Legal Week is set to launch a new awards ceremony recognising the achievements of lawyers working in the Middle East, with the inaugural event to take place in Dubai later this year.

The Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards, which will take place at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi on 17 May, will be hosted by Starwood Hotels and Resorts EMEA vice president, legal, Elias Hayek.

Hayek is also president of the Corporate Counsel Middle East Group, the representative body for general counsel and in-house lawyers based in the region.

The awards judging panel, which is currently being put together, will consist of GCs and senior legal and business figures from the Middle East.

The awards, which will be open to legal teams and law firms operating in the region, will cover key practice areas, as well as individual honours such as General Counsel of the Year, while there will also be awards for innovation and corporate social responsibility.

Hayek commented: "We already have an excellent relationship with Legal Week thanks to our close involvement with their annual Legal Week Corporate Counsel Forum Middle East.

"We see this partnership as a natural extension of this close co-operation and are looking forward to working with Legal Week to establish these awards as a must-attend event in the Middle East legal calendar."

Legal Week currently hosts The British Legal Awards, which takes place every year and recognises the achievements of business lawyers in the UK and major international jurisdictions.

Click here for more information on the Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards.