Middle East & North Africa

The MENA desk is headed by co-founder Nicholas Bortman. Nicholas has dedicated the last 15 years to developing a regional practice, including six years living in the United Arab Emirates where he worked to integrate investigations into litigation strategy heard before local courts and tribunals. He is supported by a team of fluent Arabists and French speakers who have spent time on the ground.

The team have acted in many of the region’s most significant and high-profile disputes of recent years, supporting litigation and commercial and investor-state arbitration heard in London, New York, Paris, the UAE, Lebanon, under a variety of frameworks including ICSID, ICC, LCIA, DIAC, and domestic courts. Other significant engagements include those arising from private disputes among Middle Eastern merchant families and royalty.

We regularly act for high-profile and UHNW individuals, sovereign and supranational entities, corporations and both global and regional law firms.

“What sets Raedas apart… is that they live and practice a true specialism in litigation…they are strategists as well as investigators” – Chambers UK, Litigation Support: Business Intelligence & Investigations.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Led all external aspects of a multi-year investigation by one of America’s largest industrial corporations into allegations of corruption in connection with supply contracts in the Arabian Gulf. Delivered information and evidence, identified, recruited and interviewed witnesses, escorted US based counsel on fact finding visits to Middle Eastern and Asian countries and assisted in preparing briefs to be submitted to the US Department of Justice.
Acted for US counsel on behalf of a US defence manufacturer to investigate a whistle-blower’s allegations of corruptly obtained contracts from a Middle Eastern government. Successfully arranged and participated with counsel in witness interviews in the region and obtained credible – and exculpatory – evidence.
Acted for a UAE sovereign entity in multiple recovery actions against former investment partners and other debtors.
Engaged by a prominent Middle East based logistics provider (US$4+ billion revenue), in BIT arbitration against the State of Iraq arising from the expropriation of a major telecommunication investment
Acting for a major Middle East based telecommunications provider, in support of enforcement of a US$500+ million LCIA award against a Royal Family member in the region. Undertook investigative work in the UK, Greece, Egypt, France and GCC states to successfully identify assets beneficially held by the respondent, his immediate family and aides
Undertook extensive investigative work across Europe, US, Middle East and eastern Africa to enforce a creditor’s multi-million-dollar award against a power developer active in eastern Africa. Identified assets and evidence of fraudulent conveyance, violations of corporate governance and dissipation.

KEY CONTACT

NEWS AND INSIGHT

EVENTS 17 JANUARY 2024

On Thursday 7 March, Raedas is hosting a breakfast panel followed by an interactive masterclass on defining and strengthening your voice at the Groucho Club. In the world of high-stakes disputes and business, is it the voice that shouts the loudest that wins...

COMMENTARY 1 NOVEMBER 2023

With reputations and wealth to protect, UHNWIs must guard against the risks of AI. Andrew Wordsworth gives his expert view, in an article published by Spear’s Magazine, on the risks posed by deepfakes and artificial intelligence and what can be done....

EVENTS 5 OCTOBER 2023

Crisis strikes even the best prepared. The challenge is: how do you respond? In a seminar hosted by Raedas and Gibson Dunn in Washington D.C. Nicholas Bortman and Eric Wheeler (Raedas), Michael Diamant and Stephanie Brooker (Gibson Dunn), and Charles Bakaly...

FIRM NEWS 24 AUGUST 2023

Co-founding partner Nicholas Bortman writes for the Financial Times Adviser on the pivotal role investigators play in mitigating the impact of fraud. From unpicking financial crime from negligence, to understanding if money lost is gone forever – you...

FIRM NEWS 30 JUNE 2023

Following the release of Chambers and Partners’ 2023 ‘Litigation Support Guide’, we have maintained our position as the only firm ranked Band 1 for Business Intelligence & Investigations’ (BI&I) and have achieved a Band 1 ranking for...

FIRM NEWS 26 APRIL 2023

Co-founding Partner Joana Rego is interviewed by Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR) for their Essential Intelligence: Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery 2023 publication. In this Q&A Joana lifts the veil on the role investigators play in contentious...

FIRM NEWS 14 MARCH 2023

We are pleased to announce the strategic hire of Ekaterina (Kat) Rozenbaum to the newly created role ‘Head of Client Relations’ based in London. Kat joins Raedas from Mishcon de Reya, where she acted as Head of Business Development for the disputes...

EVENTS 8 FEBRUARY 2023

On the 7 March, Raedas hosted their fourth annual Women in Disputes event ‘”Investigating wellbeing”: a practical discussion with nutritionist Holly Dunn’. Disputes work is by nature high pressure, fast paced, and stressful. Whether as...

EVENTS 9 NOVEMBER 2022

On the 14 November, Partner Nicholas Bortman spoke on panel at Informa Connect’s ‘Asset Tracing and Recovery’ MENA conference in Dubai. Nicholas discussed fraud in the context of high value family disputes, with emphasis on the MENA region....

EVENTS 15 SEPTEMBER 2022

We hosted our second seminar this Autumn, “Tracing the blockchain: From fraudsters to sanctions dodgers – investigatory and legal remedies to locate and recover crypto” in partnership with CMS. Raedas’ Matthew Walker and Henry...

FIRM NEWS 30 AUGUST 2022

We hosted an in-person seminar and networking event on 29 September in London. In recent years the number of climate-related disputes has grown significantly, with likely precedent setting cases underway.  Jenna Burton (Director, Raedas), Nathalie...

FIRM NEWS 5 JULY 2022

Raedas have maintained their position as the only firm ranked Band 1 in Chambers and Partners’  ‘Litigation Support: Business Intelligence & Investigations’ (BI&I) guide 2022. Improving on last years’ position, all three co-founding...

EVENTS 31 JANUARY 2022

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, we hosted our annual ‘Women in Disputes’ event on 8 March 8:45am at the AllBright Club in Mayfair. This year’s event discussed the power of storytelling as a personal and professional tool....

FIRM NEWS 24 JANUARY 2022

Director Jenna Burton was interviewed for The Arbitration Station’s first podcast of 2022. The podcast discusses key issues relating to commercial and investment arbitration. Hosted by arbitration experts Saadia Bhatty (Counsel, International...

COMMENTARY 27 OCTOBER 2021

Directors Isabel Asquith and Matthew Walker spoke on panel for ThoughLeaders4 London event.  Isabel discussed the Burning Questions of 2022 for asset recovery, fraud, recovery, and insolvency. Isabel outlined the implications of information entering the...

FIRM NEWS 11 OCTOBER 2021

Raedas are pleased to announce the hire of forensic accountant and accounting expert witness David Lawler. David has over 30 years’ experience advising claimants and defendants in high profile disputes across a variety of sectors. Trained as a Chartered...

FIRM NEWS 28 JUNE 2021

Raedas have maintained their Chambers and Partners’ Band 1 ranking for Litigation Support: Business Intelligence & Investigations (BI&I) for the third year in a row, and Band 2 ranking for Global Asset Tracing & Recovery (Investigations) for a...

FIRM NEWS 28 JANUARY 2021

Founding partner Joana Rego and director Jenna Burton spoke on panel at ThoughtLeaders4’s Fraud, Insolvency, Recovery and Enforcement (FIRE) webinar on issues connected to asset recovery against Sovereign states. The panel, which was also moderated by...

EVENTS 28 OCTOBER 2020

Founding partner Nicholas Bortman spoke on panel at ThoughtLeaders4’s Fraud, Insolvency, Recovery and Enforcement (FIRE) Middle East webinar on 27 October. Joining a panel of experts, Nicholas discussed key Asset Recovery issues across the region. A...

COMMENTARY 14 MAY 2020

Partner and co-founder Nicholas Bortman discusses the reality of investigations where contentious work and high stakes are the name of the game, predictions for a post COVID-19 world, and shares some anecdotes along the way. You can listen to the podcast,...

COMMENTARY 24 JANUARY 2017

Judges in the local ‘onshore’ courts of the Arabian Gulf are generally uncomfortable with witness testimony in litigation proceedings. In fact documentary evidence is often the only evidence that will be accepted. In a region where the line between public...

COMMENTARY 12 JANUARY 2017

We often sit in on debates among legal teams over the merits of filing a criminal complaint to put pressure on counterparties, an essential strategy in complex disputes. Such a tactic can carry risk for the claimant. However, in some countries, particularly...