Presents

GLOBAL LEGAL & IP HYBRID CONFERENCE

Crowne Plaza, Dubai-Deira, UAE

Overview

The Intersection of Legal Innovation and Opportunities in the Middle East

Middle East | Dubai | 28th - 29th Nov 2024

LexTalk World is a dynamic platform for legal professionals, offering networking, discussion forums, learning resources, legal events, legal tech solutions, and continuing education. Empowering legal practitioners with connections, knowledge, and growth opportunities in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.

Enquiry For Speaking Opportunity

As a premier platform where legal conferences convene, promising the largest gathering of lawyers and law firms. Featuring networking, discussion forums, learning resources, legal events, legal tech solutions, and continuing education. Don't miss the opportunity to be a speaker and share your knowledge and insights at this Conference.

Speakers

Monica Romelina Sijabat

Founder & Managing Partner at MRS Business Professional Consulting

Founder & Managing Partner at MRS Business Professional Consulting, Monica Romelina Sijabat, has a profession as a Tax Attorney and Tax Consultant. Monica has more than 15 years of successful experience at the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia as well as the Tax Court-Republic of Indonesia as Legal Counsel for various multi-national companies, especially from developed countries such as the USA, Europe, & Asia. Monica is also a Lecturer in Economics & Tax at the University of Indonesia-Faculty of Economics & Business. Apart from being a Legal Counsel & Professor, she is also a Chartered Accountant and a Principal Member of the Indonesian Accountants Association.
Monica's educational background includes being an alumna of the Economics faculty at the University of Indonesia and also an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education in Economic Development as of June 2020. Her study focus is in the field of Taxation & Economics. Monica has also completed several Executive Education Programs at Harvard Business School since 2016. Monica has built her business with a high reputation & integrity since 2017 with the name MRS Business Professional Consulting, with a team consisting of alumni from prestigious universities in Indonesia and located in Washington DC, USA, and Indonesia.
Monica is the recipient of the prestigious Award for winning the Taxation Educational Video Competition at the Lecturer level throughout Indonesia, organized by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia-Directorate General of Taxes & the Indonesian Accountants Association. She is also the recipient of the prestigious University of Indonesia research grant award in Economic Cooperative at the Lecturer level, representing the Faculty of Economics & Business. Monica has been honored with the Lex-Falcon Global Awards 2024 and Hall of Fame 2024 for her exceptional contributions in the field of Taxation, along with several other prestigious awards.

Dr. Yasser Abo Ismail

General Counsel & Compliance Officer at Schindler Group, UAE.

An inspiring legal counsel and seasoned leader, skillfully merges legal expertise with executive influence to propel worldwide business aims. With a dynamic career that spans Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, Yasser has left an indelible mark in organizations like Ernst & Young, PepsiCo, Eaton, and currently, Schindler.
At Schindler, he oversees all legal, commercial, and compliance matters across MENA, concurrently leading the Global Human Rights Office to the social impact of Schindler operations within its value chain.
As a thought leader, Yasser shares insights through prestigious law forums and as a mentor, cultivates potential in budding lawyers. His networking prowess, commitment to constant learning, and vigorous public advocacy establish Yasser as a trailblazer in the legal industry.
Yasser's contributions have been recognized by Legal500, Legal Era Magazine, and Legal Week, honoring his significant influence in the field. His academic accolades, from Cairo University, Paris IX University, and University Montpellier I, further endorse his professional authority.
Yasser's ability to straddle strategic, legal, educational, and advocacy roles cements his reputation as an influential change-maker shaping the legal industry's future.

Sonali Menon Govender

Attorney - Head: Litigation & Estates Department
at Maynard Menon Govender Inc.

Rushda Niyas

Managing Director at
JAAR Law

Rushda Niyas is an attorney with over a decade of experience specializing in commercial and corporate law. As the Managing Director of JAAR Law, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka she leads a dynamic team dedicated to delivering customized legal solutions for a diverse clientele, from emerging enterprises to multinational corporations. Rushda has extensive expertise in contract drafting and negotiation, corporate structuring, foreign investments, and due diligence. She has also worked extensively with Sri Lankan corporations through her previous role at the BOI, providing guidance on complex commercial transactions.

She is also an accredited mediator and advocates for mediation as a solution to navigate complex conflicts arising from commercial transactions to achieve lasting resolutions outside of traditional litigation.

Raghvendra verma

Chief Legal & Compliance Officer and Company Secretary

Shaharyar Nashat

Head of Legal (Assets & Operations) for Al Jomaih Energy & Water Co.

Shaharyar Nashat is the Head of Legal (Assets & Operations) for Al Jomaih Energy & Water Co., a leading energy conglomerate with direct and indirect investments in ventures across Middle East and Asia, and is currently based in Dubai, U.A.E.

Mr. Nashat's areas of experience and expertise include corporate law, competition law, banking and finance, corporate governance, litigation and arbitration. He is frequently invited as a guest speaker at various legal conferences and some of the leading educational institutes in the U.A.E and Pakistan.
He is a published author. His published work includes numerous articles on law, politics and
international affairs in national and international publications.

Mr. Nashat is a co-founding editor of The Counsel, a premier corporate law magazine and is also a co-founding member of the Corporate Counsel Association of Pakistan.

Tawfiq Adnan Zuwayyed

General Legal Counsel, Commercial Bank International

Leila Zine

Senior Legal Counsel - OSN

Leila Zine is Senior Legal Counsel at OSN, with over 15 years of experience in business law. Prior to joining OSN, Leila has worked in both private practice and in-house legal roles in various legal environments. Her practice focuses on complex software license agreements, commercial agreements, TMT law, intellectual property, and corporate governance across the Middle East and Africa region.
Leila holds a master degree in Contracts and Professional Liabilities from the University of Toulouse Capitole, and a master degree in Business Law from the University of Legal, Political, and Social Sciences in Tunis.
Leila has been a member of the Tunisian Bar since 2010.
Leila is fluent in Arabic, English, and French.

Karim El Helaly

Legal Director
at AVEVA

Chehade Kahi

General Counsel Legal at Emirates Petroleum

Chehade is a dynamic legal consultant and advocate with over 20 years of experience in the GCC and Middle East, specializing in corporate and criminal matters, with particular focus on shipping, international trade, oil & gas, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions.
As General Counsel and Board Secretary for Emirates Petroleum Company, he advises on oil & gas transactions, compliance, and governance. He has served as an arbitrator before the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and has been appointed in disputes before the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
Chehade has extensive experience with business veterans and legal firms worldwide to offer comprehensive advisory services in corporate and financial matters. His passion for international trade stems from his family business in Lebanon. He earned a Master's in Comparative Law from La Sagesse University (2005) and an LLM in Maritime Law from the University of Southampton (2011) after pursuing his legal education and internships across Lebanon, France, Greece, and the UK.

Galina Lyubcheva

Contract Management Consultant at Bosch Digital

Sara Darazirar Vonk

Leader Legal & Compliance, Middle East,
North West Africa and Mediterranean, LIXIL

Sara Darazirar is a highly accomplished Senior legal counsel with extensive experience in corporate law, governance, compliance, and litigation. She currently leading the Legal and Compliance function for the Middle East, North West Africa, and Mediterranean region at LIXIL Corporation, a global leader in manufacturing building materials, fixtures, and housing equipment. With over 15 years of expertise in the various industries and sectors including manufacturing and construction sectors. Sara has successfully led legal and compliance functions across various organizations in the region.
Sara holds a law degree from Algiers University and a master’s degree in International Law, Foreign Trade, and International Relations from ISDE Spain. She is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and has been a key figure in Diversity and Inclusion initiatives in her previous roles, she is also dedicated to driving legal excellence and fostering workplace integrity and ethics.
She was awarded the Oath Magazine Legal Award for Legal Team of the Year in 2019 and Legal Era’s Finest General Counsel Award “manufacturing sector” for the year 2023.

Helen Grant

Group Legal Counsel, Middle East &
Asia Pacific at DNV

Shilpa Bhasin Mehra

Independent Legal Consultant

Shilpa Bhasin Mehra
Having been in the UAE for 30 years, coming from a legal background, I have held the position of Head of Legal in global companies, and am now an independent legal consultant. I have worked as the in-house Legal head with Smit Lamnalco and Svitzer (was part of the Maersk Group), doing work with major corporations worldwide. Always working in the interest of my client, I believe in alternate dispute resolution, mainly arbitration and mediation. I am a member of leading international legal bodies.
I am also a member of the Chartered Institute of UK (CIArb) and a Mediator with the Oman Commercial Arbitration Centre.
Awards
Lawyer of the Year 2021 for Professional Social Responsibility by Middle East Legal Era Awards.
Award for Legal Finesse, Innovations and Accomplishments by Middle East Legal Era Awards in 2021.
Awarded the Golden Visa by the UAE Ministry of Culture for being a creative person of intellect in February 2022.

Mehrdad Molaei

Global Senior Legal Counsel- Digital &
Integration (D&I) at SLB

Mehrdad Molaei is an accomplished Senior Legal Counsel with extensive experience in international legal management within various industries, energy being one of them. He has focused on ESG, sustainability, and decarbonization projects, thus acting as a lead legal advisor to large-scale activities such as CCS-related projects with multi-billion-dollar investments. Mehrdad has vast experience in regulatory compliance, contract negotiation, and commercial risk management. He is a legal strategist who has led teams and driven the delivery of high-quality legal services for multinational corporations. He is also recognized for his work in the advancement of ESG principles within the Energy sector.

Linda Nemeh

Chief Legal Counsel (MEAIT), Richemont Group

With over 20 years of legal experience as an American-trained and educated lawyer, I have 16 years of in-house experience in the UAE, focusing across the GCC, 6 months of private practice in corporate and commercial matters at a Tier 1 law firm in Amman, Jordan, and 4 years of private practice in litigation, arbitration, and mediation in the US. As a certified Art Law professional by Christie's Education, I am actively involved in mentoring law students and legal graduates through Grow Mentoring and the Empower M.E. Launch with the Emirates Legal Network in Dubai, UAE, since January 2024. I have lectured at the Intellectual Property Law Practicum for LLM students at the University of Paris II at the DIFC Academy in Dubai in October 2019. My accomplishments include winning multiple prestigious awards, such as Legal Team of the Year (Large) by The Oath Middle East in November 2023, Top Legal Leader Award by The Legal Gorilla Conference in April 2022, Legal Team of the Year at the Legal Era Middle East Law Awards in December 2021, and Legal Department of the Year at both the Middle East Legal Awards in April 2019 and the Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards in 2012. Additionally, I have been a speaker at notable events such as the International Litigation Legal Conference in March 2019 on "Roles and Importance of Outsourcing Litigation Services" and the IIPLA Congress in January 2016 on "Leveraging Intellectual Property Technology." I also hold a Global Anti-Corruption and Compliance Certificate from Amsterdam (April 2016) and certifications from Inside the Courts 9th Judicial District and Mediation Certified.

Beatriz Gomez Nosti

Senior Manager, Legal Head for Middle East, Africa, Turkey & CIS (Travel Sellers) at Amadeus IT Group

Currently counting more than 13 years with Amadeus, Beatriz Gomez has built up extensive experience as in-house counsel, understanding the significance of this role to facilitate business operations while balancing commercial interests and risk.
Throughout her time at Amadeus, Beatriz has moved from the Group’s headquarters in Madrid, first to Kenya, and later to Dubai, where she has spent the last 5 years leading the legal support to over 25 entities that are a key IT provider to travel sellers in more than 70 countries in the region of Middle East, Africa, Turkey and CIS. By overseeing such a wide corporate footprint, Beatriz is well seasoned on the regulatory requirements and opportunities to operate in different jurisdictions.
Travel and technology are fundamental and intrinsic to our lives, and Beatriz views the possibility to contribute her legal expertise to their development as a privilege.

CA Ramesh Dave

Head of Compliance at Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Abu Dhabi Branch

Ramesh is a Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and a Certified AML Specialist
Ramesh is an experienced Banker (over 24+ years) with excellent knowledge of Internal Audit, Governance, Risk & Compliance, Anti-Financial Crime, Sanctions Advisory and Risk Management.
Currently, he is working as Head of Compliance & AML at Intesa Sanpaolo Abu Dhabi Branch. He has earlier worked with Exim Bank, ICICI Bank and First Gulf Bank in roles of Internal Audit, Risk Management, Anti-Financial Crime & Regulatory Compliance.
Ramesh is a Management Committee member at Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Abu Dhabi Chapter leading Professional Development Committee.
He is recipient of Best Student Award & Gold Medal from the Chief Justice of India during his College education.

Njekwa Mwamba

Senior Counsel at Mastercard

Njekwa is a payments and fintech lawyer who helps financial institutions and technology companies navigate the complex legal and regulatory landscape in a digital age. She's currently a Senior Counsel for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Mastercard where she leverages her legal expertise and passion for financial inclusion to support Product and Sales teams to develop and commercialize innovative financial solutions. Her career includes notable roles such Head of Business Legal Africa at Western Union, where she provided strategic legal and regulatory advice and at the Bank of Namibia, she led a team of policymakers in the Banking Supervision Department. Njekwa holds an LLM in Banking & Finance Law and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Business Law from the University of London, complementing her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Namibia.

Ahmed Kandil

Regional Ethics and Compliance Officer- MEA at MENARINI Group

I have started my career with healthcare industry in 2004. During my career I had the chance to support different regions in HealthCare Compliance, Risk Management, Finance, Commercial and Projects management. Currently I work for A. Menarini as Regional Compliance Officer for MEA region. Prior joining A. Menarini I worked also, for Bausch and Lomb, Glaxo SmithKline and Johnson& Johnson. I hold a master’s degree in Business Administration from Chifley Business School (Australia), Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional-International (CCEP-I) from Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, USA, and Certified Lead Professional Ethics & Compliance (LPEC) from Ethics & Compliance Initiative, USA.

Ramy Rasmy

Assistant Manager - Litigation at DAMAC Group

Specialized in Real Estate, Construction, Civil, Commercial
and Corporates laws in various levels of courts
* Investigate with the concerned departments in the company in
order to collect the required documents to be fully informative.
* Draw the strategic legal plan of real estate/ or construction
case after studying, schedule appointment and discuss the
progress of the case with the vice precedent.
* Draft legal synopsis for each case including defense summary
as well as the supportive documents and evidence.
* Send the file to the law Firm to prepare their responsive
memorandum.
* Receive the memos for review and amendments, then, send it
back to the lawyer to submit it before the court.
* Present DAMAC before the expert meetings, discussing,
fighting on the case facts and lawsuits aspects with specialists
and opponents.
* Attending all court Expert inspections.
* Following up the cases till close the file.
* Largely involved in the contracts and litigation.

Eliana Fonseca

Senior Legal Counsel at Emirates Flight Catering

Eliana is an accomplished Senior Legal Counsel with over a decade of extensive experience in the dynamic legal landscape of Dubai. Equipped with a diverse background spanning both private practice and in-house roles, specializing in corporate and commercial transactions, omnichannel retail, luxury goods, high-end catering and hospitality services, regulatory compliance, and data privacy. Recognized as a pioneer in Legal Project Management within the region and as a global certified Legal Project Practitioner (LPP), Eliana is the exclusive provider of Legal Project Management training in the UAE accredited by the International Institute of Legal Project Management (IILPM). In addition, Eliana is also a data privacy professional certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) as well as a certified Company Secretary. Eliana demonstrates a commitment to excellence in legal practice and a dedication to advancing the field through innovative methodologies, agile approaches and a pursuit of continuous improvement.

Hinna Webb

Senior Legal Counsel at First Abu Dhabi Bank

Hina is a Senior Legal Counsel in First Abu Dhabi Bank’s Group Legal & Corporate Governance Department. She is also a member of FAB’s Group Legal Decarbonisation Working Group, which supports the bank’s sustainable development strategy.
Hina also serves as a non-executive director on the board of Pointer Holdings Limited, a specialist security solutions provider with business operations in Oman, the Philippines and Thailand.
Prior to joining First Abu Dhabi Bank, Hina worked at Al Futtaim Group, advising on the Group’s trading operations across its business sectors, including automotive, retail and healthcare, in the MENA and SEA regions.
Hina has over 18 years of international experience of advising on corporate, commercial, banking and finance transactions with City of London and DIFC private practice experience and over 7 years of experience working in-house in the UAE. Hina is English law qualified, holds a Diploma in French Legal Studies and is fluent in English, French and Urdu.

Alexandra De Canha

Senior Legal Counsel AMET & EMEA Legal Lead for Oral Care at Kenvue

Alexandra is a Senior Legal Advisor with global experience, focusing mainly on the Middle East and Africa regions. She started her career as a practicing attorney in South Africa and later transitioned to a legal advisory role. Alexandra’s expertise lies within the healthcare, FMCG and consumer sectors. She has a keen interest in artificial intelligence and the development of compliant legal frameworks to accommodate its advancement. Alexandra is employed as the Senior Legal Counsel for Kenvue, AMET (formerly Johnson & Johnson Consumer) and is based in Dubai, UAE.