Judges announced for Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards
With the deadline for entries imminent, Legal Week unveils this year's judging panel
March 16, 2016 at 08:37 PM
3 minute read
Cherine Ghali, general counsel, Dubai Group, Dean Stelfox, general counsel, Dubai World Central and Mark Beer OBE, CEO & registrar, DIFC Courts, are among the 13-strong panel of judges confirmed to review entries for Legal Week's Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards.
The awards, which are still open for entries until the end of the day (17 March), will take place on 12 May at the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, and aim to recognise exceptional achievement by private practice and in-house lawyers working in local and international companies and law firms.
The judging panel will be chaired by Elias Hayek, vice president, legal, EAME division, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and chairman of the ACC Group Middle East and also includes Deepa Tharmaraj, legal director – Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Dell and Miin Tze Looi, director of ethics & legal compliance, Eastern Hemisphere, Baker Hughes.
Among the 18 categories they will decide on are Legal Department of the Year (small and large team); In-house Innovation and Legal Counsel of the Year, alongside a number of other practice-based awards covering areas such as banking and finance, real estate and corporate.
In a major innovation for 2016, the shortlists for General Counsel of the Year, International Law Firm of the Year and Middle East Law Firm of the Year will be drawn up following nominations from the region's in-house lawyers.
Last year's winners included Emirates Group – winner of Legal Department of the Year (Large Team); Travelport, which secured the small team legal department award; Eversheds (International Law Firm of the Year); and Al Tamimi, (Middle East Law Firm of the Year).
For the first time, Law.com and The American Lawyer will be supporting the awards as media sponsors, following ALM's acquisition of Legal Week earlier in the year.
The awards judges in full:
Chair: Elias Hayek, vice president, legal, EAME division, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and chairman of the ACC Group Middle East
Afshan Akhtar, FVP legal, Arab Banking Corporation
David Anderson, legal director, Al Futtaim Carillion
Mark Beer OBE, CEO & registrar, DIFC Courts
Imelda Dunlop, executive director, Pearl Initiative
Markus Federle, senior managing director, general counsel & head of compliance, Samena Capital Investments
Cherine Ghali, general counsel, Dubai Group
Harold Koster, director, College of Law, University of Dubai
Miin Tze Looi, Director of Ethics & Legal Compliance, Eastern Hemisphere, Baker Hughes
Dean Stelfox, general counsel, Dubai World Central
Souhayel Tayeb, group general counsel and company secretary, Commercial Bank of Dubai
Deepa Tharmaraj, legal director – Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Dell
Duncan Wood, senior legal officer, Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department
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