Natasha Zahid

Full Profile

Natasha is a Legal Director at Clyde & Co in the Middle East disputes team. She is also part of the firm's Pakistan practice group and Advocacy Unit.

Natasha is a dual qualified barrister from the Bar of England and Wales and the Sindh Bar, Pakistan. Her broad breadth of experience covers both contentious and non-contentious work relating to the real estate & construction, banking & financial services, hospitality, energy, family business and defence contracting sectors. Natasha has handled complex, high value arbitrations before a variety of arbitration regimes, including UNCITRAL, ICC, the Swiss Rules, the DIFC-LCIA and DIAC. She is also experienced in commercial litigation before the UAE Courts, DIFC Courts and Saudi Board of Grievances and has advised on internal corporate investigations and compliance with U.S. government regulations on foreign trade and investments.

Natasha previously worked for a major U.S. law firm and acted as Senior Legal Counsel for Mashreqbank PSC. She was appointed as the first female board member of the Pakistan Business Council in Dubai. Natasha is a native English speaker and fluent in conversational French and Urdu.

Experience

• Defending a major fuel, food and logistics service provider in USD multimillion claims brought against it by a former subcontractor in relation to services provided to the international armed forces in Afghanistan.
• Defending a multinational European engineering and technology solution company in DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings in relation to a dispute with a shareholder ensuing from the acquisition of the company.
• Defending a leading luxury automobile manufacturer in DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings in relation to a dispute over an import agreement in Pakistan.  
• Defending a Chinese technology company specialising in telecommunications in DIAC arbitration proceedings in relation to a dispute with a subcontractor over a telecommunications project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Representing one of the largest United Arab Emirates real estate developers in AED multibillion. claims against sub-contractors for failure to construct and sub-develop iconic sub-developments
• Defending an organization within the United Nations in a USD multimillion claim by a global bank relating to an alleged assignment.
• Representing a major United Arab Emirates based conglomerate in a USD multimillion claim against a construction company regarding the completion of MEP works.
• Representing a major real estate developer on a docket of approximately 80 construction-related litigations and arbitrations before United Arab Emirates courts and regional arbitration institutions.
• Defending a major real estate developer in a USD multimillion custodianship claim by a shareholder relating to corporate management issues.
• Defending a prominent Egyptian businessman in a USD multimillion dollar claim by a shareholder for breach of the terms of a put option.
• Defending a leading multi-specialist French railway constructor in a claim by a government owned railway organization relating to the construction of locomotives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Defending a major U.S. defence contractor in a claim by a Saudi company regarding a U.S. foreign military sales contract for the installation of a software solution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Representing a major U.S. defence contractor in a USD multimillion claim against a government owned aviation authority in the United Arab Emirates regarding the development of air traffic control software.
• Advising a leading multinational oil and gas company and one of Japan’s largest general trading companies on issues regarding litigation and the enforceability of international arbitral awards in respect of an LNG project in Iraq.
• Representing a leading Norwegian company specializing in the transportation and storage of bulk liquid chemicals in a USD multimillion dollar claim against a contractor for damage to a drill pipe at a well site in Oman.
• Acting for a leading provider of GPS technology in the United Arab Emirates in an internal corporate investigation regarding compliance with U.S. government regulations on foreign trade and investments.
• Acting for a global oilfield service company in an internal corporate investigation regarding compliance with U.S. government regulations on foreign trade and investments.
• Acting for a leading U.S. supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions in an internal corporate investigation regarding compliance with U.S. government regulations on foreign trade and investments.
• Acting for a consortium of oil and gas investors regarding due diligence for the proposed acquisition of shares of an oil and gas company with assets in Tanzania and Mozambique.