Full Profile
Ranked as a “Rising Star” and described as a “standout individual” by Legal 500, Leonard is an experienced commercial disputes lawyer based in the UAE. He began his career with Clyde & Co in 2012 and joined our Dubai office from the London office in 2014.
He represents clients in a wide range of sectors, including energy and natural resources, marine, international trade and commodities, logistics, banking, insurance, defence, construction and engineering, TMT, real estate, retail and FMCG.
The majority of Leonard's practice involves acting for corporates and financial institutions in international commercial arbitration, both institutional (ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, HKIAC and AAA) and ad-hoc (LMAA and UNCITRAL). He has acted for clients in arbitrations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong. Leonard has extensive experience of litigation in the DIFC Courts (a common law financial free zone in Dubai) and all levels of the 'onshore' civil law Courts in the UAE, as well as handling cases before the Dubai World Tribunal and the High Court in London.
Given the international nature of Leonard's work, he regularly advises clients on complex, cross-border disputes involving jurisdictional issues, conflicts of laws and the enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards. He assists clients in avoiding and managing disputes, including providing day-to-day support on operational and contractual matters, as well as on termination and resolving disputes without resorting to legal proceedings. He also advises on payment issues, insolvency and debt recovery in the UAE.
In addition to advising clients on commercial contract disputes (from supply to joint venture agreements), Leonard has a specialism in energy and marine matters, including disputes under EPC, offshore drilling and shipbuilding contracts, charterparties, bills of lading, commodity sale and purchase contracts and letters of credit, and marine casualties.
Leonard is a Solicitor of England and Wales and a registered practitioner before the DIFC Courts.
Experience
