Legal-Department-of-the-Year-–-Government-Department-Agency-or-Public-Body

(L-R): Awards host Shadia Bseiso; Nasser Al-Taweel, chief legal officer, QFCA; Isobel Rees, conference producer, Legal Week 

Finalists: DIFC DRA Academy of Law; Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department Government Contracts and Agreements Directorate.

Qatar Financial Centre Authority's legal department, which is responsible for the Qatar Financial Centre's (QFC) legal-related matters, won the public sector award for its efforts to transform the way legal is viewed at QFC and beyond.

The team, which has only existed in its current form since July 2016, is comprised of five lawyers and two support staff. The department has recently put together the QFC Law, creating a framework that will enable QFC to expand its business activities and allow other stakeholders to use the QFC platform. The framework has also sought to bring corporate governance in line with international best practice.

In the short time the legal team has been up and running it has contributed to a number of QFC projects, such as drafting agreements for a special training programme at the Qatar Finance and Business Academy that will help hearing-impaired students prepare for jobs in the banking and finance sector.

It has also advised on the establishment of a QFC local organising committee for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and helped arrange the first ever listing of a QFC firm on the Qatar Stock Exchange.

"Excellent effort in building a new department," commented a judge.