Nassif joined Clyde & Co's Middle East Dispute Resolution Group in January 2009 and is based in the firm's Dubai office. Prior to joining Clyde & Co, he was a barrister and solicitor practicing commercial litigation out of the Montréal office of a leading Canadian law firm (one of Canada's seven sisters).
He has advised a wide range of businesses on the legal aspects of commercial dispute resolution and represented parties in court and arbitration proceedings since 2003. He has been appointed by the Executive Committee of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre to sit as arbitrator in commercial disputes.
His practice focuses on resolving Middle East disputes arising out of commercial fraud, commercial agreements (e.g. sale and purchase agreements, distribution and agency agreements, joint venture and partnership agreements, muqawala contracts (contracts for services) and management contracts) and financial instruments (e.g. bank guarantees, letters of credit, advance payment guarantees and performance bonds).
In a recent survey on law firms in the United Arab Emirates for the 2012 edition of The Legal 500 EMEA (the commercial client's guide to Europe, Middle East and Africa legal profession) a client said "Mr BouMalhab is extremely resourceful in the practice of the law in the U.A.E. – he always asks what the client wants (to achieve) and is very pragmatic in solving our problems. He is extremely responsive and timely with his advice". In the submission to Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession 2011 and 2012, Nassif was listed as one of Clyde & Co's rising stars. The Legal 500 ranks Clyde & Co as a first tier firm in dispute resolution, which is Nassif's practice area.
Nassif graduated from the University of Ottawa civil law program with highest honours (summa cum laude) in 2001. In 2002, Nassif also earned a degree with honours in common law after completing the University of Ottawa’s National Program.
Amongst other awards and distinctions, Nassif has earned: the Mark MacGuigan Award and the McCarthy Tetrault Award for placing first at the Laskin Moot, a national mooting competition in Canadian constitutional and administrative law; the POLAJ Prize awarded by the Department of Justice Canada for excellence in written and oral expression in both official languages (French and English); the Stikeman Elliott / Carswell National Tax Award; the Fraser Milner Casgrain Award for excellence in oral pleading; the Gaston Descoteaux Award for labour law; and the Gowling Lafleur Henderson Award for a paper on the jurisdiction of the World Trade Organisation in international trade regulation. He was one of the members of the academic community invited to participate in the Symposium Commemorating the Supreme Court of Canada's 125th Anniversary organised by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Nassif is a Canadian and Lebanese national. He is fluent in English and French, and is Arabic speaking.