Dr. Faraj Ahnish is the Founding Partner with extensive expertise in financial regulation, dispute resolution, defence and security, regulatory and government advisory, public law, public international law, procurement, and legislative drafting. He leads a wide-ranging practice that focuses predominantly on government and commercial work, alongside selective commercial litigation and arbitration.

Dr. Ahnish has advised on numerous prominent local and international matters, including drafting major Abu Dhabi and Federal laws and regulations, and providing counsel on the allocation of powers and jurisdictions between local governmental institutions and the Federal Government. He has advised government and private entities on major infrastructure and energy projects, including water, electricity, and nuclear energy, as well as public utilities and civil infrastructure projects. He also provides strategic advice to international companies on their engagement with UAE and Abu Dhabi government institutions, regulatory compliance, corporate restructuring, incorporation of investment funds, and complex acquisitions within the UAE and internationally, including Egypt and Libya.

He graduated in law from the University of Benghazi, completed an LL.M. in International Law at Hull University, and earned a Ph.D. in International Law from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Ahnish is licensed to practice as an advocate and legal consultant in the UAE and Libya and is an accredited arbitrator with the Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre. He has appeared before UAE Federal and Emirate courts on major civil and commercial proceedings. In recognition of his career, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Chambers & Partners in 2023.

Admissions: Licensed to appear before all Federal Courts of Appeal of the UAE; Libyan Bar Association

Languages: English, Arabic