Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners

Managing Partner: Sultan M. Al-Abdulla

Partners: Ashraf Feshawi (Dispute Resolution - Litigation), Salman Mahmood (Corporate / Commercial; Dispute Resolution - Arbitration)

Number of partners: 3

Number of other fee-earners: 28

Languages: Arabic, English, Urdu

Firm Overview:

Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners (“SAP”) is a full-service Qatar law firm that provides a wide range of services in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Founded in 1999, SAP is one of the longest established and largest law firms in Qatar.

SAP is placed highly by international legal directories in all areas of legal practice. SAP is ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners and Tier 1 by The Legal 500. The firm was named Qatar Law Firm of the Year in 2017, 2020, 2021 and again in 2022, and Technology, Media & Telecommunications Team of the Year in 2019 and 2023, by the Qatar Business Law Forum hosted by LexisNexis. The firm was also awarded the Domestic Law Firm of the Year for Qatar at the Chambers & Partners Middle East Awards 2021. In addition, our partners are highly ranked individually for their corporate and commercial, energy and projects, and disputes work.

As one of the few full-service premier advisory law firms in Qatar, the corporate and commercial team of Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners draws on its specialised expertise and diverse experience to advise on the various aspects of domestic and cross-border transactions. The advisory team, consisting of ranked partners Sultan M. Al-Abdulla and Salman Mahmood, invests time to understand the needs of the firm’s clients so that it can deliver astute, relevant and effective advice. The team formed by Salman Mahmood not only advise on corporate structures, but also give specialised commercial advice on corporate governance, inter-shareholder rights and relations, regulatory and tax matters, and other commercial matters.

As a dedicated Qatari law firm, Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners’ extensive local experience affords it the knowledge to provide bespoke advice with respect to agency agreements, asset/business purchases, competition law, corporate re-structuring, distribution and franchise agreements, employment, foreign direct investment, free zones, intellectual property licensing, joint ventures, shareholders agreements, share sale and purchase agreements, manufacturing and supply agreements, and M&A.

The firm's litigation team, led by Sultan M. Al-Abdulla and Dr Ashraf Feshawi, is highly experienced in local practice with a thorough grounding in procedural and substantive law. It's lawyers regularly appear before all courts and tribunals in the State of Qatar, including the Court of Cassation. SAP's litigation team has an outstanding track record in complex, high stakes disputes arising from construction contracts, which include disputes relating to works completed, change orders and variations, payment disputes and change of law claims. The firm's client base is local and international: it acts for clients in Qatar, elsewhere in the Middle East, and outside the region. It is frequently appointed as counsel and Qatari law experts in disputes taking place in Qatar. It has built excellent relationships with lawyers across the world and therefore can provide clients with ready access to foreign law advice and representation when required.

SAP 's arbitration team, led by Sultan M. Al-Abdulla and Salman Mahmood, has significant experience in handling complex matters, with an emphasis on commercial and construction arbitrations. The team is admitted to practise in various common and civil law jurisdictions. It therefore offers the benefits of an international law firm, coupled with deep knowledge of its local market, its culture and systems. It conducts arbitrations under the major institutional rules and ad hoc arbitrations. It also deals with procedural hearings and interlocutory applications for interim relief, including advising on related court matters, such as the enforcement of arbitral awards. As specialist advocates, SAP conducts its own written and oral advocacy. It handles the entire arbitration process in-house, without the need to engage external barristers or legal experts. This provides clients with a seamless and cost-effective service. Given the breadth of the team’s jurisdictional experience, it is able to tailor its approach to the expectations of any particular Tribunal.

Main Practice Areas:

Agency & Franchise

Banking & Finance

Construction & Engineering

Corporate & M&A

Commercial & Transactional

Dispute Resolution (Arbitration & Litigation)

Employment & Immigration

Energy

Events & Sporting

Intellectual Property

Real Estate

Regulatory & Compliance

Tax

Telecom, Media & Technology