Aarti Thadani
Counsel
Norton Rose Fulbright (Middle East) LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Aarti Thadani is a senior construction dispute resolution lawyer based in the Middle East. She has been at the firm for 13 years and has practiced in our construction and arbitration teams in London, Singapore and Dubai. She has been based in the UAE since 2015.
Aarti regularly advises regional sovereign wealth funds, master developers and owners on complex construction projects in the region. She has substantive experience advising on MEP related contentious issues and final account disputes.
In 2021, Aarti completed a Masters in Construction Law and Practice (distinction) and was seconded to one of Abu Dhabi's largest sovereign wealth funds where she headed up legal for its real estate vertical. Aarti is recognised as an industry expert in the construction, infrastructure and real estate space, with specialist capabilities.
Clients say of Aarti "Aarti Thadani stands out as a top practitioner in the region" and "Aarti Thadani provides excellent client service and manages cases very efficiently. Her recommendations to clients are spot on." (Legal 500: EMEA 2023)
Professional experience
Collapse allLondon School of Economics and Political Science - LLB (Honours) 2008
- Solicitor, qualified in England & Wales
Advised:
- A major Saudi Arabian bank in respect of certain contentious and non-contentious matters arising out of the construction of its new headquarters in Riyadh.
- A major contractor on a multi-million dollar ICC arbitration (DIFC seat, DIFC law) against a Dubai Government-owned Employer in respect of works carried out in the DIFC, UAE.
- A major defence contractor on claims concerning disputed entitlements to extensions of time and variations under a construction subcontract in Qatar.
- A large Saudi pharmaceutical entity in respect of a dispute with its UAE JV partner.
- A master developer in respect of claims by a design consultant
- A major master developer in Dubai on numerous disputes arising out of several hotel management agreements entered into with numerous global five star hotel managers.
- A leading provider of IVF treatments in a multi-million dollar DIFC Court litigation against a global healthcare provider.
- A major Turkish conglomerate on certain rental disputes with a Dubai-based master developer.
- An international hotelier in a multi-million dollar dispute arising out of a hotel management agreement with a hotel owner (DIFC-LCIA, DIFC seat, English law).
- A Saudi hotel owner in respect of a dispute with an international hotelier.
- A director of a major private equity firm on a regulatory investigation.
- A subcontractor on a dispute with a contractor concerning the construction of a terminal at an airport in Jeddah, KSA.
- A consortium of major Middle Eastern and Indian banks in the acceleration of a multi-million loan and the enforcement of security in numerous jurisdictions.
- A consortium of regional Middle East and Indian banks in respect of the acceleration of certain loans to a major Indian airline (partially owned at the time by Etihad), which is now embroiled in insolvency proceedings.
- An international bank in respect of a dispute concerning the terms of its lease with its landlord (a Government entity in Dubai).
- A quasi government-owned developer in numerous arbitrations with purchasers of off-plan properties in the UAE (DIAC, UAE law, Dubai seat).
- A partner in a DIFC limited liability partnership on a dispute involving the breach of a partnership agreement.
- A Dubai based sub-developer in a multi-million dollar dispute with a Dubai Government-owned master developer (DIAC, UAE Law, Dubai seat).
- A Dubai Government-owned entity in a joint venture dispute concerning a development in Moscow, Russia (LCIA, English law, London seat).
- An international engineering company as subcontractor in a multi-million dollar dispute with the contractor due to delays caused by the contractor (DIAC, English law, Dubai seat).
- On an internal investigation over allegations of wrongdoing.
- A multi-national airport operations syndicate against a retail contractor relating to the retail concessions at two European airports (LCIA administered UNCITRAL, Cyprus law, London seat).
- An Indian financial technologies provider against a BVI holding company which owns and controls a group of companies providing collateral control services to banks in relation to commodities transactions and a Swiss national. Following a successful result in the arbitration representing the Indian company in subsequent enforcement actions in various jurisdictions, including Switzerland, France and the UK (ICC, English law, London seat).
- A Russian coffee company against a US-incorporated supplier of green coffee beans (LCIA, English law, London seat).
- An international hotel group in relation to the termination of a hotel project in Morocco (ICC, English law, London seat).
- A major UK transport company on a potential challenge to a major procurement contract.
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