Law & Arbitration
International Arbitration
Cross-border outcomes built for enforcement — from appointment to award to recovery.
International Arbitration is a practice-led premium advisory service under Legal & Regulatory. Handle runs international arbitration with one objective: an award that executes. Jurisdiction strategy, evidence architecture and hearing advocacy are structured around enforceable results.
When this is needed
International Arbitration in the UAE: where the mandate begins.
- A cross-border contract dispute is heading to arbitration, and the seat, rules and tribunal will decide the leverage.
- A notice of arbitration has been served, and the response window is already running.
- Interim protection is required before the tribunal is constituted — through an emergency arbitrator or the courts.
- An award must be recognised and enforced against assets held across more than one jurisdiction.
Matters Handle leads
International arbitration mandates.
Four capabilities. One route from clause to recovery.
Arbitration Advocacy
Claimant or respondent representation before DIAC, ICC, LCIA, ADGM and ad hoc UNCITRAL tribunals.
Tribunal Strategy
Seat, rules, tribunal composition and procedural timetable structured for decisive findings.
Evidence Control
Complex documentary, witness and expert records managed into one defensible case theory.
Award Enforcement
Awards converted into recoveries through recognition and execution across jurisdictions.
The scope
International Arbitration — scope, made explicit.
A focused, premium mandate — with the business asset, the cross-border position and the award at the center.
Seat & Rules
Seat, governing law and institutional rules assessed for leverage, supervisory courts and enforceability.
Tribunal & Procedure
Arbitrator selection and procedural strategy set early to protect position and control the timetable.
Evidence Architecture
Disclosure, witnesses and experts structured to support decisive findings and withstand enforcement scrutiny.
Interim Measures
Emergency arbitrator relief, freezing orders and court support secured when timing is decisive.
Award & Enforcement
Award strategy aligned to recognition under the New York Convention and execution against assets.
The mandate
An award that executes.
International arbitration is won in preparation, not only at the hearing. Handle structures jurisdiction strategy, evidence architecture and advocacy so the tribunal reaches a decisive finding.
From appointment to enforcement, every procedural step is aligned with recovery planning — protecting capital across jurisdictions and keeping the dispute connected to the wider business objective.
What the mandate delivers
- Forum and procedural strategy aligned to jurisdiction and enforceability
- Pleadings and case theory built for decisive findings
- Evidence architecture including disclosure, witnesses and expert management
- Hearing preparation and advocacy with disciplined execution
- Award strategy aligned to recognition and enforcement pathways
- Cross-border enforcement coordinated with local court steps where required
How the work runs
Four disciplines. One enforceable award.
Every arbitration is run as a governed programme — from the clause to the recovery.
01
Forum and Procedure Control
Procedural strategy set early to protect position and control the timetable.
02
Evidence Architecture
Evidence built to support decisive findings and withstand enforcement scrutiny.
03
Hearing Readiness
Advocacy executed with disciplined preparation, a clear case theory and controlled witness strategy.
04
Enforcement Built In
Award strategy aligned to recognition and execution pathways across relevant jurisdictions.
The Handle model
Practice-led. Never fragmented.
The matter may begin here — it stays connected to strategy, capital and law.
Strategy & Operations
The work stays connected to market position, operating model, performance and execution governance.
M&A & Capital
The work stays aware of capital readiness, investor review, transaction logic and deployment discipline where relevant.
Legal & Regulatory
The work stays protected through structure, rights, governance, enforceability and regulatory or dispute readiness.
Why Handle
Cross-border disputes. Enforceable outcomes.
Handle does not treat the award as the finish line. Partner-led teams run the arbitration and carry the award through recognition and execution — with capital and strategy connected to every procedural decision.
- Jurisdiction control and procedural strategy aligned to the forum
- Evidence architecture built for decisive findings and enforceable awards
- Partner-led advocacy with disciplined hearing preparation
- Cross-border enforcement planning integrated from the start
- Coordination across courts and arbitration where required
- Outcomes measured in enforceable awards and recoveries
Good litigation is disciplined project management. Clear filings, clean evidence, and a hearing plan that your board understands. That is how outcomes travel from courtroom to cash.
Hamda Al FalasiPartner, Law & Arbitration
Engagement paths
Where this work typically begins.
Growth & Expansion
When the asset must scale capacity, geography, capital, partnerships or market share.
Turnaround
When the asset must reset structure, capital, law, governance and operations under pressure.
Coverage
Built for the institutions where cross-border disputes are decided.
Handle acts before DIAC, ICC, LCIA, ADGM and ad hoc UNCITRAL tribunals — with supervisory and enforcement steps before UAE onshore, DIFC and ADGM Courts and foreign courts where assets sit.
Forums · Courts & arbitration
Related service lines · Law & Arbitration
Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCommercial and Corporate DisputesShareholder and Joint Venture ControlConstruction and Projects DisputesBanking and Finance DisputesEmployment Litigation for EmployersInjunctions and Emergency ReliefAward Recognition and EnforcementFraud and Asset TracingRegulatory and Investigations
Questions, answered
International Arbitration — questions, answered.
How Handle leads international arbitration from seat selection to enforced recovery.
Which arbitration institutions does Handle act before?
DIAC, ICC, LCIA and ADGM arbitration, as well as ad hoc proceedings under the UNCITRAL Rules.
Does Handle act for claimants and respondents?
Yes. Arbitration strategy is structured for either side, according to the commercial objective.
How long does an international arbitration take?
Timelines are set by the rules, the tribunal and the complexity of the record. Handle manages procedural efficiency to shorten hearings and bring enforcement forward.
Can arbitral awards be enforced in the UAE?
Yes. Awards are recognised and converted into executable orders through UAE onshore, DIFC and ADGM frameworks, including under the New York Convention.
Can interim or emergency relief be obtained?
Yes. Emergency arbitrator relief, freezing orders and court-ordered injunctions are secured when time is critical.
Which sectors does Handle represent in arbitration?
Construction, banking and finance, energy, technology and shareholder disputes — across the seven priority verticals.
How is multi-jurisdiction coordination managed?
Strategy is aligned across local counsel, supervisory courts and enforcement authorities as one programme.
Is arbitration confidential?
Arbitration offers a high degree of confidentiality. Handle protects confidentiality across proceedings, submissions and any settlement.
Does Handle draft arbitration clauses?
Yes. Arbitration clauses are structured for enforceability — seat, rules, language and tribunal — to reduce future risk.
How are arbitration fees managed?
Through phased retainers with clear cost visibility aligned to the tribunal timetable.
Insights
Perspectives from live mandates.
Partner-led analysis on law, capital and strategy, shaped by boardroom realities across the UAE and the GCC.
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Work with Handle
Begin with International Arbitration — kept connected to the whole Handle model.
When cross-border disputes are tested by law.
Request an initial review
When the cross-border position must be protected.
Set out the matter. A partner reviews it and responds with a defined route, forum strategy and accountable lead.
- Partner-level review of every request
- Strict confidentiality and privilege from first contact
- One accountable partner from review to execution
