Refat Zidan
Head of LitigationRefat is a Senior Legal Consultant and Head of the Litigation Department. He brings over 29 years of legal experience, both within the UAE and internationally. He is widely recognized as a leading senior legal consultant with deep expertise across civil, commercial, real estate, banking, corporate, employment and construction litigation. Refat oversees the day-to-day operations of the firm’s litigation department and leads on high-value, complex disputes across various industries.
Refat has represented a broad spectrum of international and local clients from various sectors, advising on local litigation case strategy and representation before the Courts, as well as out-of-court settlements.
Fluent in both Arabic and English, Refat is highly skilled in litigation before all levels of UAE courts. He is known for his ability to deliver tailored legal strategies aligned with client objectives – both in and out of court.
Refat holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ain Shams in Egypt, and he is admitted by Egypt Bar Association as a qualified Lawyer.
Languages
- English
- Arabic
Education & Qualifications
- Bachelor of Laws, the University of Ain Shams, Egypt
Experience highlights
- An investment bank: Acting for a multi-million-dirham breach of contract case involving a local tech company, securing a favourable settlement for the bank in the Dubai Courts.
- Real estate developer: Advising in relation to allegations of corporate fraud, resulting in the dismissal of criminal charges due to lack of evidence.
- Heirs of a prominent Emirati businessman: Representing in a complex inheritance dispute involving the division of assets across several GCC countries, successfully navigating the Shariah courts.
- A financial services client: Acting in a landlord-tenant dispute, advising on the legal grounds for eviction and compensation claims, resulting in an amicable out-of-court settlement that minimised financial losses for the company.
- A foreign judgment: Successful enforcement in the UAE to recover certain losses that resulted from a fraudulent trading scheme for a prepayment of a cargo shipment.
- Represented one of the UAE’s largest master developers in a wide range of disputes. His work spans infrastructure developments, mixed-use towers, retail malls, and large residential communities. He has also acted for master developers, sub-developers, and investors in matters involving unit sale and purchase agreements, delivery delays, compliance issues, and joint infrastructure obligations.
- In the area of insolvency and liquidation, he has acted for major creditors – including financial institutions and corporate stakeholders – in high-profile bankruptcy and restructuring cases involving both local and international entities in the UAE. He has successfully managed complex financial claims and coordinated related court and enforcement proceedings.
- A GCC insurance company: Successfully securing compensation after being sued by a client for alleged failure to meet contractual obligations during a construction project.
- A prominent UAE bank: Acting on several high-profile disputes concerning loan defaults, managing a portfolio of over 50 cases, and providing strategic legal advice on recovery proceedings and enforcement measures.
- A UAE bank: Drafting detailed submissions in a dispute witha corporate borrower over a substantial loan default, outlining the bank’s legal position and securing a court judgment in their favour.
- A financial advisory firm: Representing in a case concerning allegations of mismanagement of client funds, successfully defending against claims of breach of fiduciary duty.
- A large global electronics company: Representing in an employment claim against one of their employees which was successfully won and enforced.
- In the banking and finance sector, Refat has represented several of the largest Islamic and commercial banks in theUAE in disputes against defaulting debtors and enforcement proceedings. He also acts for Islamic finance institutions in litigation related to Murabaha, Mudaraba, Ijara, and other Sharia-compliant financing arrangements, advising on strategic recovery and default scenarios.
- On the criminal side, he has significant experience in economic and cybercrime matters, including fraud, digital assets and cryptocurrency, anti-money laundering, and cross-border financial crime. He regularly represents foreign companies and investors before UAE criminal courts and public prosecutors.
Awards & Rankings
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