to their interests. Since we handle a huge portfolio of leading local and international banks, governmental entities, financial providers, real estate companies, private clients and HNIs, absolute secrecy and highly personalised services are material. What distinguishes us from the rest of the pack is the uncompromising principle on which we work – providing highly bespoke services delivered within the shortest

35theoath-me.com • the Oath

FIRM FOCUS/ Abdulhakim Binherz Advocates & Legal Consultants

PRACTICE HEADS

MOHAMED ABDELKARIM, general manager

AHMED NASR, senior consultant

SACHIN SHAJI, legal advisor

SHOAIB SPAL, legal advisor

1. Litigation2. Banking & Finance3. Corporate and M&A4. Real Estate5. Commercial Advisory6. Company Establishment

7. Employment8. Intellectual Property9. Mediation & Arbitration10. Family law11. Maritime12. Insurance

possible time. Additionally, we respect and appreciate that some of our key clients insist on maintaining a low profile while conducting their businesses. Accordingly, in addition to specialised expertise on the subject matter, another important aspect of our practice is the strictest confidentiality that we always maintain.

What are the main practice areas of ABALC? Tell us more about your core team and the nature of work you undertake regularly.Dispute Resolution has always been one of our greatest strengths. With our in-depth understanding of the local laws and procedures, our Arabic litigation team led by Ahmed Nasr is widely recognised for its proactive problem solving techniques. Complementing our litigation practice in the UAE Federal Courts and the Dubai Court, we also have a team of expert common law qualified lawyers licensed to practice in the DIFC Courts. The DIFC practice, led by Sachin Shaji, has added another dimension to our overall dispute resolution capabilities. We take great pride in taking on intricate legal disputes requiring multi-dimensional legal application to produce favourable results for our clients.

ABALC also has very strong Banking & Finance, Corporate and M&A, Real Estate, and Commercial Advisory practices. Mohamed Abdelkarim, who handles the dual function of handling banking related legal issues and the general administration of the Firm, is an expert in the fields of mortgages and auction procedures. He also heads the sister concern of ABALC – Abdulhakim Binherz Loans and Overdues Rescheduling Services LLC, which provides services to banks, corporate clients and others in debt recovery and debt restructuring. Earlier this year, we added Shoaib Spal to our team to strengthen our Arbitration and Intellectual Properties practices. ABALC is currently actively involved in several corporate establishments and restructurings, and advising on corporate governance mechanisms, private equity & corporate financing, cross-border M&As, joint ventures and complex real estate transactions. Handling issues ranging from employment, family affairs, intellectual property, immigration, corporate, commercial and real estate disputes, the Firm has been instrumental in landing several multi-million dollar projects in the region.

What has been the single-most contributing factor to your success so far? What plans do you foster for ABALC in the future?I have always believed that for any establishment to operate and succeed it has to be backed by a loyal and efficient work-force. Our team of specialist lawyers and support staff who remains relentless in providing legal services of international standards to the Firm’s clientele is definitely the reason behind our phenomenal growth and success.

Going further our plan is to expand our presence in the UAE and the wider Gulf area to extend our pan-regional capabilities. Another important area where we focus on is developing cooperation arrangements with leading law firms in the Asian, American and European markets, thereby enabling us to cater to a more international client base. Our goal is to let logic lead our growth.

PRACTICE AREAS

ABALC has now established itself as a full service premier law firm based in Dubai, providing legal services across 12 different practice sectors. We have recruited some of the best minds in the legal industry to ensure that our services meet with the international standards.