United Arab Emirates

IP STARS Reviews

Al Tamimi & Company

Al Tamimi & Company is one of the leading commercial law firms in the UAE. It also has offices in other jurisdictions in the Middle East. This law firm is highly recommended for patent disputes and protection work. The firm has six offices in the UAE and eight branches in the MENA region.

IP Star Omar Obeidat heads the IP practice while Ahmad Saleh is in charge of the patents and designs department. The partners are supported by a team of IP associates.

Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird is recommended for patent and trade mark protection work in the UAE. In addition to its patent and trade mark attorneys, the firm also has a team of qualified lawyers to handle IP disputes and transactional matters. The firm can also rely on its global IP team to coordinate worldwide litigation and protection strategies.

Melissa Murray is the partner in charge of IP in the UAE. Patent attorney Ida Calogero supports Murray in patent matters. Senior associate Renee Nugent is a key figure in the trade mark practice. Mayowa Olusola and Eddie Chiu are qualified lawyers who are active in the transactional practice.

BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates

BSA Ahmed Bin Hezeem is recommended for soft IP work in the United Arab Emirates. The key senior contacts for IP work are Amala Atieh and Nadim Bardawil. Felicity Hammond is a notable associate for IP mandates.

Charles Russell Speechlys

Charles Russell Speechlys is best known for its commercial and soft IP disputes practice.

Mark Hill, Patrick Gearon and Ghassan El Daye are the key partners in the IP practice. Hill specialises in IP commercialisation and copyright. Gearon and El Daye are experts in dispute resolution. Lara Haidar and Ahmad El Sayed are notable senior associates.

CWB

Cedar White Bradley (CWB) is recommended for IP protection, portfolio management and enforcement work. The firm is recognised by rivals in the IP market in the Middle East and North Africa region. CWB was acquired by the private equity company Gulf Capital in 2020. The firm expanded its footprint in 2023 by combining with  Petošević, an IP firm known in central and eastern Europe, and Hahn & Hahn, a South African IP firm. Head of TMT and English solicitor Cameron Crawford and trade mark attorney Theuns van de Merwe are key partners in its Dubai office. Van de Merwe is head of IP. The partners are supported by a team of paralegals and administrative staff.

DLA Piper

DLA Piper has a team in Dubai for IP/TMT work. The key contacts for IP are Paul Allen, Jamie Ryder and Saba Al-Sultani. Allen is the global co-chair of the firm's IP practice. Al-Sultani specialises in trade mark and design work. Ryder understands IP-related deals in the creative industries.

Gowling WLG

International law firm Gowling WLG is recommended for contentious and non-contentious IP work, especially trade marks. Jon Parker is the lawyer in charge of its IP practice in the UAE. The firm has a presence in Saudi Arabia, thanks to its cooperation with local law firm AlGhazzawi & Partners. 

Ownership

Deans IP changed its name to Ownership in 2023. Deans IP was founded in 2020 by Clyde & Co's former head of IP Rob Deans. He brought along his associate, Adam Cusworth.

Rouse

International IP firm Rouse is one of the leading firms to instruct on IP protection matters in the UAE and wider Middle East and North Africa region. The firm’s trade mark registration and enforcement expertise covers the Gulf Cooperation Council region. The firm recently collaborated with Inngot to launch an online IP management toolkit. Managing IP reported that a UK private equity firm bought a 35% stake in Rouse in July 2022.

Partner Bassel El Turk acts as the country manager, while Sara Holder heads up the firm’s patent operations in the region. Holder is also the global co-head of the firm’s patent and technology practice. In its UAE team are experienced IP practitioners who specialise in patent filing work; they include Paul Muscat and Samantha Grainger. Grainger is also an expert in handling transactional matters.

Former leader Chad Dowle, who is now based in Hong Kong, heads up the firm’s media and digital practice. Sinead Quigley is a legal consultant who specialises in trade mark portfolio management.

Saba IP

Saba IP is a well-connected IP agency in the Middle East and North Africa region. The firm is highly recommended for its IP protection and portfolio management work, but it is also experienced in dealing with enforcement matters.

Hady Khawand is the key contact in its UAE office. He is supported by head of patents Tariq Al Alami and head of trade marks Ahmed Abu Shahla. Other notable IP professionals in the firm include Sherif Abdelhalim.

United Trademark & Patent Services

United Trademark & Patent Services is recommended for trade mark and patent protection work in the UAE.

The firm is led by Chairman Yawar Irfan Khan and managing partner Maria Farrukh Irfan Khan. The key IP contacts are Hasan Irfan Khan and Nevin Jacob Koshy.