Finalists: Al Tamimi & Company; Al-Ansari & Associates; Berwin Leighton Paisner; DWF; Hadef & Partners; HFW; Stephenson Harwood; Trowers & Hamlins (Highly Commended).

Dentons picked up the construction team prize for a second straight year, this time for its work advising a client on a $1.2bn retail and entertainment development in Abu Dhabi.

The mall complex is set to be the largest in Abu Dhabi and the second largest in the UAE, with two million square feet of leasable space and home to what it says will be the world's largest indoor snow park. Dentons assisted on the drafting and negotiation of construction contracts, which was privately financed by a Kuwait investor without any government stake in the project (a sector that has traditionally been financed with state support).

The deal had a number of additional complexities, including a two-stage bespoke contract developed by Dentons to satisfy lending and tenant investor expectations of the project's progress, and multi-jurisdictional dispute resolution considerations to resolve any potential spats between international contractors.

The success of the development stage of the project (thanks in part to the involvement of partner Ian Dalley, who is dual qualified as an engineer) ensured Dentons was retained for the pursuing construction phase of the project.

"Very complex matter due to the diversity of the parties involved," said a judge.

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