Andrew Mackenzie

Partner
Head of Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations, Middle East

Andrew has relentless tenacity and absolute client focus

Client, Chambers Global
About

Andrew leads the Tier 1 ranked dispute resolution practice for DLA Piper across the Middle East, consisting of 8 Partners and 52 disputes associates. He is ranked in Chambers Global, Legal 500 and is listed in Who’s Who Legal as one of the world’s leading dispute lawyers. Andrew works extensively across the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia, acting for governments and international corporations, advising on complex commercial disputes under a variety of civil and common law systems. He has been based in Dubai since 2009, is a qualified English law Barrister, Solicitor-Advocate and arbitration law specialist.

As well as advising on complex commercial disputes, Andrew also specialises in construction, engineering and energy disputes. He has tried cases in all of the major arbitration forums including ICSID, ICC, LCIA, SIAC, ADCCAC, UNCITRAL and DIAC. He also holds full rights of audience before the DIFC & ADGM Courts, sits as an arbitrator and has written and presented at numerous international conferences on arbitration and dispute resolution.

Andrew’s client centric and commercial approach is endorsed by client feedback, including, he has "relentless tenacity and absolute client focus" (Chambers Global), "exceptional knowledge" and "a strong commitment to his clients." (Who’s Who Legal)

Professional QualificationsAdmitted as a Solicitor with the Law Society of ScotlandBarrister in England and WalesSolicitor-Advocate in England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

Construction and Energy

  • Acting for a global engineering business in a DIAC arbitration concerning a service contract in Iraqi. This USD 23 million dispute concerned issues of contractual breach, misrepresentation and included criminal sanctions and cross-border consequences.
  • Acting for the Kuwaiti Government in an ICC disputes concerning the expansion of a major oil terminal.
  • Acted for an unincorporated joint venture in a DIAC arbitration concerning the operation of Dubai International Terminal 3 with a claim value of over USD 1 billion.
  • Acted for a Japanese-led joint venture in an ICC dispute in Doha in connection with the service contractor of a major new international airport terminal. The claim value exceeded USD 120 million.
  • Acting for a global master planner in arbitration proceedings concerning the procurement, design, tender and construction of the Midfield airport Terminal, Abu Dhabi. 

ADGM/DIFC

  • Advising multiple Defendants in ADGM Court proceedings concerning a share drag dispute with a multi-million dollar claim value.
  • Acting for a UAE based funds manager in ADGM Court proceedings concerning allegations of fraud, embezzlement and breach of fiduciary duties.
  • Acting for a luxury European fashion house in one of the first substantive actions before the ADGM Courts.
  • Acting for a global logistical company in DIFC Court proceedings concerning a challenge to a 1782 application for pre-action disclosure in the US in support of ongoing arbitral proceedings.
  • Acting for a major UAE-based bank in DIFC Court proceedings concerning the enforcement of personal guarantees worth in excess of AED 700m.

Commercial Arbitration

  • Acting for a global logistics provider in a DIFC-LCIA multi-million dollar Arbitration seated in the DIFC and concerning issues of contractual breach, fraud and misrepresentation. The arbitration involved issues and actions across multiple jurisdictions including, KSA, DIFC, Dubai and the US.
  • Acting for a large regional KSA-based bank in DIFC-LCIA arbitral proceedings, seated in the DIFC, concerning contractual breaches under numerous financial instruments in which an award for USD 183m was successfully obtained.
  • Acting for a technology solutions provider in a multijurisdictional DIFC-LCIA arbitration with a claim value of USD 380m concerning issues of IP infringement and legal and contractual claims across five separate jurisdictions.
  • Acted for an unincorporated joint venture in a DIAC construction arbitration concerning a major infrastructure project with a claim value of over USD 1bn.
  • Acted on behalf of a global contractor in an LCIA Arbitration in London in relation to a dispute over the design and construction of a major oil pipeline in Abu Dhabi, with a claim value of over USD 120m.
Education
  • University of Strathclyde, Diploma in Legal Practice, 2007
  • University of Glasgow, LLB, with honors, 2006

Awards

  • Power List: Dispute Resolution: Arbitration, and International Litigation and Construction, Legal 500, 2022
  • Ranked for Dispute Resolution and Construction in the UAE, Chambers and Partners
  • Ranked in Who’s Who Legal for Arbitration and Construction

Publications

  • A new dawn concerning the process to enforce English court judgments in the UAE, 11 October 2022
  • New DIAC 2022 rules launched: A comparison of key changes, 23 May 2022
  • DIAC completes re-launch and issues new rules; LCIA to manage ongoing DIFC-LCIA arbitrations, 21 March 2022

Additional information

  • Led a team of lawyers to provide an advoacy masterclass for the Children's Rights Moot Court Competition 2021 for Leiden University.
  • Acting as Judge for the pre-moot and in the Semi-final of the Children's Rights Moot Court Competition 2021 for Leiden University.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Law Society of England & Wales - Member
  • Honourable Society of Lincoln"s Inn (United Kingdom) - Member
  • Society of Construction Law (Middle East) – Member
  • LCIA Council – Member

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