Member of Swiss Association
HDS Business Centre – Cluster M – Jumeirah Lakes Towers – Dubai
Dr. Alexander Brexendorff is an entrepreneur / owner and managing director of various legal, business and Fintech consulting companies in Europe and the Middle East. He is as well the founder and head of the board of the Swiss and UAE based international business and legal Swiss Association Brexendorff & Associates.
He has over twenty years of international experience in business consulting, legal and Fintech services with a deep and comprehensive legal and practical knowledge of Europe, the Former Soviet Union, the Middle East and beyond.
Holding an honors Ph.D. in hydrocarbon public international law, he started his career during the DOTCOM boom at the financial markets department of Shearman & Sterling LLP in Frankfurt, moved on to the international energy agency, Energy Charter Secretariat, in Brussels, joined later the Coudert Brothers LLP Middle East Practice Group before he founded one of the most prestigious European-Middle East Boutique Legal, Business, Renewable Energy and Fintech consultancies.
Fluent in: German, English, Russian
Basic knowledge in: Spanish, French, Arabic
Dr. Brexendorff regularly publishes articles and gives seminars with practical advice on European, Middle Eastern business laws, in particular on Renewable Energies, Fintech, Blockchain related regulations.
French, English, Arabic
Investment Guide for French companies in Egypt
Artem has hands on corporate, litigation and arbitration experience since over two decades in particular in the segments of construction and oil and gas industry. He is an association partner of MENA LEGAL since 2015 advising international clients on their business activities in the FSU and the Middle East.
Fluent: English
Native: Russian
Francesca Romana Valeri was born in province of Rome (Italy) and graduated in Law in the University LUMSA of Rome in 2013.
Based in UAE, she is active in Europe and in the Middle East as Legal Counsel since 2018 with a prior knowledge in legal advice & consultation in Corporate Law, Commercial law and Italian Civil Law and with a strong experience in the International Construction Contracts and Contract Negotiation.
Over the last 7 years she dedicated herself in deepening the knowledge of international contracts’ field also by actively taking part to contract negotiations all over the world.
Italian (Native Languages), English (Fluent), French and Spanish (basic knowledge)
Aurelien de Barnier is a French jurist originally from the city of Nice in the south of France. Having grown up and living in the UAE since 2001, he graduated from the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi with a Bachelor in law & political sciences in 2014 and a Master in Business law, International law and Sustainable Development law in 2016.
Mr. de Barnier is advising French and other international clients on all legal and business aspects on doing business in the Middle East.
French (Native Languages), English (Fluent), Spanish (Intermediate), Arabic(basic knowledge)
Scott is a US-trained lawyer based in the State of Arizona in the United States and is a Founding Member of New LAW u.s., which works with MENA Legal on projects for clients based in North America. He has extensive regional experience in sophisticated real estate and commercial business transactions, and has also served in leadership positions with U.S.-based national organisations, focused on economic and community development. Scott has enjoyed a sterling career which has earned him an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating with Martindale-Hubbell.
His core practice competencies include:
English
Christian was born in Pretoria, South Africa and after traveling the world and attending school in 7 different countries he ultimately graduated with a British law degree in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Based in the Emirates for the past 6 years, Christian previously worked as a legal officer at an upcoming digital bank with a wide range of responsibilities from regulatory, compliance, contractual to intellectual property and anti-money laundering aspects.
Christian’s experience and knowledge of the financial sphere in particular in fintech, blockchain, and traditional banking allows for a prominent understanding of all aspects that surround company set-up, operations and transactions in particular in the new segments of crypto, NFT, Metaverse and challenger banks.
Afrikaans (Native Language), English (bilingual, first language)
Sven Röthlingshöfer is a German business attorney (Rechtsanwalt) by profession and a real estate and hospitality project development specialist with over 25 years of international experience. He has been practicing as a foreign Legal Consultant in the Emirate of Dubai since 1998.
Sven was involved in the development and delivery of several of Dubai’s well-known real estate and hospitality projects.
During his initial 9 years in private practice at Ja’afar Alwan, Al Jaziri & Associates, one of Dubai’s leading National Law Firms, he advised European companies on their business ventures and investments throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Key areas of specialty include foreign direct investments, cross-border joint-ventures, re-structuring, distribution and industrial projects, real estate projects, hospitality projects as well as international litigation and arbitration.
Since the opening of the real estate market in Dubai to foreign investors, Sven has been advising international property developers on residential, commercial and hospitality projects in the Emirate of Dubai.
Sven also acted as an Arbitrator and Expert Witness and as a Board Member of an Owners’ Association of a large hybrid project. From 2007 until 2021 he accepted assignments as General Counsel of two privately owned property development companies in the Emirate of Dubai. Their project portfolio included the development, completion and hand-over of a large commercial property in Dubai Downtown, the Kempinski Residences & Hotel Apartments Palm Jumeirah and the hotels of EPG Hotels & Resorts, which are now rebranded as the “Raffles the Palm Dubai” and the “Hyde Hotel Business Bay”.
Germany, since 1996
Germany, since 2002
Law Studies, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-University of Frankfurt
Law Studies, New York University
German, English, French
Germany, since 1999
German, English, Spanish and Arabic
He is a Senior Associate at Asia Counsel Vietnam. Before joining Asia Counsel, Ross worked as an associate at a UK law firm in the corporate and commercial department. Ross has extensive experience in M&A, and commercial transactions in the UK and Vietnam across a broad range of industries. Ross has also advised on renewable projects in the UK, including the development of a number of wind power projects.
Fluent in: English
Stelian is a Romanian and English law qualified lawyer, being a member of the Bucharest Bar Association since 2008, a member of the Law Society of England and Wales since 2011 and a member of the Global Blockchain Consortium since 2018.
Stelian holds a law degree from the University of Bucharest, an LL.M. degree in Banking and Financial Regulations from University College London, as well as a Business Administration degree from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies.
Lately due to his dual academic background, Stelian tends to be more and more involved in structuring and restructuring work as well as online commerce and digital assets regulatory matters, being significantly involved in a series of projects from the technology, blockchain and fintech area, both as a direct partner and a consulting attorney.
Prior to establishing Mic Ilie & Asociatii, Stelian was a senior associate with Eversheds Sutherland in the finance and energy departments, an associate with Kinstellar SPARL (the Linklaters spinoff in Central and Eastern Europe) in the finance and real estate department and acted as general counsel in Romania for Socar Petroleum Group between 2013 and 2015.
Barna is a Romanian law qualified lawyer, having a significant experience in dispute resolution and litigation. As part of his day-to-day activity within the firm Barna focuses mainly on assisting clients in civil and commercial disputes, administrative litigations, labor disputes, public procurement related disputes, enforcement proceedings and insolvency
He is appreciated by our clients for his out of the box solutions and hands on approach being a real support to our client’s daily business.
Prior to joining us, Barna was a counsel with one of the major local German law firms and a managing associate with the top Romanian law firm.
Barna holds a law degree from the Law Faculty of the Babes – Bolyai University, as well as of the LL.M degree from the Law Faculty of the Babes – Bolyai University.
Barna is a member of the Bucharest Bar Association since 2008.
Ali’s professional experience spans over a period of 18 years, working in the field at several well-acknowledged institutions, during which he gained deep experience in various legal, economic, political and technological aspects of business development.
His academic background is as diverse and solid as his professional one. Al-Ali holds two Bachelor’s degrees in Law and commerce, a Diploma in International and Commercial Contracts, Leadership certification from Harvard Business School, Duke and Chicago University, an MBA from Hull University, UK. As well as Master Science of Strategic Project Management from Heriot Watt University, UK. Al-Ali is also currently preparing for a DBA in Foreign Direct Investment. As a leader, Al-Ali has been selected as an affiliate of Qatar Leadership Centre.
Prior to joining QSTP, Al-Ali worked as Legal Advisor and at Qatar National Bank. Al-Ali was responsible for dealing with all legal operations between the bank and authorities, including managing civil cases and drafting contracts and business agreements, as well as dealing with Letters of credits and Letters of Guarantees.
In his role as Acting Head of Newgathering at Aljazeera Satellite Channel, he gained first-hand experience in media contract law, reviewing and validating contracts from major media corporations. Al-Ali was also responsible for helping to establish foreign office departments for Aljazeera in Kenya, Malaysia and Yemen.
A former partner of the International Law Firm Office in Qatar, in partnership with Sheikh Ahmed Al Thani and Dr. Yousef Al Naema, Al-Ali is also the founder and chairman of the Law Academy for Research, Training and Studies in Alexandria, Egypt.
An active spokesperson, he has taken part in many conferences in Qatar, speaking on issues of International Contracts, Banking Laws, International Foreign Trade and knowledge-based economies.
Before establishing Asia Counsel, Christian headed the Vietnam projects and infrastructure, and M&A and transactional practice of one of the world’s leading international law firms. Christian has led a broad range of investment projects in Vietnam up to completion, including greenfield investments and M&A transactions in wind and solar projects, as well as various infrastructure projects. Christian has worked in Vietnam for 10+ years.
Fluent in: English, German, French (intermediate)
His core practice competencies include:
Masters in Construction law and dispute resolution (dissertation left)
Oil and Gas Contracts, one year online learning
