Leonard Soudagar

Full Profile

Leonard has a broad commercial disputes practice and is entrusted by clients to represent and advise them in their most difficult, sensitive and complex matters. He is ranked as a Next Generation Partner by Legal 500 (2024) and described by Chambers and Partners (2024) as “outstanding”, “strategically unparalleled” and “really user-friendly, responsive and commercial in his approach”.

His practice is focused on: 

• Arbitration and Commercial Litigation – representing multi-national and domestic corporate clients across various sectors in complex (and often multi-jurisdictional) disputes arising from corporate transactions, joint ventures and a whole range of commercial agreements, as well as shareholder disputes, fraud and asset recovery. 
• Commodities – representing producers, traders and banks in contentious matters relating to the supply, financing and transportation of commodities across agriculture/food, chemicals, energy, minerals and metals. 
• Energy – representing NOCs, international contractors, traders and service providers in disputes relating to exploration and production activities, construction and engineering, trading and supply, and transportation and distribution across oil & gas and green energies. 
• Marine and Logistics – representing shipyards, shipowners, charterers, ports, logistics companies and marine service providers in contentious matters. 
• Insurance – representing marine insurers in hull, cargo and liability claims. 

Leonard has been based in the Middle East since 2012 and is the lead partner in the region for Commodities, International Trade and Marine (insurance and non-insurance). 

He regularly represents clients in international arbitration, having acted in arbitrations seated in London, Dubai (and the DIFC), Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Texas, New York and Zurich under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, LMAA, DIAC, GCC-CAC, SCMA, HKIAC, AAA and UNCITRAL. Chambers Global 2025: “Leonard is outstanding – an extremely able and dynamic young partner. He has an excellent sense of international arbitration and what will play well with a particular tribunal”.

Leonard has extensive experience of litigation in the GCC, including particularly in the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) (a common law financial free zone in Dubai) and all levels of the 'onshore' civil law Courts in the UAE, as well as in the High Court in London. 

Given the international nature of Leonard's practice and client base, he regularly advises on disputes involving jurisdictional issues, conflicts of laws and applications for urgent injunctive/interim relief and for the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.

He advises on English and UAE law and works with lawyers in other jurisdictions in the region (and beyond), including particularly with our Riyadh office.

Experience