• Solicitor qualified in England & Wales 2008

Advising: 

• A UAE law firm - in defending a claim against it by an international law firm, alleging deficiencies in the handling of complex multi-party UAE litigation.
• Multiple healthcare providers and professionals– in defending over 100 medical malpractice claims across the Middle East, from attendance before healthcare regulators to all stages of litigation, as well as out-of-court resolution.
• Reinsurance brokers - in connection to a claim for alleged negligence in placing a UAE reinsurance policy.
• Numerous international reinsurers - on multiple instructions in relation to a range of policy coverage issues, such as late notification and the applicability of exclusions and general advice on the applicability of wordings.
• A senior manager of a regulated financial institution – in successfully defending a high-profile DFSA enforcement action, including responding to a section 80 Notice and preparation for attendance at a compulsory interview.
• The international reinsurance market - as coverage and monitoring counsel, following multiple D&O liability and professional liability claims and high-profile investigations in multiple jurisdictions, including by the US DOJ against a private equity firm in Dubai.
• Insurers - in relation to a litigated onshore UAE D&O liability policy coverage dispute relating to civil and criminal cases, amounting to hundreds of millions of US dollars in multiple jurisdictions as well as the issuance of Interpol red notices.
• International reinsurers - on D&O liability policy coverage following a high-profile international bribery and corruption investigation into management individuals, involving government officials and private companies in the Middle East.
• An international healthcare provider – on a data breach by a malicious insider threat in relation to civil and criminal recourse and management of the event.
• Several regional and international businesses - in respect of ransomware breaches and managing exposures to them, following the incident, including a FMCG manufacturer and a UAE logistics firm.
• A regional private equity firm - on a DIFC-LCIA arbitration concerning a M&A dispute relating to a breach of representations and warranties.
• A global FMCG manufacturer - following a Competition Protection Agency Notice relating to alleged dominance and anti-competition behaviour in specific Middle East markets.
• A global Financial Institution - in relation to the default of a promissory note amounting to hundreds of millions of US dollars and progressing enforcement and recovery action in multiple Middle East jurisdictions.

UAE Insurance, The Legal 500

UAE Insurance, Chambers & Partners 

"persistent and solution-driven"
"Shabnam is a leading expert when it comes to insurance/reinsurance liability and coverage matters in the region".

• Shabnam is frequently quoted in UAE newspapers and publications on her topics of specialism, including cybersecurity risks and medical malpractice liability.

• Speaker at a seminar on Cyber Risks and Security with Millenium Brokers in Dubai (November 2016).
• Speaker at the 2018 Dubai World Insurance Congress on cyber risks and legislation.
• Speaker at a 2018 onshore energy conference in Dubai on "Cyber: The energy sector's next big challenge".
• Speaker at various market events on medical malpractice liability in the Middle East and risk malpractice.
• Panel participant at an event on UAE cyber risks in October 2021.
• Speaker at event on "Middle East Financial Lines Claims trends" in November 2021
• Speaker at TATA-AIG event on "managing cyber risk and key considerations around ransomware" in December 2021

• English
• Hindi
• Italian